QSIA - Catching Fish for Everyone

Access to local Queensland Seafood

Market research tells us that Queenslanders want to eat delicious Queensland seafood. More than 2 million Queenslanders eat seafood at least once or twice a week and when asked, an overwhelming majority of respondents said they actively choose Australian seafood over imported seafood, if it is available. This is one of the real issues facing the local Queensland seafood industry – availability of Queensland seafood to consumers. Queensland fishers are being forced to compete with more and more imported seafood in the marketplace. The dollar value of seafood imported into Australia has risen from $780.6 million in 1999 up to a massive $1.184 billion in 2007. This represents an increase of $400 million and rising every year. Add to this the rising costs of fuelis forcing local Queensland fishers out of business and is denying consumer’s access to Queensland seafood. When clearly Queensland has the best quality seafood in the world our local industry is facing some serious challenges ahead.

How can you help?

The next time you go to your local fish and chip shop, supermarket and retail outlet or to a restaurant to purchase seafood look for correctly labeled seafood first and ask for Queensland seafood. Country of origin labeling is required by law so if you see seafood that is not correctly labeled ask where the product is from. Remember - look for the Queensland Seafood poster that ensures you are getting the best seafood in the world – Queensland seafood. For more information on the rising levels of imported seafood follow the link: Here

What we are doing?

As promoters of quality Queensland seafood the Queensland Seafood Industry Association is very concerned about the rising levels of imported seafood. In an effort to raise awareness of the issue in the wider community and to better support our Queensland fishers we are advertising Queensland Seafood on a number of billboards across the state to remind locals to buy Queensland seafood.

However, there is much more to promoting Queensland seafood than erecting a few billboards. We have just commenced a 2 year marketing campaign in Cairns to promote local Queensland seafood and I invite you to follow the link: Cairns Project to find out more about this fantastic initiative. This project is funded by the Commonwealth Government and industry in an effort to improve the supply of Queensland seafood to you, the consumer. We are also working on other marketing initiatives with Government and industry to establish a marketing system that works for the seafood industry that meets the needs of Queensland fishers and people who want Queensland seafood.