Boat to Plate: Supply Chain Mapping of Moreton Bay Seafood
Theme: Marine biology and ocean science; Earth Sciences
Description:
Mapping the supply chain of seafood involves tracing the flow of seafood from its origin (specific fisher) to the consumer (specific restaurant, shop), identifying all players involved in the supply chain (e.g., wholesalers). The last supply chain assessment for Moreton Bay seafood was done in 2014 (a student thesis), leaving us with little understanding about the current supply chain. Such information is important for the seafood industry to make informed decisions about sustainability and traceability, amongst other things. Focusing on prawn trawl operations, this study will map the supply chain of prawns captured in Moreton Bay at each stage of the supply chain, from fishers to wholesalers to retailers. This study will involve in-person and phone interviews, as well as an extensive search of the literature, to improve our understanding of where Moreton Bay prawns are consumed and why? This will provide critical information for the development of the ‘Moreton Bay Fresh’ brand..
Additional Information:
Moreton Bay (Quandamooka)
Quandamooka Country (Moreton Bay) is a globally significant urban seascape, with outstanding cultural and natural values. Many endangered marine species live here (e.g., dugong, marine turtles) or rely on habitat during migrations (e.g., grey nurse shark, wader birds of the Asia-Australasia Flyway). Additionally, the 20,000+ year relationship between the Quandamooka People and these land/waters makes this a region of high cultural significance. Moreton Bay is being proposed for UNESCO World Heritage listing, the highest global recognition of a place.
Moreton Bay is one of Australia’s fastest growing population centres, encompassing Brisbane and the Gold Coast, with a 50% population increase expected by 2041. Further, the region will undergo rapid change as Brisbane prepares to welcome the world in 2032 as host to the Olympic Games. The effective management of Sustainable Development in this unique urban seascape is vital to ensuring the long-term persistence of its exceptional biodiversity and enduring cultural values amid the increasing human pressures.
Seafood in Queensland, Moreton Bay, and Australia
Fishing is recognised as one of Queensland’s oldest industries. Marine resources were harvested by Indigenous peoples long before European settlement and continue to form an important part of Indigenous culture today. In 2019, commercial fisheries operating within Moreton Bay are valued at $24m per annum, and target a variety of species groups including prawns, crabs, squid and finfish such as mullet, bream and whiting. The Moreton Bay Seafood Industry Association (MBSIA), represents the commercial seafood sector in Queensland’s largest seafood-producing region. (from Thurstan et al 2019), and is committed to advancing sustainable development through innovation, traceability, and evidence-based fisheries management.
Nearly 70% of Australia’s seafood is imported from overseas and these seafood products are, in many cases, poorly regulated. As a result, the environmental sustainability of these products is uncertain. These problems create an enduring threat to the sustainability and economic viability of fisheries in Moreton Bay and Australia more broadly. The Moreton Bay Seafood Industry faces challenges from other suppliers to the Australian seafood market who: 1) counterfeit Moreton Bay Seafood Industry brands; 2) promote aquaculture products as wild catch; 3) fail to adopt sustainability codes of best practice; 4) lack food safety programs and put consumers at risk; and 5) participate in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Seafood Sustainability and Traceability
One of the greatest sustainability challenges is feeding a further two billion people without incurring an overwhelming environmental impact. Seafood will continue to play a key role in solving this challenge as it is generally more environmentally efficient than other sources of animal-based proteins. Globally, fish consumption has increased, at a rate of 3.1% each year from 1961 to 2017. This reliance on fishing has caused fish populations to decline
across the globe, which have associated negative implications for marine ecosystems and people. Improving the sustainability of seafood benefits the ocean, and associated ecosystems, as well as the people it supports (from Vella et al. 2021). In order to determine the sustainability of seafood, it is essential to know where the seafood product you are consuming originates and how it was produced – information that is difficult to obtain. Improving the traceability of Australian-produced seafood will help improve seafood sustainability and support domestic wild-capture fisheries.
Project Partner
MBSIA is an industry body that represents the commercial seafood sector (catchers, buyers, and sellers) in Moreton Bay and its surrounds. The organisation supports innovation in practice, ecosystem stewardship, and transparent market engagement as a means to manage for sustainable development and community benefit. It was established in the early 2000s as an offshoot of the Queensland Seafood Industry Association, of which we maintain close relations, to focus on local issues in the largest seafood-producing region in Queensland.
Contact: Assoc Prof Carissa Klein