Tide to Table was established in 2004 to find real ‘on-ground’ solutions to improve water quality, rehabilitate fish habitat and help build resilience in the marine environment. Seafood sustainability relies heavily around our coast on positive interactions with the land environment.
This program was named Tide to Table as a reminder that actions on land influence our waterways particularly in the estuarine zone which in turn influence what’s available to be placed on our dinner plates.
Without important healthy, connected habitats of saltmarsh, mangroves and seagrass, marine life has nowhere to eat, breed or shelter. Shellfish harvest areas require good quality water so that aquaculture producers can supply oysters, mussels, scallops and other shellfish to consumers. Sometimes referred to as “ecosystem services” the environment also heavily relies on habitat. Luckily healthy habitat and good water quality is a common goal for all users of our marine environment.
Tide to Table not only focuses on the immediate actions to improve our environment, but we also have a long term goal - that seeks to change the behaviour and practices which cause these problems in the first place. We do this by:
- Creating educational displays targeted at seafood consumers and non-English speaking visitors to the Sydney Fish Market,
- Running connectivity tours within catchments (groups on buses and boats out learning about the catchment and local industry),
- Producing easy to understand signage that links behaviour to a response where an issue exists.
- Holding skills workshops for local government and
- Creating displays which highlight how catchment land use affects downstream users, particularly the local seafood industry.
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"Tide to Table means that farmers - whether of water or land - think about and solve environmental issues around them. Through the projects they're able to help each other to help themselves,"
Rachel King, EO, Seafood CRC Oyster Consortium
The Tide to Table project provides an effective vehicle for initiating constructive dialogue between land holders and the seafood industry. The ability of Tide to Table to approach environmental issues from an industry perspective is a key factor contributing to the success of the program.
Anthony Zammit Manager, NSW Shellfish Program, NSW Food Authority
Tide to Table has opened up lines of communication between the fishing industry and members of the broader community through education and participation, leading to a better understanding of the environment in which industry and the rest of the community rely on. The concepts of sharing and protecting our resource have been well communicated by this programme and it has assisted in projecting the actual status and image of the fishing industry, something which has been sadly lacking from those agencies which collect our fees. Keep up the good work. I encourage all fishers to continue to support this project.
Rolf Norington, Estuary Prawn Trawl Management Advisory Committee Industry Representative, and active Hawkesbury fisher.
“The fisherman are really the measuring stick of how our rivers are actually going. This is a great chance to hear things from their perspective and see first hand how fish and water quality are holding up”
Phil Mercer, BBC Reporter
"Tide to Table means that farmers - whether of water or land - think about and solve environmental issues around them. Through the projects they're able to help each other to help themselves,"
Rachel King, EO, Seafood CRC Oyster Consortium
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