Australia's fishing industry is adding a QR code to fresh seafood to provide its wholesale buyers with a complete picture of where and how the catch was caught.
By scanning the new OceanWatch Australia QR code, buyers can meet the fisher behind the catch and find out which part of Australia the seafood comes from and information about the characteristics of the species, migration patterns and population statistics.
“These QR codes offer real transparency around the provenance of seafood,” Brad Warren, executive chair of OceanWatch Australia says.
“It’s important the community knows where their seafood comes from, and is confident the fisher is dedicated to responsible fishing and best-practice techniques to protect our marine environments.”
“The QR codes provide wholesale buyers with the tools to make informed purchasing decisions and ensure consumers, in turn, are eating a responsibly caught catch.”
To gain OceanWatch accreditation and be allocated a QR code, fishers must first complete the Master Fisherman Program, jointly funded with the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC).
The program involves setting protocols and standards for everyday fishing practices; from assessing the equipment fishers use, to the steps they take in reducing bycatch. Fishers must also complete food safety training and hold a maritime competency qualification.
Warren says OceanWatch's Master Fisherman Program aligns with the United Nation’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
So far, the accreditation and QR codes have already been allocated to over sixty NSW Estuary general fishers, he says.
