The Australian Fish Names Standard - AS 5300

1. The Australian Fish Names Standard - AS 5300

2. The key topics • What is a standard • What is a Standards Development Organisation • Why an Australian Fish Names Standard • What next for AS 5300

3. A Standard Standards are published documents setting out specifications and procedures designed to ensure products, services and systems are safe, reliable and consistently perform the way they were intended to. They establish a common language that defines quality and safety criteria. A document, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.’

4. Who uses Standards Standards are used in four main areas: • Regulatory compliance - Mandatory • Voluntary compliance – Certification schemes • Contractual specifications - Purchasing • Guidance - Educational, best practice ‘Australian Standard’ is a registered trademark of Standards Australia

5. Who develops Australian Standards? • Standards Australia (SA) is a resource based on need and prioritisation • Committee driven where an ad hoc group of affected stakeholders develop a standard under the Standards Australia banner (Committee resourced) • Externally funded where SA is paid to develop and manage standards development • Accredited Standards Development Organisation (FRDC)

6. Fisheries R & D Corporation • Accredited in 2013 to “Develop Australian Standards in the fields of terminology, sustainability and operational practices in the fishing industry” • The scope of accreditation and the existing standards were effectively moved from SSA to FRDC

7. Criteria for Designation as an Australian Standard New Project Registration Relevance (consultation, need, support, costs) Value (national interest, public benefit) No duplication (national compatibility, harmonisation) Timeliness Independent facilitation Balanced standards development committee (lack of bias) Transparency (open participation, public comment) Consensus International alignment Final process approval

8. The Australian Fish Names Standard SSA accredited as an SDO in March 2006 and developed the AFNS. Use of standard fish names in Australia, as defined in this Standard, achieves outcomes that are consistent with the aims of industry and governments, including: • Improved monitoring and stock assessment enhances the sustainability of fisheries resources; • Increased efficiency in seafood marketing improves consumer confidence and industry profitability; • Improved accuracy in trade descriptions enables consumers to make more informed choices when purchasing seafood and reduces the potential for misleading and deceptive conduct; • More efficient management of seafood related public health incidents and food safety through improved labelling and species identification reduces public health risk; • To enhance the marketability and consumer acceptability of the standard fish names used for a species.

9. The Australian Fish Names Standard • Contains 5000 standard fish names for fish including invertebrates • Is continually being amended to ensure it remains relevant • Is available as a printed standard and a searchable database where you can search a scientific name or a standard fish name • Based on premise of one name per species

10. The Fish Names Committee • The Standards Development Technical Committee responsible for the maintenance of the AFNS • Has a rigorous process for considering applications to amend or add names to the standard • Needs to have a 66% majority before an application is approved

11. Representative FNC Membership

12. Extract from the AFNS Standard Fish Name CAAB Code Approved Scientific name and authority

13. Where is the AFNS now • An Australian Standard • Referred to in the Food Standards Code as a guidance note • All state fisheries agencies are referencing the AFNS as legislation is being rewritten • Is a requirement for seafood exporters • Is being used by Fish Names Brands Scheme subscribers

14. The AFNS – Future Plans • The AFNS is to be mainstreamed and become part of all seafood codes, procedures and entities • Need to have innovative names to facilitate marketability of a species • Needs to harmonise with initiatives such as the Stock Status Report, state fisheries legislation • If you need to do performance reporting, you must have the right name

15. The AFNS – Future Plans (2) Must meet the needs of • fisheries managers • retailers • fishing industry • Importers and exporters • Food service industry • Regulatory and food safety agencies

16. Industry Survey CLG Defining Australian Sustainable Seafood - Wild Capture Fisheries Survey included question: SEAFOOD LABELLING FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) don’t include a mandatory regulation for retailers and restaurants to abide by Fish Names within the Food Standards Code. What should be done to ensure that retailers and restaurants abide by the use of Fish Names? Sample of responses: ‘Appropriate legislation needs to be developed to mandate their use.’ ‘Spend some money on advertising. Look at what lamb has done!!’ ‘Generate more public support for it so that you get consumer demand for it. If people care then retailers will too.’

17. Final Word • Fish names is where it is today because the people involved believe in it. • It is time for everyone to play their part, mainstream fish names, and make the adoption of Standard Fish Names a given • If the names that is currently in the AFNS, does not meet your needs, put through an application to change the name. Get Involved