Give Our Fishers A Christmas Present By Choosing Local Products

[Ken A]

Give our fishers a Christmas present by choosing local products

Consumers are being urged to back the local commercial fishing sector by purchasing Australian seafood for their Christmas feasts.

Shoppers can show their support for our state’s fishers by asking their fishmonger for locally caught or harvested prawns, fish, crab and other products.

Enjoying a seafood lunch has become part of the Australian tradition on Christmas Day, and consumers have a wide variety of tasty, healthy and safe local seafood to choose from.

However, many fishers are struggling to compete against a flood of cheap imports which have entered our markets in recent years.

Under NSW labelling laws, all imported products are required to be clearly identified as such at the point of sale.

If you are unsure of the origin of the product you wish to buy, ask your fishmonger to tell you – and if they can’t reassure you the product is local, then look for a home-grown option elsewhere.

The NSW Food Authority regularly conducts operations to ensure food labelling laws are being followed, and to prevent illegal fish substitution.

Not only does this ensure our local fishers are given fairer treatment at the point of sale, it also prevents consumers from being ripped off and sold inferior seafood products.

In September this year the Food Authority conducted a seafood labelling blitz, inspecting 91 retailers across the state during a three-day crackdown.

Seven retailers were fined for fish substitution – marketing a cheaper or inferior species of fish as a more expensive variety – or for incorrect labelling of imported product.

Commercial fishing in this state is subject to strict guidelines, with management plans and monitoring programs in place to ensure we harvest our fish responsibly and sustainably. Aquaculture industries must also follow health and environmental guidelines.

As a result NSW produces some of the safest and healthiest seafood in the world, both farmed and caught in the wild, with an extensive array of different products available.

Buying local seafood will help support the jobs of the 4000 people employed by the NSW commercial fishing sector.

[Mondo Rock]

An interesting conundrum.

I usually object to the commercial netting of the waterways around Sydney because of the environmental damage it does and the impact it has on the recreational fishing stocks. As such, I generally don't support local fishermen, and I encourage the consumption of imported seafood amongst my friends and family.

To put it bluntly, I would be thrilled to see the end of commercial fishing in and around Sydney.

It is, I will admit, a relatively selfish viewpoint - definitely of the NIMBY (not in my back yard) variety. Perhaps I should rethink my position.

Ken - how can we call for the abolition of commercial fishing in Sydney's waterways whilst we are simultaneously asking Fishraiders to support the very same commercial fishermen by buying their product?

Mondo

[Ken A]

Ken - how can we call for the abolition of commercial fishing in Sydney's waterways whilst we are simultaneously asking Fishraiders to support the very same commercial fishermen by buying their product?

I'm not suggesting or asking any Fishraiders to buy & support local commercial fisherman just sticking to my part of an agreement on posting ALL Fishing News from NSW DPI in full with no editing at all & will continue to do so no matter what the content. A deal is a deal.

My position on this particular matter is that I am 100% against supporting them.

[Mondo Rock]

Well then . . . that explains that!!

[Ken A]