Fisheries Minister Don Punch has congratulated three Western Australian winners in the 2022 Seafood Industry Awards announced in Brisbane last night.
WA's Dr George Kailis was named Industry Ambassador and inducted to the Hall of Fame.
Last year, Dr Kailis was honoured at our State awards with the Leadership Award, which highlighted his status as a guiding light of growth and innovation for the industry in WA, as well as his commitment to sustainable fisheries practices around the world.
Brett McCallum was also inducted to the Hall of Fame. His seafood industry involvements cover a wide cross-section of areas, including roles as Board Director and Chief Executive of the WA Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC) and chairmanship of WA's Research Advisory Committee for the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.
Women in Seafood Australasia also took out a national People and Development award. The representative body for women in the seafood industry was previously recognised in 2021, winning the same category in our State awards. The WA Director of the organisation is Manue Daniels from Esperance, who is also a WAFIC board member.
In the Promotion category, the Shark Bay Prawn Trawler Operators Association, on behalf of the Australian Council of Prawn Fisheries (ACPF), were winners for the Australian Wild Prawns project, which reached over 9 million Australians.
Through their Australian Wild Prawns website and stories about social licence for commercial fishing, they have helped lift the profile of their role in providing quality, sustainable seafood.
As stated by Fisheries Minister Don Punch:
"My congratulations to all of the WA winners, who have showcased their dedication to delivering high standards in commercial fishing.
"Western Australia's commercial seafood industry generates a billion dollars for the State's economy annually and employs about 10,000 people through direct and indirect jobs connected to commercial fishing and aquaculture activity.
"We're grateful to the hard-working men and women in our commercial fishing industry who've helped us grow sustainably and gain recognition from the Australian Institute of Marine Science Index of Marine Industry, which named WA as the foremost fishing State in Australia."
