In response to global trends and growing international pressure to enhance health standards of exported seafood products, the Department of Fisheries today announces an initiative aimed at helping local seafood producers comply with emerging new safety laws.

Recent international problems like Europe’s “mad cow” crisis have led food authorities there to start a system that enables imported foodstuffs to be traced back to the primary producer.

In addition to this, authorities in the United States, responding to its own “Bio-Terrorism” Act, may introduce similar measures by the end of this year, which will enable inspectors in that country to trace back food imports to the source.

Project Manager of the Department of Fisheries’ Seafood Quality Management Initiative, Don Nicholls said: “the global trend towards traceability is reflected in Australia’s domestic food safety legislation which requires product recall protocols to be put in place.”

To assist WA’s fishing and aquaculture industries to meet these increasing obligations, the Department of Fisheries’ Seafood Quality Management Initiative, the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council and the WA Maritime Training Centre have developed a series of workshops to help primary producers.

These workshops are intended to give primary producers the skills and knowledge to work within changing local and global frameworks and meet the necessary quality standards in the harvesting, processing and transportation of seafood products for overseas and local markets.

“Because of the subsidised cost, the workshops are a great opportunity for producers, especially those who are or want to export,” Mr Nicholls said.

“We are giving people the opportunity to develop their knowledge and they will come away with the skills to comply with food safety legislation and future changes in domestic laws.”

The workshops have been designed for those involved in the fishing and aquaculture primary production sectors and their business partners.

The first workshop will be held at 9 am on Friday February 28 at Challenger TAFE, Fleet Street, Fremantle.

The cost of attendance is $150 per person. Primary producers are entitled to a FarmBis rebate of $112.50 and the out of pocket expense of $37.50 is a legitimate tax deduction.

By attending the workshop and successfully submitting work for assessment, there is an opportunity for people to achieve a part-qualification relating to the Seafood Industry Training Package and development of towards partial Food Processing Accreditation.

Those wanting to attend a workshop should register their interest by February 15.

More information on the workshops is available from:

Don Nicholls at the Department of Fisheries’ Seafood Quality Management Initiative on 0407 197 192.

John Maddams or Richard Stevens at the WA Fishing Industry Council on 08 9244 2933.