About Us
Our Story
The ABFA was formed in 1993. Since then, it has played a key role in the development and expansion of the Australian farmed barramundi industry. Our members produce more than 95% of Australia’s farmed barramundi.
We support our members by
- promoting quality, sustainable Australian farmed barramundi
- providing a unified voice for the barramundi farming industry in representation to governments and other bodies
- promoting and investing in research and development
- promoting the development of barramundi farming as a sustainable and responsible industry
- fostering goodwill amongst the members of the Association and building valuable links within the supply chain and with agencies and service providers.
ABFA also has close links with other aquaculture sectors and is a member of Seafood Industry Australia.
Strategic Priorities
STRATEGIC INTENT
Grow category demand
To build the profitable markets needed to absorb planned production forecasts
Differentiate to support premium pricing
To differentiate farmed barramundi and position it as Australia’s premium white fish
Manage biosecurity & disease risk
To effectively mitigate and manage disease and biosecurity risk
Drive productivity and improvement
To drive continuous improvement in productivity needed to sustain profitability
Deliver triple bottom line commitments
To deliver our environmental, social & economic commitments to our communities
Our Vision
Australian Barramundi will be Australia’s fish of choice.
Marketing and Promotions
Members’ voluntarily contributed funds deliver an exceptional and innovative program focused on market differentiation for Australian farmed barramundi. With around 50% of barramundi eaten in Australia being imported, and the need to address gaps in foodservice and consumer awareness, the ABFA delivers an award-winning marketing and promotions program that drives consumers to “Ask for Aussie Barra”.
The campaign focuses on differentiating Aussie barra by promoting its provenance and patriotism as Australia’s national fish and driving awareness and demand for Australian farmed barramundi to key markets of consumers, chefs and retailers. National Barramundi Day is a flagship event each year.
For more details on this campaign go to www.australianbarramundi.com.au and check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Australianbarramundi
Funding
The ABFA has four funding streams:
- Membership fees
- Voluntary industry benefit contributions
- Feed companies Ridley, Skretting and Biomar provide a grant of funds to the ABFA to promote and undertake research and development activities for the benefit of the Australian barramundi farming industry.
- Project funding and fee for service activities.
The ABFA invests a proportion of funds through the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and has those funds matched by the Commonwealth Government. An Industry Partnership Agreement with the FRDC is the mechanism for leveraging, prioritising, and managing research and development.
Sponsors
ABFA has the support of leading companies with close links to the industry as sponsors and partners.
Our sponsors play an important role in the ongoing performance of the industry, enabling a flow of funds to the ABFA, and close engagement with members in industry-wide discussions on strategic direction, and research and development. Sponsors and producers have a shared interest in supporting the development of the industry.
Becoming a Member
ABFA membership is voluntary and open to individuals or companies holding a current Australian barramundi farming permit or licence and actively farming barramundi in Australia. Fees are based on a sliding scale aligned with production volume, currently ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 per year.
Associate membership is open to individuals or organisations actively supporting the barramundi farming industry but not actively farming barramundi in Australia. Associate membership is $500 per year.