The Master Fish Merchants’ Association of Australia

The Master Fish Merchants’ Association of Australia (MFMA) is a not-for-profit organisation that represents businesses that buy and sell seafood products. Membership is open to seafood retailers, wholesalers, processors, co-operatives, mobile vendors and any other organisation considered by the Management Committee to have an interest in the selling of seafood. The MFMA is administered by a Management Committee of seven financial members elected annually by popular vote, overseen by the NSW State Electoral Commission. The Associations role as the peak industry body for the post harvest sector of the seafood industry is to represent the interests of seafood traders in the following areas:

• Commonwealth Government, State Government, local councils, industry bodies, media and the public;
• Developing industry communication strategies with newsletters and press releases etc;
• Developing marketing material to increase seafood consumption as well as raising the public’s perception of the seafood industry;
• Promoting and developing strategies for working towards an economical and environmentally sustainable industry; and
• Assisting seafood merchants’ with day to day operational issues on the Sydney Fish Market auction floor.

The post harvest sector of the seafood industry currently faces many challenges. This includes the introduction of a national workplace relations system and national workplace health and safety laws, marketing and promotion issues, food safety, labelling and the setting of national marketing names. These challenges are set against a backdrop of changing consumer attitudes and preferences, which will have long lasting consequences for the sector. How the industry chooses to address these issues will in large part determine the future success of the post harvest sector.