The Western Australian Quality Finfish Guide

Introduction

The best quality finfish attract the best prices at the market. So how should fish be handled to keep them at their best? The Western Australian Quality Finfish Guide provides practical, easy-to-use information for the WA finfish industry. It is designed to be read with the Handbook for On Board Handling of Fresh Fish. It will help fishers get the best quality fish to market by showing how to prepare, harvest, chill, pack and store finfish so they attract the best prices possible. Use the handy checklist at the rear of this book to monitor and record the condition of your catch. This will help you to demonstrate to potential customers you are handling fish with care.

Foreword

In recent years, the need for food safety and quality management in the seafood industry has been rapidly growing. Changing food legislation and international trends mean that traditional methods and systems may not generate the level of documentation required in the 21st century.

Being involved in a global industry means keeping abreast of competitors and, in the case of Western Australian seafood, often setting the benchmark to maintain and increase market share. These issues are also important to domestic customers who are becoming more demanding of quality.

In order to assist industry, the Department of Fisheries created the WA Seafood Quality Management Initiative (SQMI) program. Funded through the Development and Better Interest Fund, SQMI has built a strong working relationship with industry to develop a partnership.

Industry demand led SQMI, in collaboration with the WA Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC) and major finfish processing companies, to formulate the Western Australian Quality Finfish Guide.

This guide is intended for use as a set of standard operating procedures which lay the foundation for quality management practice, giving approved seafood suppliers access to quality-assured supply chains.

The documentation generated will help boost customer confidence, assist in the event of food-borne illness and demonstrate the commitment to professionalism of the WA seafood industry.