THE NSW Government is delivering on its election commitment by supporting a peak body for the commercial fishing sector.
Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty announced the NSW Commercial Fishing Industry Association (CFIA) at the Sydney Fish Market Seafood Excellence Awards on Tuesday evening (23 April 2024) and the CFIA appointed inaugural chair, John Wilson.
The newly formed CFIA will provide an opportunity for the NSW commercial fishing industry to be represented to Government, key stakeholders and the wider community, through a united voice.
John Wilson, from the Southern Tablelands of NSW, comes to the position with a diverse background including as the Company Secretary of the Seafood Co-operative Centre Company, Director at the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, General Manger Business and Chief Financial Officer at the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC).
The CFIA has been developed through an industry-facilitated process involving stakeholder-wide consultation to establish an allied peak industry body to provide advocacy to Government.
The NSW Government said the annual total value of NSW wild harvest commercial fisheries is in the order of $90 million at first point of sale, and contributes $170 million to the states production each year, employing more than 1,661 people directly.
The NSW recreational fishing industry generates about $3.4 billion of economic activity into the NSW economy each year. The industry also creates the equivalent of about 14,000 fulltime jobs.
The NSW Government said it also continues to push ahead with establishing a peak body to represent the NSW recreational fishing sector.
