This is the final Update for the year and the message comes straight from our CEO, Lisa Futschek.
Christmas is almost upon us, after another significant year. For me it is my first in the seafood industry as Seafood New Zealand CEO. Six months into my tenure and I feel invigorated and optimistic about the tangible things we can do as an industry to better position ourselves in the hearts of New Zealanders and in the minds of decision-makers.
My optimism is driven by the people in this industry. I have been getting out and about, up and down Aotearoa to meet the passionate people behind our compelling seafood stories. Thank you for the warmth of your welcome and the gift of your time. Rest assured I am putting the knowledge you give me to excellent use, as I work with the Seafood New Zealand team to put our case within government, with the media, amongst stakeholders, NGO groups and others.
With Government and the regulator, we are still hard at work on the Ministerial Seafood Industry Forum. Our intention as an industry is to create change that will reduce costs for our people, enabling us to focus on what we do best - providing great kaimoana. We want a sector that is sustainable in every sense of the word - doing the right thing and with a sustainable business model. The results of that Forum work will be released for public consultation early next year, so look out for that. We will share more information with you as soon as we are able.
With media we are increasingly being sought for comment, which we are ready and willing to provide. We know many of our people feel we have had a rough time in the media in the past. The only way to change this is to keep fronting with candid, evidenced-based interviews. Our job is to tell the story of the great work this industry is doing.
Take for example the opportunity we had on One News this week (watch here - skip to 20:30) to talk about our efforts to reduce bycatch in protected species. We also take every chance we get to discuss fishing sustainably, managing our marine ecosystems, and delivering protein-rich affordable fish to local communities.
I'm pleased also to be having great conversations about our industry with spokespeople for oceans and fisheries as well as economic development across the political spectrum. There is a great deal of interest, across parties, in supporting growth and productivity within the seafood sector.
With respect to NGOs, we have regular interactions with several of these including WWF, the Southern Seabirds Trust, EDS and others. We are keen to work with more and to attempt to do positive things together that will help our fisheries and our ecosystems.
As a Board member on the Southern Seabird Trust I will be spending two days on Aotea Great Barrier Island at the end of January doing black petrel burrow checks. I am proud of the work our industry is doing to protect these endangered birds and looking very much forward to rolling up my sleeves ….. literally!
We also think about positive ways to interact with the recreational sector. Most of our people are both kinds of fishers - commercial and recreational. This summer, we are trying to help out our fishing cousins with some tips from the commercial sector to those who do it just for fun. As well as a radio ad playing in summer hotspots, you can find these practical and useful tips on our website.
The above is just a sample. Please know that Seafood New Zealand will continue to be a tireless and tenacious advocate for this incredible sector.
Our Conference theme this year was Champions of Sustainability and I truly believe that is what we are. We have seen some incredible achievements in 2024: zero by-catch in jack mackerel 7 (JMA7); our Surface Longline Fishery adopting a Voluntary Code of Practice on seabird mitigation in advance of the 'three out of three' regulation coming into force on 1 October. You can find more examples in the magazine stories on our website. Can I recommend the December edition to you? As well as some inspiring stories from the sector you will find a selection of favourite summer fish recipes provided by some of the characters from our industry.
I am looking forward to meeting more of those great characters next year and I'm currently working on more opportunities throughout 2025 to get to where you are, in the key fishing regions of New Zealand. Where possible, I will bring our Board Chair Greg Gent and other Board Directors with me. The more we know and understand about you and your priorities, the better we can represent you.
After an intense year of ongoing challenge and change, I am sure we are all looking forward to a breather with family and friends over the festive season, for those who are able to take one. After all, "tis the season to be jolly"! Whether you are taking a break or working through, we at Seafood New Zealand are wishing you and yours a relaxing Christmas and New Year. See you all in 2025.
The Update will be back in the New Year on Friday 31 January. Till then, take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our seafood whānau.
