This week, Seafood New Zealand welcomed hundreds of delegates from across the country - and across the industry - in Nelson for our annual conference, themed Seafood for Thought.
It was great to see many conference stalwarts at the Rutherford Hotel venue, but also many new faces and guests from local and national media and several environmental NGOs, as well as Nelson Mayor Nick Smith and MP for Nelson and Labour Spokesperson for Oceans and Fisheries Rachel Boyack.
If you weren't able to join us this year (or did join us and wouldn't mind a refresher) we're highlighting some of the key moments below - with a more in-depth look coming in the Spring issue of Seafood Magazine.
Day 1: Listening, learning, launching new ideas
Coming on the back of Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Hon Shane Jones' early-morning announcement on the progression of the proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act there was quite a bit of buzz first thing on Wednesday (more on what this means in a future Update, though in the meantime you can hear Seafood NZ CE Lisa Futschek's interview with RNZ on Checkpoint). His address to delegates built on the announcement, reiterating his support to help industry thrive and make fisheries decision-making more responsive to what the data says about how a stock is doing.
Harold Hillman (pictured up top), an experienced public speaker and executive coach, then set the tone for the rest of the day. Through stories of his youth and family, and his time as a closeted gay serviceman in the US Navy, Hillman illustrated how leaders play a crucial role in the culture of their team and the consequences if people cannot bring their authentic selves to the workplace every day. His challenge to everyone in the industry? To listen to understand, not to refute.
Conference goers who are keen to rewatch Hillman's presentation can do so via the Cvent app. We strongly recommend it - it is powerful stuff.
Industry-led panels rounded off the rest of the day, with a Fisheries New Zealand panel about how government and industry can collaborate to co-fund projects and realise export potential through trade relations. Matt Watson from the Marine Stewardship Council validated how well New Zealand's fisheries are performing - 45% of New Zealand's catch is MSC-certified - while Mike Kraft introduced Certified Seafood International, a new certification providing industry and customers more choice and confidence for ensuring seafood harvesting is held to high sustainability standard.
Six PechaKucha-style, rapid-fire presentations provided the room with a snapshot of smart solutions to industry challenges, from how a seafood sausage can help fishers nab rig on a longline to the Aotearoa Moana Ocean Sensor programme, where Kiwi fishers have helped set thousands of sensors and inspired similar projects around the globe.
And we closed the day with an informative presentation by scientists Dr Wendy Hunt and Professor Alexandra McManus on their recent scientific literature review into seafood's impact on human health and nutrition.
Day 2: Understanding our people, potential and power of our story
Our second day kicked-off with an economic flavour, including a comprehensive economic overview by ANZ's Sharon Zollner. In short? The economy is under stress, but a strong agricultural sector is a bright spot.
Richard O'Driscoll looked back on 33 years of NIWA Fisheries science - 13,623 client reports, 35,733 science publications and presentations, and thousands of days at sea - and how marine research will look under the newly amalgamated Earth Sciences New Zealand.
Then Josh Mower, Roger Rawlinson and Zane Salve took to the stage for a panel on skippers "doing science" - ensuring that fishers are informing and informed by emerging science. Between the three of them, they'd helped develop and trial new gear, like the Procella hook, and partnered with independent science providers to conduct biomass surveys to support fisheries stock data. The goal, as Roger eloquently put it, is to ensure that decisions "can't be made about us without us."
NZ Story CEO David Downs reminded us of the power of "brand New Zealand" and Vegard Hjelvik came all the way from Skipsteknisk in Norway to share the latest in tailored ship design.
