INSIGHTS FOCUS ON SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD FOLLOWING ON FROM SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD WEEK IN MARCH AND COMING IN TO THE EASTER HOLIDAY SEAFOOD SEASON, AS WELL AS MORE PEOPLE WANTING TO EAT LOCALLY, ETHICALLY AND SUSTAINABLY, SEAFOOD IS A HOT TOPIC. <strong>QHA</strong> REVIEW | 30 Seafood is incredibly popular in Australia with each Aussie consuming about 14 kilograms per year. According to industry experts, this is 1.5 kilograms more than we were eating just a few years ago. Bidfood was the first Australian supplier to take a sustainability-based approach when procuring seafood products and they also work in partnership with Global Aquaculture Alliance, Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, both locally and abroad. Bidfood is across the hot issues that are swirling around seafood today. Some of these include overfishing, illegal fishing, modern slavery and lessthan-acceptable aquaculture. Buying from a respected supplier that upholds the strictest standards ensures you will never have to touch seafood that has been tainted by these issues. However, it is important that everyone is are aware of these concerns and are working together to ensure we are all using the best, most sustainable and ethical seafood that is available. Here, the Bidfood team take us through what venues need to know and look out for. Local fish Australia and New Zealand have some of the most stringent fishing regulations and quota controls in the world. Australian fishers work under both federal and state controls. The quality, handling and transport of the catch itself is overseen by state food safety authorities such as Safe Food Queensland. Australian fishers must report their catch to local fishing authorities and, if working in Commonwealth waters, to federal officers. Fishers work under strict quotas which are monitored and changed seasonally according to the figures being reported. Catching certain species of fish, shellfish and crustaceans, such as rock lobster, is banned at certain times of the year when the official season is closed. Our burgeoning aquaculture industry is also run under strict controls - from various bodies such as local councils to government authorities, with the majority of aquaculture businesses certified by third-party bodies such as the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. These all combine to create a national fishing industry that not only produces some of the best fish in the world but also some of the most sustainable. Marine Stewardship Council One quick way to ensure that your fish and seafood is sustainable is to look for the blue fish logo from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This is a global not-for-profit organisation with an aim to end overfishing around the world. The MSC brings together scientists, the people working on and around the seas, industry experts and other organisations. Using masses of data on actual wild fish stocks, the MSC is able to determine which species in which waters are sustainable to fish. The MSC recognises and rewards sustainable fishing practices making sure that the underwater environment is not harmed during fishing. So, when you see the MSC logo on a product you know that the seafood stocks are fished in a way that does not threaten the population’s long-term health and minimises the damaging effects of fishing on the surrounding wildlife and ecosystem. Aquaculture Stewardship Council Today, more than half the seafood eaten around the world is farmed. Seafood farming, or aquaculture, is a large, growing industry with a significant global impact and must be handled with great responsibility and care. But just like all food production, farming fish and seafood does of course have environmental and social impacts. This might be from water use, pollution or over-reliance of chemicals and medication. This is where the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) becomes important. This is another not-for-profit organisation operating around the world and certifying fish and seafood farms that meet their strict standards, which cover a wide range of environmental and social impacts. The health of the surrounding water bodies, seabeds and other waterways are monitored for pollution.
INSIGHTS <strong>QHA</strong> REVIEW | 31