March 12, 2020
Australia’s wild prawn fishers are inviting the community to ‘get on board’ by promoting the sustainable practices that make the Aussie prawn on your plate as guilt-free as it is delicious.
A project funded jointly by the Australian Council of Prawn Fisheries (ACPF), and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), is harnessing novel technology, such as augmented reality, to bring the community on board with fishers, without having to leave their lounge rooms.
Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries, Jonno Duniam, said Australia’s wild caught prawn industry had great story to share with Australians.
“Australian’s love wild prawns, and for good reason,” Assistant Minister Duniam said. “Wild prawns are not only synonymous with occasions like Christmas, but they are renowned for being safe, high quality and environmentally sustainable
“This is a great story to tell, and one that the industry should be proud of. I’m sure Australians will love the chance to ‘Get On-Board’ with wild prawn fishers, and continue support for the fishery.
“The hard-work and investment that the wild prawn industry has put into this initiative is outstanding, and I encourage other fishing sectors to follow their lead.”
Annie Jarrett, chair of the ACPF says Australians love their seafood and they want to know that the people who catch it are doing the right thing by the environment, their people and their practices.
“Our prawn fishers are proud to catch Australian wild prawns and are proud custodians of our fisheries,” said Jarrett. “We are continually improving our fishing and work practices. Our ‘Australian wild prawn’ stories will help us share our journey with the community”.
“Far from simply making empty promises, Australia’s wild-harvest prawn sector has been investing over many years to reduce bycatch and to minimise its environmental footprint.”
“Last October, we launched a project to scientifically identify the trace element fingerprints of Australian prawns to ensure consumers confidence in where the Aussie prawns they buy come from,” said Jarrett.
“Australia’s prawn fisheries have been proactive towards improving their environmental footprint using research and development,” said FRDC’s general manager of research and investment, Crispian Ashby.
“When the Northern Prawn Fishery trialled a new bycatch reduction device in 2017-2019 with enormous success, the news went viral among fishers, now other prawn fisheries are keenly trialling the device too
“By bringing science to the industry and theory to the practice, the Australian wild prawn industry is enacting positive change,” Ashby said.