World farmed fish production has now over-taken beef production, but the trend hasn't helped non-profit organisation, Seafood Services Australia (SSA), which will close its doors due to a lack of funding.
The SSA was established in 2001 by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and the seafood industry to enhance the profitability, international competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of the Australian seafood industry.
The SSA said it arrived at the decision after “long and serious consideration” by its board and members.
“Over the past five years there has been a significant reduction in the availability of funding for all primary production industries. This has impacted on SSA’s future revenue stream and played a significant role in the SSA Board’s decision to put in place the processes to deregister the company while still in a position to ensure current commitments and obligations are met,” it said in a statement.
The SSA said it had put in place a process to transition remaining FRDC-funded projects so they would be completed and available in the future.
These include the development of a draft Australian standard for responsible fishing on vessels, the development and promotion of the Australian Fish Names Standard, and the establishment of a sustainability forum for the Australian seafood industry and its stakeholders.
The news comes as it emerges that world farmed fish production has now over-taken beef production.
A report by the Earth Policy Institute in Washington DC, shows that for the first time in modern history, the world now produces more farmed fish than farmed beef.
According to the Earth Policy Institute this milestone was quietly reached in 2011, and the gap widened in 2012, when aquaculture reached around 60 million tonnes of output, compared with beef production at 57 million tonnes.
World aquaculture production quietly overtook beef production in 2011, but industry organisation Seafood Services Australia, is closing due to a lack of funding.
