Federal Minister responsible for fisheries Senator Ian
Macdonald will open the inaugural Australian Prawn and
Barramundi Conference tomorrow (Friday) morning in
Sydney.
Later on Friday, at the Sydney Fish Market, Senator
Macdonald will launch a new book that proposes how
Australia’s $2.5 billion fishing industry should be
shared between commercial and recreational fishers.
Senator Macdonald said aquaculture has the fastest
jobs growth of the primary industry sector and the Prawn
and Barramundi Conference would help build on that
success.
He said during the past four years, jobs growth had
been at 260 per cent in the aquaculture industry, with
7,000 people now directly employed.
“The industry has a target of $2.5 billion in exports
by the year 2010 and that is not an unrealistic target,”
he said.
The conference’s principal joint sponsors are the
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC),
the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Forestry Australia and Ridley Aqua-Feed.
The book to be launched at the Sydney Fish Market is
entitled Valuing Fisheries: An Economic Framework,
written by one of Australia’s leading environmental
economists Professor Tor Hundloe.
“The conclusions and methods proposed in the book are
of interest to government and I congratulate Professor
Hundloe for his work in producing an insightful
publication,” Senator Macdonald said.
Senator Macdonald’s itinerary for Friday, July 19 is
as follows:
|
TIME |
EVENT |
LOCATION |
|
8.30AM |
Open inaugural Australian Prawn and Barramundi
Conference. |
Star City Casino |
|
11.30AM |
Tour Sydney Fish Market |
Sydney Fish Market |
|
12.45PM |
Launch: Valuing Fisheries: An Economic Framework
by Professor Tor Hundloe. |
Sydney Fish Markets |
Further inquiries:
Senator Macdonald's office:
Zac Donovan (02) 6277 7270 or 0438 611 296
