Trans-Tasman Lobster Industry Conference

Larnce Wichman and Daryl Sykes

On behalf of the NZ Rock Lobster Industry Council and CRAMAC 5 we extend our appreciation and gratitude to all of you who made the Trans Tasman Rock Lobster Industry Conference and 7^th Rock Lobster Congress such a success.

The Australian Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) was the principal sponsor. Thank you.

To the ANZ Bank and Electronic Navigation Ltd we thank you for enabling the main social occasions. Our catering sponsors were the CRA 8 Management Committee, Moana Pacific Fisheries, and Quality Equipment Ltd. Supplementary sponsorship came from Jackson Estate Winery, Desert Star Systems and Salter Boats. The CRAMAC 5 committee coordinated by Larnce Wichman and supported by Burkhart Fisheries enabled much of the social agenda at conference.

We also thank the staff of the Marlborough Convention Centre and Marlborough Light and Sound for their attention to detail which ensured the comfort of delegates and guests. Paardekooper and Associates provided the online registration services. Our master of ceremonies was Mr Jon Gadsby and our Minister is the Honourable Phil Heatley. Our sincere appreciation goes to him and to his wife for their participation at the ANZ social evening.

When the NZ RLIC and CRAMAC 5 commenced planning for the 7^th Rock Lobster Congress we notified our first points of industry contact in Australia and outlined to the various state representatives that we wanted to present an event programme which would inform, encourage, incentivise and hopefully inspire delegates. The response of those delegates since the event confirms to us that we were successful in meeting our objectives.

The Trans Tasman conference has established a stronger foundation of communication and cooperation between our respective organisations and the sectors which comprise our industry. Each of the conference delegates is now a messenger back into your own fishing and/or business communities. The responsibility rests with you to share what you have learned and encourage the changes that you see as being necessary and useful to your own fisheries.

Please take what has been positive and make it work for you. And please challenge what you may think to have been negative - but only if you have something better to offer when we reconvene for the 8^th Rock Lobster Congress in Sydney in 2013.

The executive officers from each of the rock lobster industry organisations represented at the Blenheim event have pledged to maintain more frequent contact and to exchange information and ideas which may be mutually beneficial - to our fisheries and to our industries. We are proposing to convene in Melbourne during 2012 to confirm what can be done prior to the 8^th Rock Lobster Congress in Sydney.

The NZ RLIC and CRAMAC 5 are also encouraged by the conversations between processors and exporters and remain confident that ongoing communication and cooperation will further consolidate the reputation of Trans Tasman lobster fisheries as premium suppliers to export markets.

Seafood Directions on the Gold Coast in October 2011 is a first opportunity to report the productivity theme of our conference to a wider audience and we will report back to you from that presentation.

You departed the Marlborough Convention Centre at the end of conference with our most sincere thanks for your attendance and participation and again we say, it is each of you who have made the 7^th Rock Lobster Congress a success.

Sincere best wishes to you all. It has been both pleasure and privilege to have shared time with you and we trust that everyone had a safe and comfortable journey home.

Your hosts

CRA 5 Rock Lobster Industry Association Inc.

Larnce Wichman

and

NZ Rock Lobster Industry Council

Daryl Sykes