About Us

• Primary task and related roles
  
• Structure of our organisation
  
• Seafood industry and its sectors
  
• History of our organisation
  
• Contact details
  
• Related internet sites
  

Our primary task

Seafood Training Australia’s primary task is to increase the skills of workers in the seafood industry. This is being achieved by introducing training which is based on what you can do , what is called 'competency based training'.

Our training is based on the Seafood Industry Training Package (SITP) which sets out the national standards of competency, assessment guidelines and qualfications for our industry. The development of the SITP and supporting resources is one of the tasks we do.

To perform our role, funding is provided by:

• the industry through direct and in-kind contributions
  
• the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and
  
• the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA).
  

Additionally, funds are made available from other agencies such as the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) for specific projects.

Related roles

Related roles include:

• providing advice to ANTA and other agencies on industry training requirements and priorities
  
• promoting New Apprenticeships in all sectors
  
• increasing the emphasis of workplace training and assessment
  
• identifying and developing career paths within sectors (such as the sales and distribution, and processing sectors), and between sectors
  
• ensuring that the training is flexible enough to create career pathways for workers
  
• developing systems to assist Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to access current training materials to support training
  
• marketing the Training Package to industry
  
• facilitating the development of flexible training and assessment arrangements.
  

How we are structured

The Australian Seafood Industry Council (ASIC) is the foremost organisation for the seafood industry. It is recognised by the Federal Government as the industry’s peak body. ANTA appointed ASIC as the national Seafood Industry Training Advisory Body (ITAB) in July 1997. The seafood ITAB trades under the name of Seafood Training Australia (STA).

The Chair of ASIC and Seafood Training Australia is Terry Moran. The Chief Executive Officer of ASIC, Russ Neal has overall responsibility for the operations of ASIC and Seafood Training Australia. The daily management of the STA is the responsibility of its Executive Officer, Ross Ord.

The Seafood ITAB has a management committee consisting of a representative person from each state/territory industry training advisory body, an employee representative, a training provider (RTO) and representatives from each industry sector. ASIC nominates the Chairperson who is currently John Roach, an ASIC director.

Contact details for Australian Seafood ITAB representatives are available.

What we mean by the ‘seafood industry’

The seafood industry consists of four broad sectors: wildcatch fishing, aquaculture, processing and distribution (also called the post-harvest sector), and compliance.

In the Training Package, the seafood industry is defined as follows:

“The seafood industry incorporates all activities undertaken in or from Australia, associated with catching, culturing, farming, harvesting, processing, storing, transporting, marketing or selling seafood and/or seafood products, for commercial, purposes.

This definition includes all aquaculture/marine products (both animal and plant) caught or farmed for commercial reasons and all aspects of wholesale and retail sales including the import and export of seafood product. It also includes activities connected with fisheries compliance.”

Definitions for the four sectors are:

Wildcatch fishing

“Comprises all activities associated with the catching/harvesting and storage, of wild aquatic/marine organisms located in their natural environment. Catching may also include on-board vessel processing operations.”

Aquaculture

“Involves all activities associated with the cultivation and harvesting of aquatic/marine organisms grown under controlled conditions. Aquaculture also includes activities associated with on-site processing, storage and transport”

Processing and Distribution

“Comprises all activities involving the preparation and preservation of aquatic/marine organisms bought from local, Australian and imported sources and the wholesale marketing, retail sales and export of seafood products.”

Compliance

“Consists of those activities which involve the proper management, conservation and preservation of the fishing resources in each State/Territory of Australia, by ensuring they are not endangered or over-exploited.”

History of our organisation

Seafood Training Australia (STA) arose from the Australian Seafood Industry Education Network (ASIEN) which was formed in 1996 as the training and education arm of the Australian Seafood Industry Council (ASIC). ASIEN was established as a Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) project to achieve the following milestones:

• develop as seafood industry strategic training plan
  
• compile a national industry course database
  
• develop policy on copyright issues
  
• form a Seafood Industry Training Advisory Body (ITAB) recognised by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA)
• develop an industry Training Package.
  

The ASIEN project was completed in 1999 with the finalisation of the Seafood industry Training Package.

In 1997 ASIC was appointed as the Australian Seafood ITAB by ANTA and with that step, the seafood industry has assumed full responsibility for the operation of STA.