An indicator of a good conference is that you come away from it with food for thought, both from the sessions and from the connections you make with others around the crucial morning coffee cart (thanks ANZ).
If last year's Seafood New Zealand conference was all about listening, this year's was showing that we have listened and are now championing sustainability and more. That includes supporting local economies, facilitating more effective international collaboration, focusing on the health of our environment, effective fisheries management and, of course, the great seafood we catch.
Our two-day programme in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland this year looked at how we advocate for sustainable development from all angles. So, what were the key takeaways?
On day one:
Bridget Williams, CEO of Bead and Proceed, encouraged our industry to: "Use the Sustainable Development Goal as a tool to communicate your impact." To put our success stories - like the one about Motueka Nets recycling a whopping 98% of a trawl net - in the context of the relevant Sustainable Development Goal (in this case, #12, Responsible consumption and production).
Vangelis Vitalis, Deputy Secretary Trade and Economic MFAT, reminded us to broaden our economic horizons and take advantage of our many newly negotiated free trade agreements - to, "Take a look at some other markets that a year ago you couldn't have looked at, where you are now competitive."
Our Ambassador to China Grahame Morton confirmed that our seafood plays a huge part in sharing our sustainability story - that, "New Zealand has developed a relationship among high end consumers of environmental stewardship and management."
Veronica Papacosta and Angela Williamson, through their mahi at Futures of Seafood in Australia, dropped the truth bomb that - for both Australia and New Zealand - "[Seafood] is part of our national identity, but it's not a given. We need to collaborate and work with government to make sure it continues."
As we all consider what business developments are needed to take our industry into the future, Mark Fitzpatrick of the public-private partnership The Aotearoa Circle, said the long-held assumption that "'we've got to be [in the] black to be green,' will soon have to be, 'you'll have to be green to be in the black.'"
Our industry champions continued on day two.
During a free and frank media panel with Michael Morrah (The Herald), Sally Murphy (RNZ), Tim Murphy (Newsroom) and fisher Nathan Hines, we got a reminder that the media is also doing it tough when it comes to public perception. We also heard that journalists aren't so scary, and that we can pick up (or answer) the phone and share our positive stories.
All the way from Australia, The Fish Girl, aka Umar Nguyen, shared her story about connecting food producers with chefs across the country, and the impact seafood has on communities across the globe. "Food pushes boundaries, bringing people together without judgement. Food sustains us, so it's up to us to sustain food."
Our Fisheries New Zealand panel put fishers and officials in conversation, talking through the challenges of how to better engage with each other, and how to get the most bang for our buck when it comes to using data and science in dynamic decision-making. The 15-second takeaway came from Dan Bolger, who said they have an,"open door, open conversation, but also a focus on getting stuff done and reaching conclusions."
And our very own Darren Guard reminded us that in order to be a champion, we have to have champions. Which means healthy and safe people. Because "none of this happens without our people. No one can do any of these things without collaboration."
But sometimes...it's the little things. Artist Tim Li revealed that, "The dumbest decision I think I've ever made was drawing a kina." If you're tempted to...maybe don't. You can see his wonderful fish-focused art here.
We know the people who make their lives in seafood are more than leaders among New Zealand's primary industries - they are champions. Every day we see their dedication to investing in good science and data, to supporting the well-being and safety of others, and (to quote Umar) sustaining the environment that sustains us all.
