Businesses in this industry catch inshore, estuarine, offshore and freshwater fish, finfish, molluscs, crustaceans, prawns, rock lobsters, oysters and pearls. This is underpinned by current and emerging practices utilising technology and traceability systems to provide consumers with information on seafood provenance and production methods, inclusive of maintaining aquatic animal health, carbon emission mitigation, and regulatory compliance.
Thank you to all the industry stakeholders that provided feedback and insights. The content on this webpage is being updated to incorporate your comments. An updated version will be published Monday, 29 April 2024.
Key updates
Empowering the First Nations fishing sector
In line with the National Fisheries Plan 2022-30, initiatives are being led by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Indigenous Reference Group and the Australian Fisheries Management Forum Indigenous Working Group to support development of cultural fishing and fisheries management.
Opportunities
Rising seafood consumption driving industry revenue
Demand for healthy proteins like fish and seafood has grown, which is pushing up industry profitability recently, particularly with elevated prices.
Increased investment
As part of the Government’s $72.7 million investment in expanding Australian export markets, Austrade and the seafood industry have developed a plan to promote and diversify into markets such as Europe and the Middle East, which could see more work opportunities within the sector.
Challenges
Sensitive to regulations
The industry is prone to impact by State and Territory Licensing and Permit Regulations. For example, new limits for commercial barramundi fishing were recently set from important fishing areas in the Northern Territory that may result in job losses.
High & increasing barriers to entry
Industry consolidation in recent years has led to a moderately concentrated market, with major players accounting for >40% of industry revenue.
9,934
workers
(2021 Census)
4.7%
First Nations
(2021 Census)
900
2028 Projection
(JSA Projections)
22%
Female
(2021 Census)
Workforce Plan 2024
The Workforce Plan describes workforce challenges and skill opportunities identified by stakeholders across the industries we work with and outlines strategies to address them.
The 2024 Workforce Plan outlines four key Workforce Planning Priorities to guide the strategies and planning of our JSC work, retaining the strategic intent of the Initial Workforce Plan, with modifications to align with the Australia Government’s White Paper on Jobs and Opportunities.