National Marine Science Plan White Paper: Food Security One page

National Marine Science Plan White Paper: Food Security
One page synthesis document
Marine and inland fisheries, together with aquaculture, provide an important contribution to food
security and nutrition. They are the primary source of protein, and essential nutrients, for around 1720 percent of the world's population, and nearly a quarter in low-income food-deficit countries (FAO,
2014). It is estimated that more than 158 million people in the world depend directly on fish-related
activities (e.g. fishing, fish farming, processing, and trading) (HLPE, 2014).
Australian seafood includes scallops, prawns, crabs, squid, coastal fish such as whiting and flathead,
reef fish such as Coral Trout, and oceanic tuna and billfish. Over the past decade, Australia's wild
capture fisheries and aquaculture production has generated, on average, $2.4 billion a year. In the
2012–13 financial year, fisheries and aquaculture produced approximately 233, 000 tonnes with wildcapture fisheries contributing $1.4 billion and 157,000 tonnes of the total value of Australia's fisheries
production, and aquaculture producing $1 billion and 80,000 tonnes of seafood for local domestic
and export markets. Our fisheries are sustainably managed and our fish stocks remain healthy (Flood
et al, 2014).
Australia’s fisheries and aquaculture industry is relatively small by global standards – but this need
not be the case. Australia’s marine and land assets combined with location present opportunities for
production of a range of seafood products – tropical to temperate. This added production will provide
for both domestic and export markets. In addition to seafood products Australia will be able to utilise
and market a range of services and knowledge that are associated with food production covering
fishery science, production and management systems.
Another significant factor to consider is that of the major global food sources, aquatic products are
predicted to have the largest real price increase. The greatest growth for these products is expected
in Asia, particularly in China.
The key roles for Australia in food security are:
 to promote the development of sustainable wild capture and aquaculture practices
 to move Australia towards greater self-sufficiency (noting that Australia imports 72% of its
seafood needs)
 to develop and utilise the potential for Australia's Economic Exclusion Zone
 to use our knowledge to build capacity and provide services to regional neighbours.
The food security white papers:
 identify and implement what needs to be done to achieve sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
in order to strengthen their positive impact on food security and nutrition (i.e. documents short
term and medium term needs for Capture Fisheries; Aquaculture; Aquatic Animal Health and
Biosecurity; and Food safety and innovation with the needs of Indigenous, recreational,
commercial and conservation incorporated).
 identify a number of cross cutting research needs, notably to develop methods to better
integrate coupled socio‐economic and biophysical approaches to resource assessment, including
cumulative impacts; and the need for research on social license to operate and define activities
necessary to support debate around acceptable impacts and environmental standards.
 highlight that fisheries and aquaculture are only two of many users of the aquatic environment,
and that food security is linked inextricably with multiple-users across all theme areas identified
by the NMSC that will be the focus of the national Marine Science Plan. It is critical that these
associations are identified, acknowledged and managed.
FAO, 2014.The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2014. Rome. 223 p.; Flood, M, Stobutzki, I, Andrews, J, Ashby, C, Begg, G, Fletcher, R,
Gardner, C, Georgeson, L, Hansen, S, Hartmann, K, Hone, P, Horvat, P, Maloney, L, McDonald, B, Moore, A, Roelofs, A, Sainsbury, K, Saunders, T,
Smith, T, Stewardson, C, Stewart, J & Wise, B (eds) 2014, Status of key Australian fish stocks reports 2014, Fisheries Research and Development
Corporation, Canberra; HLPE, 2014. Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition. A report by the High Level Panel of
Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security, Rome 2014.