ANSWER 1

Written response:

Fishers and aquaculture producers in Australia often receive less support than farmers during extreme climate events—and it’s not because their challenges are any less severe. It’s more about visibility, infrastructure, and the way our systems are set up.

Let’s start with the obvious: farmers are more visible. When drought hits or floods sweep through farmland, the media is quick to show cracked earth, ruined crops, and struggling livestock. These images stir public sympathy and political urgency. Fishers, on the other hand, work offshore or in remote coastal areas. Their struggles—like declining catch rates, marine heatwaves, or algal blooms—are harder to see and even harder to explain. I don’t have any evidence to support this next statement, but I suspect that your average shopper might accept paying more for bananas after a cyclone for example, but not for fish and chips.

Then there’s economic scale and lobbying power. Agriculture contributes over $100 billion annually to Australia’s economy and employs hundreds of thousands. It’s backed by strong industry bodies and a well-established network of support programs like the Future Drought Fund, Rural Aid, and concessional loans through the Regional Investment Corporation. Fisheries and aquaculture, while vital, generate a much smaller economic footprint—around $3.2 billion—and are often fragmented, with many small operators and fewer unified voices pushing for policy reform.

Support structures also differ. Farmers benefit from long-standing programs like crop insurance, drought assistance, and tax concessions. Fishers and aquaculture operators do have access to some support—like the Farm Management Deposit Scheme and Rural Financial Counselling Service—but wild catch fishers are often excluded from key programs like the Farm Household Allowance because their work is classified as harvesting, not farming. Even when aid is offered, like South Australia’s recent $500,000 fee relief for fishers affected by algal blooms, it’s often reactive and limited.

Another big factor is land ownership. Farmers own or lease land, which gives them stability and access to asset-based support. Fishers rely on regulated access to public waters, which can be restricted or degraded by climate impacts but offer little control or leverage. So, how do we fix this? I imagine there is no silver bullet, but some options include:

1. Boost Visibility: Invest in storytelling and media coverage that highlights the challenges and contributions of fishers and aquaculture producers. Public awareness can influence political will.
2. Policy Reform: Expand eligibility for existing support programs to include wild catch fishers. Redefining “primary producer” in legislation could be a game-changer (but note, this isn’t something I know a lot about!).
3. Unified Advocacy: Support the development of stronger industry bodies or coalitions that can represent fishers’ interests more effectively at the national level.
4. Tailored Support Tools: Develop climate adaptation programs specifically for marine industries, similar to the AFMA Climate Adaptation Program, but with a focus on direct livelihood support.
5. Infrastructure Investment: Fund monitoring systems, early warning tools, and adaptive technologies to help fishers respond to climate variability.
6. Cultural Recognition: Elevate the role of commercial fisheries in Australia’s cultural and food heritage, especially in coastal and First Nations communities.

Lastly, projects like the Seafood Industry Australia and the Blue Economy CRC supported “Futures of Seafood” can help foster a stronger understanding of the seafood industry, ensuring it is deeply valued by all. Stronger understanding and stronger support of the seafood sector, throughout Australia, would hopefully assist the visibility, advocacy, reform and investment mentioned above.

Image: Dead garfish on the ocean floor off Ardrossan, SA, following Australia’s largest recorded algal bloom. Image: Stefan Andrews courtesy Great Southern Reef Foundation

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