R&D includes the activities companies and groups undertake to innovate and introduce new products and services or to improve their existing offerings. The FRDC invests in RD&E to generate knowledge that can be used to create change which will benefit the fishing and aquaculture sectors and this, in turn, benefits Australia more broadly. This research is needed now to provide knowledge to clarify directions and roles in the context of national seafood leadership. Importantly, there is a need for Seafood Industry Australia and NAC to confirm their respective focus to the satisfaction of members, noting that SIA also has an aquaculture remit.

NAC has been representing the sector with severely limiting resources and at the end of last year, the Tasmanian Salmon Growers Association (TSGA), the largest aquaculture sector determined not to renew its membership on a wait and see basis. It is critical and timely for NAC to consult with its current and past members, and sectors not previously represented - including smaller and emerging sectors - and with other key stakeholders, to understand what their needs are for national representation. This includes understanding the RD&E for the sectors, and where these intersect with the objective to confirm what direction should be taken.

In addition, the research and priority setting would provide guidance to FRDC's RD&E planning to align with industry priorities and building on the work completed to date to inform the 2020-2025 vision.
Should it be determined that the NAC is needed and supported, a second phase of work (outside the scope of this application) would be identified to identify the structural, human, and financial resources needed to deliver the value for members. (The implementation of any operating models discerned, will be beyond the scope of FRDC-funded research).