There is both a lack of knowledge about women’s contribution to the seafood industry and the significant barriers to women’s participation and progression in the Australian seafood industry.

As a result, WISA sought to answer three key questions through a FRDC-funded research project 2018-174 in 2021-22:

1. What is the contribution of women in the Australian seafood industry?
   - What is the level of participation of women in the Australian seafood industry?
   - What are women’s roles in the Australian seafood industry?
2. Who are the women in the Australian seafood industry?
3. What needs to change for women to have a career and succeed in the Australian Seafood Industry?

This research is fundamental and identifies future research and development needs on issues of gender in the Australian seafood industry. While the insights gained from this research alone is unlikely to change the position of women, instead it lays the foundations to support further research and advocacy for a gender equal Australian seafood industry.

The final report for this research is now available for download here : 2018-174-dld-researchcomponent.pdf

To watch a webinar highlighting our initial findings, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaPDBV0_kGA&t=8s

As part of Turn the Tide, Women in Seafood Australasia (WISA) is proud to support a National Industry PhD exploring the participation, contribution and retention of women in the Northern Territory seafood industry. PhD Candidate, Nilanjana Biswas research focuses on capturing the experiences, barriers and opportunities for women working in this vital regional sector.

This landmark three-year PhD project (2023-2026) is supported through a Department of Education National Industry PhD Program (Project Grant Number 35343) with funding and in-kind support from Charles Darwin University Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship (doi.org/10.82133/C42F-K220), the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) on behalf of the Australian Government Project 2023-018 Women in the Seafood Industry of the Northern Territory, and the Northern Territory Seafood Council.

The project directly advances Turn the Tide’s core goal: to create safer, fairer and more inclusive workplaces where women can thrive and lead.

By embedding a dedicated PhD candidate within industry, the research brings together academic expertise and real-world experience, producing data, insights and recommendations that will help inform industry practice, workforce policy and future WISA initiatives.

Through this collaboration, Turn the Tide is not only investing in individual capability, but also strengthening the evidence base for systemic cultural change. The findings will feed into our Tomorrow’s Workplace Framework and help shape national approaches to gender equity, leadership pathways, and workforce participation across the seafood sector.

Ultimately, this partnership reflects what Turn the Tide was designed to do, connect research, industry and community to build a seafood industry that values diversity, recognises contribution, and enables every person to reach their potential.

Turn the Tide is a national initiative led by Women in Seafood Australasia (WISA), funded by the Australian Government Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Office for Women, and delivered in partnership with the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and Affectus.