In 2017-18 the FRDC undertook a new approach to the Bi-Annual Seafood Awards. The goal was to create debate around seafood, raise its profile and use this as a vehicle to promote information about sustainability, fisheries management and the R&D being undertaken to underpin it. The approach worked very well generating over 90,000 votes, hundreds of media articles and millions of consumer views of that media coverage.

There is a need to ensure that the base that developed in the first two years is not lost and that the FRDC build on it further.

The initial trial delivered positive results, however their is a great deal of opportunity to still capitalise upon. Delivering content to the 60,000 subscribers and showcase to consumers how sustainable the Australian seafood industry has become.

In 2019 the other driver is the Biennial Seafood Directions conference and National Seafood Awards are on again - with fish and chips again a category.

There is also a need for FRDC to demonstrate how an activity such as the Awards can deliver tangible results - to do this the FRDC are looking to drive opinion with consumers and behaviour with shops.