FRDC was successfully re-accredited by Standards Australia in September 2022 ‘to develop Standards in terminology, sustainability, and operational practices in the fishing and aquaculture industry’.
As an accredited Standards Development Organisation FRDC has developed two standards; the Australian Fish Names Standard (AS 5300), and the Australian Standard for Aquatic Plant Names (AS 5301).
These standards are underpinned by rigorous policies and procedures, and each standard is managed by a committee comprised of representatives from the following industry sectors: harvesting, production, retail and hospitality; representatives from academia; and an independent Chair.
What is a standard?
Put simply, a standard is a ‘best-practice guide’ that is designed for use throughout the supply chain. They are published documents setting out requirements, specifications and procedures designed to ensure that products, services and systems are safe, reliable and consistently perform the way they were intended to.
They are based on sound industrial scientific and user experience and are regularly reviewed to ensure that they keep pace with technological advances (and for FRDC’s standards, new taxonomic knowledge).
Why is the Australian Fish Names Standard important?
Examining a species like snapper is a good way of demonstrating the importance of the Fish Names Standard. The table below lists commercially and recreationally important species. The Fish Names Standard specifies one Standard Fish Name for an individual species or a group of species irrespective of cross-jurisdictional boundaries.
The Fish Names Standard provides a common language understood by all. For example, Crimson Snapper is the Standard Name for Lutjanus erythropterus, which was previously also known as crimson seaperch; small-mouth nannygai; high-brow sea-perch; red snapper; saddletail seaperch; saddle-tailed sea-perch; scarlet snapper; and seaperch! To avoid confusion, these previous names for Crimson Snapper are obsolete names, i.e., they are no longer current.
Table 1: State/Territory overlap of commercially important fish species with snapper in their Standard Name
Information in this table is based on commercial catch and, where available, recreational catch data from the Status of Australian Fish Stock Reports 2020 (www.fish.gov.au)
* Minor catch may occur elsewhere, for example, the range of Snapper is extending south into Tasmanian waters due to climate change with minor catch now occurring on the north and east coasts of Tasmania.
Why are these standards relevant to our stakeholders?
Adoption of the Standards for Fish Names and Aquatic Plant Names will assist with consistent legislation and policy across Australia, as well as informed marketing and consumer choice, specifically:
Fish Names
- Improved accuracy in trade descriptions enables consumers to make more informed choices when purchasing seafood and reduces the potential for confusion, misleading and deceptive conduct
- Improved monitoring and stock assessment enhances the sustainability of fisheries resources (e.g., Status of Australian Fish Stocks reports; Fisheries & Aquaculture statistics)
Aquatic Plant Names
- Utilisation of aquatic plants is an emerging industry, therefore there is an opportunity to create stakeholder-accepted names that meet the naming protocols, before it leads to consumer confusion or misleading and deceptive conduct.
Benefits
- Strengthen consumer confidence in what they are buying.
- Accurate management of seafood-related public health incidents and food safety through improved labelling, traceability and species identification, which reduces public health risk and facilitates efficient product recall / withdrawal procedures.
- Increased efficiency in seafood marketing/aquatic plant improves consumer confidence and industry profitability.
- Enhanced marketability and consumer acceptability of the standard fish names used for a species eliminating misleading and deceptive conduct.
Standards Australia
FRDC has partnered with Standards Australia to bring best practice to the fishing and aquaculture industry. FRDC is audited annually by Standards Australia and every third year, an assessment for re-accreditation of FRDC as a Standards Development Organisation, is undertaken.
FRDC was delighted to be re-accreditation by Standards Australia in September 2022.
Standards Australia is the nation's peak non-government, not-for-profit standards organisation specialising in the development and adoption of internationally aligned standards in Australia. As representatives of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), their vision is ‘to be a global leader in trusted solutions that improve life’; and their mission is ‘to empower communities’.
It is an outstanding endorsement of Standards Australis organisation that it is celebrating 100-years of service. FRDC is proud to be associated with Standards Australia.
For more information on FRDC’s standards go to www.fishnames.com.au or www.aquaticplantnames.com.au to:
- Read the standards
- View the Australian Fish Names Standard AS 5300 at no cost to the user or buy the standard
- View the Australian Standard for Aquatic Plant Names AS 5301 at no cost to the user or buy the standard
- Search the database for the correct standard name via the downloadable excel spreadsheets for:
- Apply to amend an existing name or suggest a new name for:
This relates to R&D Plan Outcomes 2 and 5
