Australia

and
The People’s Republic of China

Seafood Supply Chain -

Opportunities for Improvement
Technical Manual

Douglas McLeod
Alan Snow
Colin Bishop

2010
 Australia – P. R. China Seafood Supply Chain – Opportunities for Improvement Technical Manual

Published by: Seafood Services Australia Limited

Postal Address: PO Box 2188 Ascot Qld 4007
Telephone: 07 3633 6777 (International +61 7 36336777)
e-mail: ssa@seafoodservices.com.au
Internet: www.seafood.net.au

Seafood Services Australia is not-for-profit industry development company that works with the Australian
seafood industry and its stakeholders to:
 generate new knowledge, processes and technology and facilitate their dissemination, adoption and
commercialisation;
 acquire and disseminate technical information and advice from around the world that benefits the
seafood industry;
 develop and implement management systems and standards for seafood safety, quality and the
environment; and
 identify and capitalise on opportunities to develop the seafood industry.

All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of materials from this publication for educational or other
non-commercial purposes is authorised without any prior written permission from the copyright holders
provided the sources are fully acknowledged. Reproduction of materials in this publication for resale or for
other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders. Requests for
such written permission should be directed to the Managing Director of Seafood Services Australia Limited.

Copyright © Seafood Services Australia Limited 2010

ISBN xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

Disclaimer:

While Seafood Services Australia Limited has compiled the information contained in this publication in good
faith; it does not warrant that the information is free from errors or omissions. Seafood Services Australia
Limited shall not be liable in any way for any loss suffered by the user consequent upon or incidental to the
existence of errors or omissions in the information
Acknowledgements
Seafood Services Australia Limited would like to take this opportunity to thank the Australian Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the Peoples Republic of China Ministry of Agriculture for the
financial support, expert advice and valued assistance they have provided throughout the production of this
document. This includes the direct funding provided under the Australia-China Agricultural Technical
Cooperation (ACATC) program as well as the relationship development provided previously under the
Australia-China Agricultural Cooperation (ACACA) program. Without the support of these Australia-China
innovative programs none of this work would have been possible.

Seafood Services Australia would also like to thank the following agencies and individuals for providing their
ongoing support, technical expertise and willingness to work collaboratively and cooperatively throughout the
production of this manual:

 Ms Gao Jinghong, Deputy Division Director, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of

Agriculture, People’s Republic of China.
 Mr Zhao Bing, Deputy Director, Centre of International Cooperation; Ms Calen Jia Yan, Director, and
Mr Lin Luogeng, Division of International Cooperation, Centre of International Cooperation and
Service, Ministry of Agriculture, People’s Republic of China.
 Mr Li Qing, Deputy Director; Mr Li Zhenzhu; and their colleagues of the Administration of Ocean and
Fisheries, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China.
 Ms Chen Su Li, Director (and Associate Professor); Mr Huang Jian, Vice Director; Mr Hong Zhenbin;
and their colleagues of the Administration of Ocean and Fisheries, Fujian Province, People’s Republic
of China.
 Mr Liu Zai Jiang, Manager; Mr Andy Lin; and their colleagues of the Mandy Industrial Co. Ltd, Aquatic
Products Market, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, People’s Republic of China.
 Mr Yeqiang Liu, Vice Market Manager; Huangsha Aquatic Products Market, Guangzhou, Guangdong
Province, People’s Republic of China.
 Ms Fancoise Berlandier, Mr Richard Perry and Mr Clayton Harrington of the Australian Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) for their administration of the Australia-China Agricultural
Technical Cooperation (ACATC) program and for their guidance in Australia-China relations and
cooperation throughout the production of this manual.
 Mr Lin Luogeng, China Ministry of Agriculture for proof reading and translation
Also, the authors would like to acknowledge the valued support provided by the many private sector exporters
and importers of fisheries products in Australia and the People’s Republic of China who worked collaboratively
with us throughout the development of this manual.

1
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... 1
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. 1
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1
Australia–China Trade in Fisheries Products ...................................................................... 3
Fisheries Products – Australia to P.R. China .......................................................................... 3
Fisheries Products – P.R. China to Australia .......................................................................... 5
Australia-China Trade in Fisheries Products – Trends and Opportunities ............................. 6
Characteristics of the Australia-China Supply Chain.............................................................. 7
Supply Chain Management – the Basics ............................................................................ 8
Background ............................................................................................................................ 8
Documentation and Continuous Improvement..................................................................... 9
Mapping Your Supply Chain ................................................................................................... 9
Verification ........................................................................................................................... 11
Throughout Supply Chain Considerations ........................................................................ 13
Understand your Animal’s Needs ........................................................................................ 13
Survival over Time ................................................................................................................ 14
Holding Tanks ....................................................................................................................... 15
Water Quality ....................................................................................................................... 16
Temperature Control ........................................................................................................... 16
Handling of Animals ............................................................................................................. 17
Packaging and Packing Materials ......................................................................................... 18
Transport Logistics ............................................................................................................... 20
Risk Assessment of Your Supply Chain ............................................................................ 22
Quality from Production to Delivery .................................................................................... 22
Harvest – (Wild Capture or Aquaculture) ............................................................................ 23
Holding Prior to Processing/Packing (on Vessel or at Premises) ......................................... 24
Transport to Processing/Packing Facility ............................................................................. 25
Packing for Transport ........................................................................................................... 25
Export Documentation ......................................................................................................... 28
Transport to Freight Forwarder ........................................................................................... 29
Transport to Customer (air freight) ..................................................................................... 29

1
 Border Inspection................................................................................................................. 30
Product Recall Procedures ................................................................................................... 31
Supply Chain Validation ....................................................................................................... 31
Learning from Experience ............................................................................................... 33
Industry Involvement ........................................................................................................... 33
Summary of Trial Shipment Findings ................................................................................... 34
Case Studies ................................................................................................................... 38
Example Cool Chain No 1 ..................................................................................................... 38
Example Cool Chain No. 2: ................................................................................................... 45
Analysis of the data logger recordings: ............................................................................... 48
Summary: ............................................................................................................................. 49
Example Case Study No.: 3................................................................................................... 51
Useful Websites and References ..................................................................................... 57

2
Introduction
This manual has been developed to enhance two-way seafood trade opportunities between Australia and the
People’s Republic of China by providing the technical knowledge to build industry capacity in both countries
required to achieve world’s best practice in supply chain management.

The development of this manual and its companion manual ‘Australia and the People’s Republic of China –
Food Safety and Import-Export Technical Manual’ represents the results a 15 month project that was funded
by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) in cooperation with the Ministry of
Agriculture, People’s Republic of China.

This manual, used in conjunction with its companion manual ‘Australia and the People’s Republic of China –
Food Safety and Import-Export Technical Manual’, will open the door for increased trade in fisheries products
(and product forms) between Australia and the People’s Republic of China by ensuring that fisheries products
from both countries better meet import-export requirements as well as consumer expectations regarding food
safety and food quality. This manual is divided into five parts:

Part 1 Australia-China Trade in Fisheries Products

Provides a brief overview of the significance of two-way trade in fisheries products between Australia
and China as well as identifying some of the market trends that are likely to influence future
opportunities in this important trading relationship.

Part 2 Supply Chain Management – the Basics

Identifies the basic elements of supply chain management as they apply to the seafood industry. In
particular, the need to take an analytical approach at all of the steps and processes involved in
moving product from the point of harvest through to customer delivery. This includes the need to
adopt a philosophy of continuous improvement in your supply chain management through good
record keeping, monitoring and verification, as well as how to ‘map’ your supply chain

Part 3 Across Supply Chain Considerations

This part of the Manual identifies the important parameters across your supply chain that you need to
be familiar with. They include: understanding the needs of the animal you are working with; the
design of holding tanks; management of water quality; the importance of temperature control; the
need to minimise animal stress and mortality; packaging considerations and transport logistics. You
will need to give serious consideration to all of these parameters before you can successfully optimise
your supply chain.

Part 4 Optimising Your Supply Chain

This part of the manual shows you how to apply the ‘Hazard and Critical Control Point’ (HACCP)
technique in conducting a risk assessment of each step (link) in your supply chain to identify what
could go wrong (typical hazards) and what procedures you may need to implement in order to
optimise each step in your supply chain (solutions) It also covers the importance of ‘verification’ as
the driver for continuous improvement.

Part 5 Learning from the Experts

Finally, we provide you with some tips from some of the experts in the seafood export/ import
business who, after many years of experience, has mastered the management of their seafood supply
chain.

1
Australia–China Trade in Fisheries
Products
Fisheries Products – Australia to P.R. China

In 2007-08 the gross value of Australia’s fisheries production

(aquaculture and wild harvest) was estimated at $AU2.19 billion. The
The People’s Republic of China
volume of production was around 236,000 metric tonnes.
has overtaken Japan as
Over the same period, the gross value of fisheries product exports was Australia’s main export
estimated at $AU1.3 billion. This equates to almost 60 percent of the destination for edible fisheries
gross value of production. products.

Importantly, the People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong and

Chinese Taipei) has now overtaken Japan as Australia’s main export
destination for fisheries products. Given export trends in Australia’s
fisheries products over the past decade, it is most likely that the PR China
The People’s Republic of China
will remain Australia’s most important export destination for many years
now accounts for 30 percent
to come.
of our exports by volume and
50 percent by value.
Table 1 identifies that over the past three years, the PR China accounted
for between 14,000 tonnes and 16,200 tonnes of Australia’s edible
fisheries product exports per annum at a value of between $AU496
million and $AU556 million. This represents over 30 percent of
Australia’s edible fisheries product exports by volume and almost 50
percent by value.

*statistics sourced from Australian Fisheries Statistics 2008, ABARE

(abare.gov.au)

Note: The data presented in this section of the Manual does not
include all of Australia’s ‘live’ seafood exports due to data
collection methods used. As ‘live’ seafood represents a
relatively large component of Australia’s exports to PR China,
the figures presented here underestimate the significance of
PR China as an export destination.

3
 Table 1: Exports of Edible Fisheries Products from Australia to the People’s Republic of China (Including Hong Kong and
Chinese Taipei).

Exports of Processed Product by Year (Not Whole Weight)

2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
Products Tonnes $AU million Tonnes $AU million Tonnes $AU million
Total (PR China) 16,205 553.6 15,831 556.8 14,048 496.6
Total (All Countries) 52,307 1,197.2 48,010 1,117.1 43,998 1,022.6
Percent of Exports to PR China 31.0% 46.2% 33.0% 49.8% 31.9% 48.6%
Source: Australian Fisheries Statistics 2008, ABARE (abare.gov.au)

A comparison of the volumes and values of selected Australian fisheries products exported to PR China in over
the period 2005-06 to 2007-08 is provided in Table 2.

Table 2: Exports of Selected Edible Fisheries Products from Australia to the People’s Republic of China (Including Hong
Kong and Chinese Taipei)

Exports of Processed Product by year (Not Whole Weight)

2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
Products Tonne $AU million Tonne $AU million Tonne $AU million
Rocklobster (whole, frozen, cooked, tails) 7,644 303.006 6,711 289.336 6,506 272.850
Crabs (whole , frozen, cooked) 1,097 12.755 1,058 12.875 1,037 11.191
Prawns (majority whole) 1,536 17.871 1,447 16.845 857 10.151
Abalone (whole, chilled, frozen, canned) 2,453 104.426 2,824 110.796 2,488 97.028
Scallops (fresh, chilled, frozen) 792 22.010 823 21.487 762 19.072
Other Molluscs (fresh, chilled, frozen) 1,083 10.257 1,015 8.952 609 3.869
Whiting (frozen - whole) 447 0.796 687 1.635 582 1.511
Atlantic Salmon (chilled whole) 17 0.140 54 0.402 90 0.647
Source: Australian Fisheries Statistics 2008, ABARE (abare.gov.au)

When reviewing fisheries product export data by individual products the focus tends to be on comparison of
aggregate volumes and values for each product (Table 2 above). However, in assessing the significance of
destination countries from a market perspective it is also important to identify the proportion (or percentage)
of total exports of each product that a destination country receives. Figure 1 (below) identifies that PR China is
Australia’s most important market for most of the key export species of edible fisheries products (the
exceptions being tunas, prawns and salmon). Figure 1 identifies that PR China is Australia’s most important
market for:
 Abalone – almost 80 percent by value and 70 percent by volume;
 Crabs – over 70 percent by value and by volume;
 Rocklobster - almost 70 percent by value and by volume;
 Scallops - almost 70 percent by value and by volume;
 Other molluscs – over 50 percent by value and over 60 percent by volume; and
 Whiting – over 50 percent by value and over 40 percent by volume.
Importantly, while the actual volume (tonnage) of Australia’s crabs and whiting exports to PR China are
relatively low (1,000 tonnes or less per annum), PR China is clearly a very important market for these species.

4
It is also worth noting that while export volumes and values of most species have remained relatively static
over the past few years, there has been a notable growth in the volume of Atlantic salmon (chilled, whole)
over this period. This is a reflection of the massive increase in demand for Atlantic Salmon (and Ocean Trout)
that has occurred in PR China over the past decade (predominantly from Norway).

Figure 1: Percentage of Australian Edible Fisheries Product Exports that are destined for the People’s Republic of China
(Including Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei) 2007-08.

Source: Australian Fisheries Statistics 2008, ABARE (abare.gov.au)

Fisheries Products – P.R. China to Australia

In 2007, PR China’s fisheries production was estimated at around 47.728 million metric tonnes (31.740 million
tonnes from Aquaculture sources and 15.988 million tonnes from wild harvest fisheries). On a comparative
basis, PR China’s fisheries production is over 200 times that of Australia’s.

In addition to its domestic production, PR China imports just under $AU 5

billion in edible fisheries products and exports around $AU 11.6 billion in The production of edible
edible fisheries products. fisheries products in PR China
is estimated at around 47.7
Source: FAO (2008) Yearbook of Fisheries
million metric tonnes per
Based on these figure, PR China is reliant on Australia for around 12 annum. This is over 200 times
percent of its total imports by value but only 1.1 percent of its exports by that of Australia.
value. This contrasts with Australia’s reliance on PR China for 12.5
percent of its imports by value and around 50 percent of its exports by PR China is reliant on
value. Australia for around 12
percent of its imports by value
Due to the strict biosecurity provisions that are applied in Australia, the but only 1.1 percent of its
range and form of edible fisheries products exported from PR China into exports.
Australia is limited primarily to frozen, preserved or prepared products.
Live seafood products for human consumption cannot be imported into In contrast, Australia is reliant
Australia. By contrast, Australia’s fisheries products exported into PR on PR China for 12.5 percent
China are predominantly in live form, although chilled and frozen of its imports by value and a
products from Australia have gained in popularity in recent years. staggering 50 percent of its
export by value.
A more detailed breakdown of edible fisheries products exported from PR
China to Australia is provided in Table 3 (below).

5
Table 3: Exports of Selected Edible Fisheries Products from P.R. China to Australia (2007-08)

Seafood Imports from P.R. China in 2007-08 Tonnes $AU Millions

Fish (whole, frozen) 720 2.645
Fish (fillets, frozen) 3,597 12.781
Fish (fillet & whole, dried, salted, smoked) 53 0.628
Fish (prepared or preserved) 2,509 10.071
Prawns (frozen, cooked) 2,310 12.944
Prawns (frozen, uncooked) 3,173 23.787
Prawns (prepared or preserved) 4,495 30.312
Scallops (frozen, uncooked) 1,114 11.195
Molluscs (prepared or preserved) 1,373 7.105
Squid (frozen, dried, salted or in brine) 5,673 13.155
Other products (all forms) 1,309 7.385
TOTALS 26,326 132.008
Source: Australian Quarantine Inspection Service, AQIS (aggregated data)

Australia-China Trade in Fisheries Products – Trends and Opportunities

The data presented previously demonstrates that the current trade relationship in fisheries products between
Australia and PR China is a very ‘one-sided’ partnership. PR China has now overtaken Japan as our most
important export destination for edible fisheries products, taking over 30 percent of our exports by volume
and 50 percent by value. In contrast, Australia currently takes just over one percent of PR China’s total
seafood exports. This represents 12% of Australia’s imports of fisheries products.

PR China is undergoing significant cultural change as a result of its growing wealth and position in the global
economy. This change is now being reflected in the modernisation of PR China through the changing lifestyles
of its growing wealthy and middle income population who are embracing the eating habits of western and
other Asian trading partners. The rapid growth in supermarkets in the major cities has resulted in a significant
growth in the appreciation of processed and frozen fisheries products for home consumption. In addition,
greater exposure to other cultures has seen a rapid growth in western and Asian style restaurants, and with
this, a demand for other cuisines – the growth in popularity in sushi/sashimi dining is just one example of this.
Due to these trends, there is every possibility that PR China could very well become Australia’s most important
export destination for fisheries products such as Tuna and Salmon/Ocean Trout in the not too distant future.
Even with these emerging changes in tastes and preferences, PR China’s preference for live fisheries products
and its high per capita consumption of these products is likely to remain prominent.

It is also worth noting that not all fisheries products destined for the PR China are consumed in the PR China.
Over the past decade, PR China has invested an enormous amount of capital into processing facilities targeted
at supplying food products (including fisheries products) to the global economy, particularly the USA, Europe
and the Middle East. This surge in investment has been in response to very favourable financial incentives (tax
offsets) through the establishment of special economic zones aimed at generating employment and regional
economic activity by providing exemption from tariffs and other taxes where food products (including seafood)
are imported, processed and re-exported. As a consequence, PR China has now become the world’s largest
importer and largest exporter of fisheries products (marine and freshwater).

This has implications for two-way trade in fisheries products between Australia and PR China:

 Firstly, we are likely to see increased use of PR China’s processing and other value adding facilities by
Australian seafood enterprises – even where fisheries products are destined for other markets
(including re-importing back into Australia.

6
  Secondly, PR China’s rapidly growing infrastructure and expertise in the food processing arena will
result in a greater variety of value added fisheries products destined for export from P R China
including exports to Australia.
So while the rapidly changing tastes and preferences in the PR China will provide both opportunities and
challenges to Australian fisheries product exporters, PR China’s position as the leading global processor and
supplier of value added fisheries products is likely to present even greater opportunities for PR China.

Characteristics of the Australia-China Supply Chain

The Australia-China supply chain for fisheries products has undergone significant changes in recent years,
particularly in the P.R. China end of the chain. The supply chain is characterised as diverse and somewhat
fragmented, due mainly to the variety of product forms (frozen, chilled, live), their unique transport
requirements and the remoteness of product sources to major transport hubs.

The supply chain for frozen product has undergone quite rapid change within P.R. China over the past few
decades. P.R. China has traditionally had little need for the establishment of sophisticated refrigerated
infrastructure and transport logistics as P.R. China has historically been focussed on domestic supply of food
and already has a very well established supply chain for live animal products including live fisheries products.
While the aquaculture and live transport of fisheries products is a relatively new concept for the west, P.R.
China mastered these techniques many thousands of years ago.

With P.R. China opening its doors to international trade and

the shift from a ‘planned economy’ to a ‘market economy’,
P.R. China has had little choice but to embrace refrigerated
transport and associated infrastructure. However, the
transition is not yet complete.

The major capital cities, particularly coastal cities, now have

reasonably well established cold store facilities although
o
their capacity is somewhat limited, especially at -30 C and -
o
60 C range. Transport logistics in these cities are still
developing with limited availability of trucks with
integrated refrigeration systems (fridgemobiles), the
preference at this stage being for flat tray articulated
vehicles with refrigerated shipping containers similar to
that pictured on the left.

The availability of smaller refrigerated and insulated trucks for regional delivery is very limited. This lack of
capacity is supplemented by ‘pantechnicon’ type vehicles with ice. However, this lack of refrigerated capacity
is rapidly being addressed and P.R. China’s cold chain is currently undergoing change at the usual astounding
rate that only China seems to be capable of delivering.

Another notable characteristic is that P.R. China’s supply chain for fisheries products is very flat. There is a
distinct absence of wholesalers and ‘middle men’ and once product arrives from international sources at its
destination customer, it is rapidly whisked away directly to the end user. It is not unusual to encounter
fisheries products being cleared by customs and transported vast distances to individual ‘end users’ (retailer –
restaurants) in a matter of hours. This is particularly the case with chilled and live fisheries products.

So unlike Australia, a fisheries product importer in P.R. China is likely to have hundreds of customers – each
taking small daily deliveries, many of these customers being hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometres away.
In short, the P.R. China component of the fisheries products supply chain is simple but very effective – if not
somewhat chaotic by Australian standards.

Importantly chilled and live fisheries products can be transported from a relatively remote location in Australia
to a relatively remote location in China within 30 hours.

7
Supply Chain Management – the Basics
Background

A supply chain can be thought of as a series of actions or operations that

contribute to the process of delivering product from primary production A seafood ‘supply chain’ can
to the final consumer, a series of links in a chain. In the case of seafood be thought of as a series of
this is mostly undertaken in a temperature controlled environment actions or operations in a
(usually cooler than ambient temperature) which is often referred to as a temperature controlled
cool chain. environment that contribute
to the process of delivering
It is estimated that global losses of perishable foods due to failures in quality product from
supply chains is around $AU50 billion per annum. In Australia alone production to the final
annual losses are estimated at around $AU1 billion. consumer.

For the seafood industry, optimal supply chain management is essential

for preserving product quality - starting at the point of harvest (whether
capture fisheries or aquaculture) and continuing through chilling, Remember that product
processing, packing, storing, distribution and final sale. Optimal supply quality can not improve
chain management achieves: through the supply chain; it
 less wasted product – including fewer mortalities for live can only get worse or at best,
product; remain the same.

 extended shelf life – tank life for live product;

 greater customer/buyer satisfaction - leading to repeat
Your aim is to keep your
business;
product at the same quality
 reduced costs – including lower insurance premiums and fewer throughout the chain. To
claims for mortality losses; and, achieve this, you need to fully
understand your supply chain.
 increased sales and the potential for higher profits for all parties
involved in the chain.

Optimal supply chain

Optimal supply chain management requires ongoing consideration of all management requires
of the variables in the production and delivery process. These variables ongoing consideration of all
(actions and processes) and their importance in managing your seafood of the variables in the
supply chain are covered throughout this manual. production and delivery
process, not just temperature.
At the global level, supply chain management is becoming steadily more
professional for all perishable and temperature sensitive products,
including live and chilled seafood products. The international Cool Chain
Association (CCA) has developed a certificated and third party audited
standard (published May 2004) for the transportation industry,
applicable to perishable and temperature sensitive products, named
Cool Chain Quality Indicators (CCQI).

The above standard and the contents of this manual will assist the
seafood industry to improve its understanding of the temperature profile
for its exports/imports, enable the industry to raise the quality of
product, and support the development of higher standards within the
supply chain.

8
Documentation and Continuous Improvement

Good documentation and record keeping is critical if you are to maximise

the benefits your business can achieve through optimal supply chain
management. Failure to keep good documentation is where many
businesses, particularly smaller businesses, let themselves down.
Optimal supply chain
management requires good
Optimal supply chain management of your seafood business is not going
documentation and record
to be achieved overnight. There is no set formula for success.
keeping and takes time.
Comparison between different enterprises supplying the same products
to the same markets will identify that each enterprise has their own
formula for managing product quality throughout their supply chain.
Those seafood enterprises that have mastered the art of supplying
consistently good quality products are hardly likely to reveal their trade
secrets to competitors, particularly if you are one of their competitors.

Optimal supply chain management cannot be achieved without

You must encourage and
continuous improvement and continuous improvement cannot be
operational philosophy of
achieved without good documentation. The journey you are about to
continuous improvement and
embark on will require you to review and re-assess all of the variables
continuous improvement
associated with your production and delivery processes. The difficulty
takes time – it’s not going to
arises in the fact that while you can easily divide your production and
happen overnight.
distribution processes into a series of discreet steps (links in the supply
chain), the processes or actions you employ at each one of these steps is
likely to have product quality implications further along the supply chain.

A commitment to good documentation ensures that you take a well

designed and analytical approach to monitoring the effects on product
quality of the changes you make to processes along your supply chain.
This commitment to documentation also ensures that you are regularly
A commitment to good
monitoring your systems and processes to ensure a high degree of
documentation and record
consistency in your production and distribution processes. Much of the
keeping ensure that you take
work you undertake in optimising your supply chain will be based on trial
a well designed and analytical
experiments where a number of variables are adjusted at a time. You
approach.
will not be able to make conclusive judgements based on the outcomes
of these trial experiments unless you take an analytical approach – and
this requires good documentation.

If you are exporting you already have experience in this area through the
development of your Approved Arrangements (AA) and associated
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Optimising supply chain
management is just an extension or supplement to this documentation. Achieving optimal supply
chain management should be
seen by you as just an
extension of your export
Mapping Your Supply Chain Approved Arrangements (AA)
and your Standard Operating
Before you can optimise your supply chain it is essential that you identify Procedures (SOP).
and map all of the actions and processes in your supply chain so that you
can identify points where variations can occur along the production and
delivery chain – these are usually your ‘critical control points’.

This is best achieved by examining your production and delivery

processes and breaking this down into discrete and manageable steps -
the ‘links’ in your supply chain.

9
Of course, the steps in your supply chain will vary from those of other enterprises depending on your products
(particular species), product form (live, chilled or frozen) and transport logistics associated with getting
product from your facility to its final destination. As such, some steps identified below will not be relevant to
your business processes, some may be more critical than others and, some may be repeated depending on
transport logistics. The steps (or links) in typical seafood supply chains can be broken down into the following:

 Product harvest
 On board (or on-site) product storage
 Grading and processing;
 Product packing;
 Cold storage (for inventories);
 Transportation to freight forwarder;
 Holding and loading on to forward transport (road, air or sea);
 Unloading and holding at destination point;
 Re-loading and onward transportation (road, air)

Once you have identified the links in your supply chain, you then need to identify the extent to which you can
control or influence the processes or actions in each link. Remember, you are identifying your critical control
points so it is important you also identify the extent of control (or influence) you have over each link in the
chain. So for each link in your supply chain you need to identify and apply one of the following categories:

Category 1 a link over which you have ‘total control’

Category 2 a link over which you ‘cannot control but can influence’;
Category 3 a link over which you have ‘no control and no influence’

You will need to apply considerable thought when going

through the above process because people often believe
they have identified a link over which they have no
control and no influence (category 3 above) when, in
fact, they can have a relatively strong influence (category
2 above). For example, a processor/exporter that
purchases product from an independent fishers may
believe that they have little influence over the
harvesting and on-board storage of that product.
However, they can require that the fisher meets
specified product quality standards. Performance
against these requirements may be measured in a
number of ways, but for live seafood a good indicator may be the proportion of rejected animals – dead, weak,
outside of specification, etc that they land. Failure to meet your requirements may ultimately mean that you
no longer take product from this source.

Similarly, you can place requirements on your freight forwarder in relation to the conditions under which
product must be stored during the period it is waiting to be loaded on-board the aircraft. Of course you will
have to undertake compliance checks against your requirements. This can be achieved quite easily through
the use of temperature data loggers. Discussing non-compliances with you freight forwarder can often rectify
problems in this area. If not, you may choose to find another freight forwarder.

Once you have completed the steps outline so far you should have a schematic diagram (or table) identifying
the supply chain links (and the extent over which you have control or influence) similar to the one shown in
Figure 2 (below).

10
Figure 2: Links in a Supply Chain - Live Products

Verification

Verification involves both monitoring and testing of variables in your supply chain to determine if specific
requirements are being addressed or required standards are being achieved.
Verification is critical to achieving optimal supply chain management. Nothing stands still in business for long:.
Processes, customer requirements, your staff (and their skills) and technology are continually changing.
Therefore, your supply chain needs to be evaluated on a regular basis to ensure it is functioning to meet your
product quality objectives.
Typical verification activities include:
 Internal auditing: this is your opportunity to evaluate whether your supply chain procedures are
being adhered to in accordance with your documented procedures;
 Review: You must continually monitoring your supply chain procedures, and evaluating whether any
changes you have implemented are achieving the desired outcome;
 Validation: You must demonstrate that the critical elements (links) in your supply chain and the
procedures you have implemented are based on valid scientific and industry evidence.

The review process may require you to undertake trials to test the effectiveness of your current procedures
and to identify where you may be able to achieve some degree of improvement. This is particularly relevant
where there has been a change to some aspect of your supply chain.

The frequency of internal auditing and validation is a business decision but your entire supply chain needs to
be audited and validated at least once a year. The usual approach is to schedule an audit and validation on a

11
step by step basis throughout the year to provide an even spread in the work load (i.e. audit and validate one
step in the supply chain at a time).

If you are exporting from Australia, you will already have scheduled regular internal audits of your Approved
Arrangements.

Importantly, you must ensure that your

documentation is updated each time
changes are made to your supply chain
processes, including changes made
following verification. A good approach is
to use version numbers on your
documentation and, most importantly, let
your staff know when amendments to the
procedures or documentation have been
implemented.

By adopting the approach outlined above

you will be well on the way to encouraging
an operational philosophy of continuous
improvement through your business.

12
Throughout Supply Chain Considerations
Understand your Animal’s Needs

You need to understand your animal and the conditions it requires to Understand your animal and
achieve optimum quality and survival throughout the supply chain. the conditions it requires to
optimise quality and survival
If you are engaged in the supply of live fisheries products you will need to throughout the supply chain
undertake some basic research and fully understand the physiological
requirements of the species you are dealing with.

This is particularly relevant for species that are held and transported in
water (finfish) and for species that are held in water and transported dry
(crustaceans and molluscs).

Given that transportation of live fisheries products over extended You will need to gain a very
timeframes has a reasonably long history in Australia (and a very long good understanding of the
history in China) there has been a reasonable amount of research time it is going to take to get
undertaken in this area. A good starting point for Australian enterprises is your product (live or chilled)
to undertake a search of scientific publications on this subject through from the point of harvest to
websites such as the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation your customer – in good
(FRDC) (www.frdc.com.au) as well as the various State fisheries agencies. condition.

For seafood enterprises in PR China a good starting point is the China

Academy of Fishery Science (www.cafs.ac.cn) where you will find links to
the appropriate fishery research institutions throughout P R China.

Understanding the physiological requirements of the species you are

handling is critical to optimising your supply chain because maximising
survival rates is a key driver for the systems and processes you adopt If you are exporting frozen
throughout your supply chain. Your species has little difficulty surviving in product, conduct freezing
its natural environment, but in an artificial environment the species is trials to determine the
potentially subjected to a whole range of conditions that will induce stress optimum freezing rates and
and this will impact adversely on product quality and ultimately, survival times to reach the desired
rates. core temperature. After you
have optimised your
With regard to holding tanks, your task will be to establish an artificial procedures, you can be
environment that, as closely as possible, reflects the species natural confident that if you repeat all
environment. This becomes a trade-off because the very high stocking of the parameters, you will
density and other conditions in the tank cannot fully reflect natural achieve the required core
conditions – not cost effectively. However, there are methods you can temperature.
employ to minimise stress and the effects of stress on the species.

Transport to market adds further complications, especially for crustacean

and mollusc species that are transported in a ‘dry’ environment. For these
species a good understanding of physiology under anaerobic conditions is
essential. E.g. there is little point pumping in oxygen if the animal cannot
expel the carbon dioxide. You must understand the implications of
balancing the animal’s requirements in relation to these two gasses and the
implications this has for meat quality and survival rates.

You will also need to gather information on a number of other life critical
parameters for the species you are handling, including ranges in salinity,
pH, total alkalinity, etc and susceptibility to variations in light.

13
Survival over Time

All aquatic species can survive in an artificial environment for an extended period of time. In an aquarium
situation it is possible to keep aquatic animals for close to their maximum natural life span. However, you are
unlikely to have the luxury of keeping your animals under such pristine conditions and, in particular, at such
low stocking densities – not cost effectively anyway. As such, time in the live and chilled fisheries products
business is always going to be one of your greatest enemies.

When you map your supply chain, you will need to have a very good understanding of the time it is going to
take to get your product (live or chilled) from the point of harvest to your customer in good condition.

For those dealing in chilled fisheries products, your

timeframes are also likely to be very short. Even
under excellent conditions your product will have
only a limited shelf life.

The Sydney Fish Market, in conjunction with SSA and

FRDC has developed a ‘Seafood Quality Index’ for
many key species that enables you to readily and
effectively identify quality changes in certain seafood
species over time. The Quality Index (QI) is an
accurate method for measuring changes in chilled
fisheries products throughout the whole chain from
point of harvest through transport, auction,
distribution and sale. You should seriously consider
using this index to identify changes in the quality of
your product over time and under varying conditions.
If a QI has not been developed for your species, you can use the model to develop one for yourself.

For those dealing in live fisheries products, you will need to focus on the time required to get your product
from the holding tank to the customer without suffering unacceptable levels of mortality or reduced quality.
Of course, this timeframe will also be impacted upon by factors such as the conditions under which your
product was captured, transported to your facilities and held in your tanks.

You will need to undertake some trials to determine the longest life span you can achieve with your animals in
‘out of tank’ simulated conditions. This will obviously vary considerably with different species. Undertaking
these trials will give you a good indication of the limitations of your species during their journey through your
supply chain. Experimenting over time will identify what changes are required to the conditions your animals
are kept under to extend their survival over time. As part of these experiments it is important that you re-
tank’ the live animals to replicate their likelihood of recovery and survival when they reach their destination.
You will find that some species die quite quickly after being in simulated conditions for extended periods, even
when they look reasonably healthy just before being re-tanked.

Conducting these trials can be time consuming but they are critical if you are to optimise your supply chain.
The results provide a very good indication of the extent to which the changes you make to your holding tanks
work (and what changes do not work). You may also find variation in your results that indicate that survival
rates from certain fisheries are significantly different from those of others. If this is the case, and it often is,
you need to document what the good fishers do and compare this with the others.

Table XXX provides a template for a typical supply chain mapping for live product but it still provides a useful
template for chilled or frozen product –overestimate your time rather than underestimate it.

14
Table 4: Supply Chain Template Live Product

Process step Time for step (hh:mm)

Bring product under required temperature control
Pack product in box in registered processing establishment
Bring packaged product under required temperature control
(especially important for frozen product)
Keep product in cool storage awaiting transport to freight forwarder
Transport product to freight forwarder
Freight forwarder to pack product in ULD (Air Freight Container)
Transport ULD to airline freight terminal
Time delay while loading and awaiting departure
Time of flight including scheduled stopovers
Unload ULD on arrival for shipment to wholesaler
Transport product to wholesaler
Unpack animals and place in tanks
Total Time for Shipment

Holding Tanks

The design and materials used in the construction of your holding tanks is also an important factor in the
optimisation of your supply chain. Poorly designed tanks can create a number of ongoing problems that
cannot be easily rectified once the tanks have been installed without incurring high cost. If you are
establishing a new facility, you will need to undertake some research on what does and what does not work
effectively. Tank design can be species specific and what makes a good tank for some species may not be the
best option for other species.

The shape, size and depth of your tanks also require

serious consideration before you commit to their
construction. Dead spots in your tank caused by poor
water circulation are a common problem. Don’t
assume a round tank will necessarily solve this
problem.

In most cases, you will need to chill the tank water and
maintain it within a set temperature range. This can
be expensive and money wasted if your tanks are
larger than your needs.

In addition to the physical design of your holding

tanks, you also need to ensure that the materials used
in their construction are appropriate as this has ongoing implications for water quality variations within the
tank, particularly pH and total alkalinity. There are major differences in maintaining water quality between
tanks constructed from sealed concrete, glass reinforced plastic (GRP or fibreglass) and poly vinyl chloride
(PVC).

Most importantly, you must have an adequate filtration system that is matched to the demands placed on the
tank. This includes a system that can remove wastes as well as maintain oxygen levels at ideal levels.

15
There is plenty of expertise available in this area in Australia, including a number of tank manufacturer’s that
specialise in the installation of tank systems that are specifically designed for holding live fisheries products at
industrial and retail scales.

Water Quality

This one isn’t rocket science but it is surprising the number of enterprises that do not pay due attention to
maintaining ideal water quality in their holding tanks. Ideally you should have systems in place that monitor
and record all of the relevant water quality parameters on an ongoing basis. At the very least you should be
monitoring these parameters twice a day (even more regularly in densely stocked tanks). Gaining a good
understanding of the variations you achieve within these parameters will provide you with a good indication of
the effectiveness of your tank design and the maximum stocking density you can achieve in your tanks. You
may find that with the appropriate equipment installed, you can increase your stocking density with little, if
any, adverse impact on the animal’s meat quality and survival rates. Critical parameters to monitor include:

 Gasses – dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc

 Metals – salinity and other trace metals
 Water balance (pH, total alkalinity, nitrates,
nitrites)
 Solid materials - presence of silt, plankton, etc
In many cases exporters will hold (or stockpile) a small
inventory of live product in order to meet a broad range
of customer demands in terms of size, colour and other
characteristics. It is essential that the storage process be
carried out under optimum conditions.

Temperature Control

Temperature needs to be controlled at all times throughout your supply chain - this includes temperature
control during transport as well as in your holding tanks.

Maintaining your product within a specific temperature range is critical for live and chilled products. Variations
in temperature are a major cause of loss in product quality (quality of meat as well as mortality in live animals).
There are a number of critical areas which will influence the temperature profile of the product during
transportation:

 Conditions at the point of harvest and transport to your facility

 Product temperature after pre-packing chill down;
 Density and thermal insulation properties of the EPS (expanded polystyrene) boxes;
 Insulation and packing materials (wood shavings, wood wool, etc);
 Size, temperature, gel quality and location of freezer packs;
 Temperature of transport/storage environments;
 Exposure of boxes to excessive heat/cold.
Remember that the optimum storage temperature range will vary from species tospecies.

Where you are supplying frozen raw or frozen cooked product, you need to carefully monitor the core
temperature of the animals throughout the chilling and freezing process. While your objective is to achieve a
fully frozen state in the shortest possible timeframe, you need to ensure that the core temperature of the

16
animal has reached the desired level before it proceeds to the next level of freezing. You should be using
temperature probes at each stage of the process, and do this every time you undertake the process. Don’t
assume the outside temperature of the animal is an indication of its core temperature, especially where you
are chilling and freezing cooked product.

Alternatively, conduct some freezing trials to determine the freezing

rates and times to reach the desired core temperature. After you
have optimised your procedure, you can be confident that if you
repeat all of the parameters, you will achieve satisfactory freezing.

There have been numerous instances where frozen product, when

inspected at its destination, has been condemned due to failure to
implement appropriate chilling and freezing practices. When
dealing in shipping container loads of product, this is an expense
you can ill afford. The financial losses associated with a condemned
shipment are bad enough, let alone the ongoing losses due to
permanent damage to your business reputation and the permanent
loss of valued customers.

Tests have shown that some species of crustacean (e.g. Rocklobster and some crab species) still have a
surprisingly high core temperature after cooking and being placed in ice slurry for over 30 minutes. If this is
the case, you should not proceed to freezing until the core temperature of the animal is below zero.

Handling of Animals

It is critical that animals are handled carefully at all times throughout your supply chain - starting at the point
of harvest throughout the supply chain to the point of delivery to the customer. Excessive handling, exposure
to bright light and bumping are major causes of stress and physical damage and must be minimised at all
times.

Live fisheries products needs to be handled with great care. While there is a lot of focus placed on the
importance of temperature and time as the greatest enemies of exporters and importers of live fisheries
products, rough handling is also a major cause of product mortality for most species. Tests have shown that
dropping a well packed EPS box of crabs or abalone from even waist height onto a concrete floor can result in
very high mortality rates within a few hours. Some species are hardier but none (live fish, crustaceans or
molluscs) are immune to ‘impact’ damage.

This is a difficult issue to resolve because the benefits of taking great care with animals up to the point of
dispatch to the destination country can all be undone by transport companies at the receiving end of the
supply chain, an aspect of the supply chain over which you have no control and no influence. The research
undertaken during the production of this manual identified that this problem is more likely to be one of the
most common causes of animal mortality and subsequent mortality claims by the receiving company.

When dispatching live fisheries products the EPS

boxes need to be handled very carefully. Common
mistakes encountered that can result in damage to
the box and to the animals inside are:

 Rough treatment of boxes such as being

dropped or upturned;
 Throwing boxes onto and from transport
vehicles; and
 The use of strapping on EPS boxes as
handles (use tape only on EPS boxes).

17
Transport companies, freight forwarders, customers and consignee companies should be encouraged and
assisted to train workers in good handling practice to minimise the negative impact that poor handling has on
product quality.

Packaging and Packing Materials

Depending on the product, the standard packaging approach for live and chilled fisheries products is to use an
impermeable liner inside an EPS box, with an absorbent sheet on the base, possibly the use of an insulating
material to surround the product and, in some cases, a freezer pack (gel pack) at the top (or ends) of the box
which is separated from the product by an insulating sheet of polystyrene.

The box lid should fit tightly, and be secured using adhesive tape – not bands as they tend to be used as
substitute handles during loading and unloading, resulting in damage and breakage to boxes. The exception to
this rule is where the EPS box is enclosed within a cardboard carton which is essential for many European
Union (EU) and United States (USA) destinations, but often cost prohibitive for P R China and SE Asia
destinations.

EPS (polystyrene) boxes

EPS boxes (usually rated at 20kgs) are available in a

range of sizes. You should discuss the most
appropriate size with your receiving customer and
your freight forwarder. Your freight forwarder is
important because different makes and models of
aircraft use different sized air freight containers
(ULD’s) and you will need to maximise use of the
volume available in the ULD, especially if your freight
forwarder has negotiated a container rate.

You should then obtain samples of the EPS boxes

from a range of manufacturers for testing purposes.
During the course of putting this manual together it
has come to our attention that while most EPS box
manufacturers can provide the appropriately branded ‘air freight’ boxes, they do come in a range of densities.
This has implications for the thermal insulation characteristics of the box as well as its strength. The lower
density boxes provide relatively poor thermal insulating properties and are more readily damaged and broken.

A visual inspection will reveal that the lower density (poorer quality) boxes have larger ‘bubbles’ of polystyrene
in their composition. A good physical test is to squeeze the polystyrene between your finger and thumb which
will enable you to readily differentiate between the lower density and higher density EPS boxes. Then securely
fit the lids to the boxes and stand on them (one foot at each end). Now bounce up and down to replicate
impact pressure, the lower density boxes will readily flex, crack or break.

Testing thermal insulation characteristics can be quite complicated but one simple test is to fill each of the box
types with ice and then check the rate at which the ice thaws. One way of doing this is to open each box after
about 12 hours and undertake a visual inspection, or poor out the water into a measuring container.
Obviously the box with the least water has the better thermal insulating properties. It is important that you
test all boxes at the same time, that you fill them all with the same volume of ice and that you place them in
the same location in your factory (do not stack them on top of each other). Remember, you are looking for
major, easily detectable differences. Once you have identified the better quality boxes you may then choose
to be more scientific by undertaking trials using temperature data loggers, many of which are relatively
inexpensive.

18
Plastic liners and absorbent pads

You will also need to consider the use of a plastic liner within
the EPS container. Make sure you use an appropriate grade
(thickness) of plastic liner. Check with your freight forwarder
to see if there are any requirements specific to the airline
you will be using, especially if you are transporting live fin
fish in plastic bags.

During the long journey to destination your animals are

likely to secrete liquid and wastes. Purging your animals of
waste will reduce the amount of excrement but there will
always be some liquid waste. For well purged fin fish, liquid
waste will obviously be contained within the bag and water
they have been packed in. For crustaceans and molluscs, the wastes will accumulate at the bottom of the
plastic liner. The common practice for these species is to place an absorbent pad in the bottom of the plastic
liner before packing the animals to minimise the amount of free floating liquid.

Minimising this liquid waste, especially excrement, is an important area to manage. These wastes decompose
and change their chemical characteristics very rapidly and can be a major cause of animal mortality. You
should undertake some trials aimed at replicating conditions over the duration of time from packing to
destination. This will give you a good indication as to whether you are purging and draining your animals
correctly before pack-out. Eg a strong smell of ammonia (from decomposing excrement) is a sure sign you
have it wrong. The effectiveness of the available options for the absorbent sheet should be compared - testing
their short term absorbency and longer term efficiency with melting ice.

As part of your trials, you should also check the nett weight of the animals just before you pack them and again
at the end of the trial to determine the percentage weight loss. Remember, when your customer pays for
600kgs of live product, they expect to receive 600kgs. While some weight loss is expected by your customer,
you should make this up by over packing. You therefore need to know what the percentage weight loss is and,
more importantly, you need to minimise it. The most common problem here for crustaceans is failure to
adequately drain the animals at the time of pack-out.

Wadding and freezer (gel) packs

You need to consider the type of stuffing/wadding material as well as the size and composition of the gel packs
you intend using.

Insulation of varying types is available; with wood wool and wood shavings the most frequently used
materials. Selection of the optimal material will vary between species, while thermal efficiency can be tested
by the use of temperature loggers.

Your choice of wadding material will depend on the species you are supplying and its product form. You will
need to undertake some research into your receiving customer’s requirements in this area because there can
be considerable variation between market destinations, and even receiving customers within the same
market. Make sure you check this before you commit to purchasing wadding materials.

The consistency of available gel packs should be tested, with packs assessed for core gel temperature after
various time periods in preparation (2, 3,and 4 days in frozen storage), their cooling efficiency (monitored
through the use of temperature loggers - see below for more information on these items of equipment) and
gel condition after 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 and 48 hours in simulated conditions. Consideration should be given
to preparing your own freezer packs, as the gel can then be prepared to your own customised consistency and
your own logo/brand identification printed on the plastic outer.

19
Tapes and bands

Finally, you should use an appropriate adhesive tape to seal and secure the lid to the carton. This may include
wrapping adhesive tape around the box in a couple of places for added security. If you are considering using a
banding machine (i.e. plastic bands around the EPS box) you need to be aware that these are often used as
handles when the boxes are being loaded and unloaded. This places point pressure on the edges of the boxes
and by the time they reach their destination the boxes may be split or broken. This practice is fine where the
EPS box has been placed into a cardboard outer liner.

Transport Logistics

Frozen products

If exporting frozen fisheries products you will generally opt for sea freight using refrigerated containers due to
the cost and volume implications. However, it is not unusual for frozen fisheries products to be exported via
air transport where small volumes of high value species are concerned, especially when conducting trials of
new products or encouraging new customers with existing products. If you do find yourself in this position you
will need to clear this with your freight forwarder, especially where dry ice is used to maintain frozen
conditions. Dry ice is made from carbon dioxide and is classified as a dangerous good for which you will
require airline clearance and meet their stringent packing conditions.

Depending on your location, product destination and volumes, your freight forwarder will be able to give you
good advice on sea freight and container type options. However, you will need to double check this advice as
there are a number of factors that can often get overlooked, the most common being weight limitations on the
road route the container will need to take to get to the port of departure. Don’t assume you can just fill the
container until it reaches its maximum gross weight. You will also need to give you freight forwarder adequate
advance notice of your expected container requirements and loading time as the availability of refrigerated
containers can be a problem in some locations (even the larger ports in Australia). Your Freight Forwarder will
give you advice on the times of flights, transport times, etc.

Chilled and live product

There are several Australian airports with both direct and indirect flights to China, with many carriers available
and operating on a range of routes. A direct flight to the final destination is clearly preferable, however in
many cases multiple flights may be your only option. The best served and most commonly utilised direct
destination between Australia and P R China is Hong Kong, where there are frequent onward connections to
mainland China (by air and overland) and onward air connections to Chinese Taipei. However, depending on
your location there are a number of options open to you. An overview of air freight times for direct flights to
and from major cities in Australia and PR China (some
including stopovers) is provided in Table 5.

Other destinations in China can be accessed via Hong Kong,

Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and other South
East Asian hubs such as Thailand; however the requirements
for aircraft change and with it, the risks of potentially
lengthy layovers are a strong disincentive.

There are no direct flights between Hobart and China, so

Tasmanian live and chilled fisheries exports are generally
trans-shipped through Melbourne, although there are
opportunities to ship via Sydney. For Tasmanian exporters
the main issue is the limited capacity between Hobart and
Melbourne and other mainland airports, a situation that
appears to have become worse during 2009, with a reduction in cargo capacity due to less frequent flights,
change in aircraft type and replacement airlines with different cargo policies.

20
 Table 5: Approximate Direct Air Freight Times between Australia and PR China

Route Airline(s) Flight Time

Adelaide - Hong Kong Cathay Pacific 12 hours

Brisbane - Hong Kong QANTAS/Cathay Pacific 9 hours
Brisbane - Hong Kong (via Cairns) Cathay Pacific 11 hours
Melbourne - Hong Kong QANTAS/Cathay Pacific 9 hours
Melbourne - Beijing (via Air China 15 Hours
Shanghai)
Melbourne - Shanghai Air China 11 Hours
Perth - Hong Kong QANTAS/Cathay Pacific 8 hours
Sydney - Hong Kong QANTAS/Cathay Pacific/Virgin Atlantic 10 hours
Sydney - Shanghai QANTAS/Air China 11 Hours
Sydney - Beijing Air China 12 hours

Shipments from other airports within Australia are also possible, with connection at any of the main
international departure gateways shown above. But there is an airline requirement for shipments to be
available at the departure airport a minimum of 90 minutes prior to scheduled departure time. This can create
extended layovers between the domestic arrival and international departure, with the potential for
inadequate storage and possible thermal abuse.

21
Risk Assessment of Your Supply Chain
Quality from Production to Delivery

You will already have developed a HACCP based food safety plan for your
seafood operations. Take the guess work out - you
need to be very analytical
The same technique can be used to conduct a risk assessment of your when you map and analyse
entire supply chain to identify what could go wrong and what procedures your supply chain.
you may need to implement to optimise your supply chain.

You will need to assess your supply chain to ensure that:

a. Your product remains under temperature control at all times;
and
Be consistent in the
b. For live product, you minimise stress on the animal to reduce implementation of your
mortalities e.g. minimise the time that the animals are out of Standard Operating
water. Procedures (SOP) and follow
Frozen product usually has lower risks associated with it but you still them.
need to have procedures in place to ensure that product is under
appropriate temperature control at all times.

If you have a full understanding, and can critically analyse your supply
chain, you will gain a much clearer understanding of issues such as:
If you make a change to your
a. The time your shipment will take from start to finish. This
SOP, document it, monitor the
analysis is critical for you to determine if live transport of your
effect and then strictly adhere
product to your intended market is feasible;
to the new SOP.
b. Steps you can take to reduce stress and mortality to the animal
during transport;
c. Issues that need to be addressed to maintain a high quality
product;
d. Whether changes to your standard operating procedures need
to be implemented to optimise your supply chain. The higher the quality or the
lower the mortality, the
higher your returns will be.

A typical supply chain risk analysis for the air transport of selected live
species is provided below. This risk analysis can be used as a guide to
assist you in the development and implementation of supply chain
standard operating procedures for your fish products export business.

Typical aspects of your export business that need to be considered and

addressed throughout your cool chain are:
 Maintaining temperature control at all times - from harvest to
market;
 Monitoring your factory environment, including; filtration and
oxygenation of holding tanks, light regime and density of
animals in tanks;
 Paying close attention to packing and transport issues including
temperature of packaging materials, boxes, temperature and
consistency of gel packs and their location in boxes;
 Carefully handling the shipment at each transfer location, being
especially careful to avoid impact (percussion) to the animals.

22
  Ensuring consistency of ‘Trade Description including species name and product description, quality,
grading, weight-size;
 Striving to have your product delivered in the best condition possible.
NOTE: This supply chain analysis is an example only and does not contain all of the risk factors or solutions
for the species listed.

Harvest – (Wild Capture or Aquaculture)

Typical Hazards Possible Solutions

Live Finfish Some hooks cause physical damage to the animal and increase stress.
Hooks should be removed carefully to minimise damage to animal
Physical damage and stress are to be
avoided or minimised

Killing fish because of time delay Finfish should be handled carefully and quickly using a high level of
after landing personal hygiene to reduce stress, injury or mortality to the animals
Deck should be clean and cool and washed down regularly.

Live Abalone
Damage to foot, shell, gonad or gut
during removal from the substrate
Any damage to the animal can allow for infection to occur or ultimately
death.
Care needs to be taken when removing and handling animal to not
cause damage to the animal.

Harvesting animals that are Spawning animals are weaker and more stress sensitive.
spawning or have recently spawned
Care needs to be taken to not harvest spawning animals.

Live Rocklobster Damaged animals can lose appendages and will bleed leading to a
dead or a weaker animal
Improper handling when removing
animals from pots and traps Care needs to be taken to handle animals carefully.

Handle your Product Carefully

It is important that the animals that are destined

for export are handled carefully starting at the
point of harvest. Stress on the animal need to be
minimised as much as practicable.

Understand your animal and the conditions of

optimum storage for the animal

23
 Holding Prior to Processing/Packing (on Vessel or at Premises)

Typical Hazards Possible Solutions

Live Finfish
Placing finfish in tanks that are
increasing stress on the animal will
adversely affect quality
Quality of finfish will be adversely affected if they are exposed to
chemical, biological, or chemical factors which are significantly
different to their natural environment.
Water in tanks should be cool and water continually exchanged
approximately every 15 minutes.
E.g. removal of scales from a finfish will expose the animal to bacterial
infection.

Live Abalone
Abalone quality can be affected by
adverse water quality conditions in
the holding tanks such as
temperature, oxygen levels, etc.
Live Abalone will become stressed and die if they are not provided
with an adequate flow of clean cool seawater.
Holding tanks should have well designed water circulation systems and
should be regularly maintained.
Live abalone should be stored in low levels of light to reduce stress

Live Rocklobster To maintain live Rocklobster in tanks in premium condition, they

Gills of Rocklobster are made up of
thousands of separate filaments
which create a large surface area for
absorbing oxygen from the water.
When the gills are damaged or dry
out, the filaments collapse reducing
the surface area and starving the
animal of oxygen.
should be handled carefully, not left out of water for a prolonged
period, and ideally not held in tanks for longer than one week.
Tank conditions must be rigorously maintained and overcrowding must
be avoided. For highest survival rates;
 Temperature: 11 C – 12 C
o o
 Oxygen: best maintained at 100% - minimum > 80% saturation
 Ammonia: < 0.5 mg/l
 Nitrite: < 1 mg/l
 Nitrate: <50 mg/l
 Alkalinity: 100 mg/l - 200 mg/l
 pH: 7.8 - 8.2
 Salinity: 3.5 to 3.6 %

Temperature control

Temperature needs to be controlled at all times throughout the chain.

Thermal abuse is particularly an economic and commercial concern for all shellfish exporters, and indeed
importers. Mortalities, uncertainties of supply, lower values and price volatility, leading to contractual claims
and poor supplier/customer relationships, are the temperature issues for exporters of live shellfish exports.

Thermal effects are a food safety issue for exporters of chilled products – with impacts on

o Reputation
o Security of supply
o Consumer health.

24
 Transport to Processing/Packing Facility

Typical Hazards Possible Solutions

Live finfish Water in tanks should be cool and continually exchanged

approximately every 15 minutes.
Animals must have clean and
aerated water during transport Fresh water is lethal to reef fish. If transporting live reef fish, pumps
should be turned off when vessel enters the river mouth.

Live Abalone Live Abalone will become stressed and die if they are not provided
with an adequate flow of clean cool seawater.
Care must be taken in the storage of
live animals. Possible defects Holding tanks should have well designed water circulation systems and
include: should be regularly maintained.
 Cracking the shell
Over-crowding in tanks should be avoided.
 Over-heating
 Drying Exposure to direct sunlight should be avoided.
 Contamination with fuel or
other substances
 Over-loading tank
 Stressing the abalone during
transport
 Extended time between landing
and re-tanking
Live Rocklobster The best way to maximise the liveliness of Rocklobsters is to keep the
animal as comfortable as possible by storing in live holding tanks
Rocklobsters need a constant supply
of circulating water (high volume, Tanks should preferably be below deck, and with naturally oxygenated
low pressure) to provide oxygen. circulating seawater with water flowing in from the bottom and out
Without it, they will slowly through the top of the tank.
suffocate.
Mist or spray systems are effective for relatively short journeys (< 3
hours).

Storage of Product

Normally exporters will store product landed from the fishery or aquaculture facility, in order to establish a
stockpile of available supply and to enable selection of size/colour/quality animals as requested by the
overseas customer.

It is essential that the storage process is conducted in the optimum fashion, which will includes regular and
frequent monitoring of tanks and water parameters such as temperature, water flow, oxygen levels, pH levels
and the presence of solid material such as seaweed, mud, plankton, etc.

Packing for Transport

Pre-packing chill down:

The packaging of product for export is designed to maintain the initial thermal environment, so it is extremely
important to cool the product before packing. Common industry practices to achieve the target starting
temperature (which will vary between species) is
 Reduce the temperature of the water in the storage tanks; or
 Pass open mesh boxes of product through special chilled water tanks.

25
It is particularly important to, establish temperatures within the desired species-specific ranges and allow the
insulation between the animals and the ambient temperature to maintain a target thermal environment (with
or without gel packs).

Exporters should closely monitor their chill down processes for thermal efficiencies, both the loss of chill and
excessive chill. The elimination of such inefficiencies would save costs as well as improving the quality of
product at the final destination.

Packaging

An important area that is often forgotten is the optimisation of the physical aspects of shipments, specifically
 the strength and insulation qualities of the boxes;
 the absorbent properties of the liners;
 the effectiveness of freezer packs (gel formula and consistency,
 pre-pack preparation of gel packs;
 the number, size, and location of gel packs in the box to provide adequate temperature control.
Depending on the product, the standard packaging approach is to use an impermeable liner inside an EPS box,
with an absorbent pad on the base, possibly the use of an insulating material to surround the product and, in
some cases, a freezer pack or packs at the top of the box, separated by a sheet of insulating material from the
product. The box lid should fit tightly, and be secured using adhesive tape (which can be colour coded for
different customers or destinations).

All these items should be trialled and assessed before committing to any particular brand or source:

In summary

 The effectiveness of the available options for the absorbent sheet should be compared, testing their
short term absorbency and longer term efficiency with melting ice;
 The consistency of available freezer packs should be tested, with packs assessed for core gel
temperature after various time periods in preparation (2, 3,and 4 days in a freezer), their cooling
efficiency (monitored through the use of temperature loggers - see below for more information on
these items of equipment) and gel condition after 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 and 48 hours in simulated
conditions;
 Consideration should be given to preparing your own freezer packs, as the gel can then be prepared
to your own customised consistency and your own logo/brand identification printed on the plastic
outer;
 EPS boxes (usually rated for 20 Kg) are available in a variety of densities (the higher the density the
more robust and the greater the thermal insulation of the box), although one common essential is
that the box should be approved for airline use. The comparative thermal efficiency of boxes with
varying densities can be tested with temperature loggers in a cool room or at ambient temperature.
The comparative physical strength or robustness of the box can be evaluated through loading with 20
Kg and simulating rough handling conditions or alternatively standing on the box.
 Insulation of varying types is commonly available with wood wool and wood shavings being the most
frequently used materials. Selection of the optimal material will vary between species, while thermal
efficiency can be tested by the use of temperature loggers.

Conduct Some Trials

Exporters should conduct some in-house trials of the qualities of their containment/temperature management
assets. There could potentially be significant cost savings to Australian exporters from lower specification
boxes and a reduced number of freezer packs.

26
 In general, a review of shipments of live crustacean and molluscs has shown that there are relatively few
instances where temperatures inside the boxes exceed the maximum of the desired range. The possibility of
cold abuse of the animals appears to be more of a concern and an issue that exporters need to be carefully
consider and avoid.

Modern data loggers provide a relatively inexpensive way of capturing important information on specific cool
chains, from packing to receival by customer.

Typical Hazards Possible Solutions

Live Finfish Any damaged animal should be removed

Loss of product through physical EPS box and bag prepared with water and anaesthetic, animals should
damage or mortality be handled carefully and placed in bag,
Animals should be packed to ensure that physical injury does not
occur.

Live Abalone Abalone should be purged in tanks for sufficient time to ensure all
waste is excreted – e.g. 3-4 days.
Stress and physical damage caused
by rough handling Abalone has a primitive blood circulation system, which does not
contain any clotting system. This means that abalone will usually bleed
to death from any cut or scratch they receive
Animals must be handled carefully to avoid damage.

Stress caused by packing animals at
the wrong temperature
Abalone should not be subjected to temperatures (too hot or too cold)
that will lead to stress during transport
o
Prior to packing abalone should be held in filtered seawater at 8-10 C.
This allows the animals to survive out of water for the time taken to
reach overseas markets.
Animals in the tank are chilled down prior to packing.

Stress caused by extended period
out of water
Abalone that become stressed during transport are likely to either be
dead or dying when they arrive at their destination, leading to
customer dissatisfaction.
Packing should occur as near as possible to transport time to minimise
time out of water.

Stress in the carton Live abalone should be provided with a surface to cling on to; ensure
that any freezer packs do not have direct contact with the animals.

Live Rocklobster
Stress and physical damage are the
major issues that need to be
addressed during live transport
Stress factors include: Temperature
shift, low oxygen, overcrowding
Live Rocklobster should be held for several days without feeding and
purged prior to packing and transport
Claws can be banded to avoid cannibalism and physical damage.
Only good quality Rocklobsters should be shipped
Care should be taken with the chill down process prior to packing.
Normally, animals are chilled slowly but gradually.

27
 These pictures demonstrate where due to poor
handling techniques, damage has been caused to live
animals or EPS boxes during transport.

Export Documentation

Your export documentation needs to be generated accurately and in a timely fashion. In some cases, you will
generate the export documentation yourself whereas other exporters will ask their freight forwarder to
prepare the documentation. The consequences of inaccurate or untimely documentation could be:
 Approval to export your product is not given;
 Your product is left sitting on the tarmac
 The animals die resulting in a loss of income.
 Relationships with your customer suffer

Typical Hazards Possible Solutions

All animals
Approval to export is not given
because documentation is wrong,
incomplete, or not ready on time
Documentation must be accurate and properly reflect the product
being exported.
The time frame for getting approval to export is generally tight
because of packing time
Procedures for the preparation of export documentation should be
adhered to and, ideally, one person who fully understands the export
procedures is to be responsible for all documentation.

28
 Transport to Freight Forwarder

Despatch to the selected airport:

With the best preparation for the packaging of the product, it makes sense to ensure that the transport to the
care of the freight forwarder or airline is similarly conducted in the optimum fashion, which means the use of a
refrigerated vehicle with the capability of maintaining a specified target temperature (which will be species
specific) for the entire shipment.

Again, although manufacturers will supply performance data, it may be advisable to check with fellow
exporters and assess their ‘real life’ experiences of different makes and models of vehicle.

Supply chain facilities

The absence of refrigerated facilities (both transportation and storage) by both the freight forwarder and the
destination cities is an area with a significant potential to lead to temperature abuse and subsequent
mortality.

Typical Hazards Possible Solutions

All animals
Flight is missed because product is
not delivered in time.
The deadline for delivery to your freight forwarder must be strictly
adhered to. Your documentation must be correct and your product
must be packaged properly in air freight approved containers.
Review and strictly adhere to all of your export procedures as outlined
in your Approved Export Arrangements.
Product should be transported from your premises to the freight
forwarder in refrigerated vehicles where the temperature is within or
below the desired temperature range for the shipment. This will
ensure that product leaves the exporter's control at the optimum
temperature.

Transport to Customer (air freight)

Selection of Optimal Route

It is important that you carefully consider your supply chain and the frequency of flights, transport times,
stopovers etc to minimise the time of your shipment. Your freight forwarder will provide valuable assistance n
this area. The best route will vary according to your location and the preferred importing point and time for
your customer:
 Some prefer night arrivals, so the product is at its freshest for the early morning customers;
 Others may prefer day arrivals, as the onward transportation is preferred for the cooler overnight
time and when the roads are less busy.
However, the airline route should be determined on the most economical freight quote and the most direct
flight path. Periods of layovers and plane changes, especially airline changes, should be avoided if at all
possible.

Once all the tests and simulations have been carried out and the results carefully analysed, and the optimal
route to your customer has been determined, you are ready to despatch your initial shipments.

29
 Typical Hazards Possible Solutions

All animals Select stronger animals who are more likely to survive the trip
Products die or are damaged during Ensure that animals have been starved (purged) prior to packing to
live transport by air because of ensure that they do not foul the water or box with excrement during
factors such as transport.
 Shock Improve packing procedures to minimise physical damage and to
maintain temperature control.
 Fouling of water with
excrement Review transport techniques and timelines to determine if there were
any unexpected time delays.
 Lack of oxygen
Use a temperature data logger for the trip and review the results after
the shipment.

Monitor Your Cool Chain

Exporters would be well advised to monitor individual cool chains on a regular and frequent basis, particularly
monitoring cool chains during all seasons, Exporters should consider:
 Developing a database of product and carrier specific information;
 Identifying any potential process inadequacies, particularly seasonal variations; and
 Encouraging an operational philosophy of continuous improvement

Airports and associated operations such as inter-aircraft storage, stopover operations and cold storage
facilities appear to represent particularly hazardous environments for shipments of live shellfish, with
opportunities for both heat and cold abuse.

Exporters should approach the relevant operator (airport authority, freight forwarder, consignee company),
and explain the requirements for live animals and procedures to manage temperature effectively. The
provision of shade areas for short term transfers may be all that is required. Alternatively more significant
investment in species-specific cold storage facilities may be necessary to accommodate shellfish and their
specific cool chain requirements.

Handling of Your Boxes

Boxes need to be handled carefully. Common mistakes encountered that can result in damage to the boxes
and to the animal (particularly crustaceans and abalone) are:
 Rough treatment of boxes such as being upturned;
 The use of strapping as handles;
 Throwing boxes onto and from transport vehicles
Transport companies, freight forwarders, customers and consignee companies should be encouraged and
assisted to train workers in good handling practice.

Border Inspection

Documentation and product inspection

You need to be confident that your product will pass border inspection. Steps you must take before you export
are:

30
  Ensure that your documentation is accurate and properly reflects the contents of the shipment;
 Ensure that you meet the importing country requirements e.g. product standards, labelling.

Typical Hazards Possible Solutions

All shipments
Product is rejected at border Review documentation procedures to ensure all export documentation
inspection because of incorrect or is available and accurate
incomplete documentation.

Product is not acceptable to the Regularly check the importing country requirements to ensure that
importing country because it does your product is acceptable.
not meet the required product
Access the SSA Trade and Market Access database and talk to your
standards or legislative
customers.
requirements.

Product Recall Procedures

A key export and food business requirement is that you at all times can trace your product in the case that you
need to recall product.

Typical Hazards Possible Solutions

All animals Product traceability and recall procedures as outlined in your

Approved Arrangements and your standard operating procedures
Product cannot be traced in the
(SOP) should be tested regularly to ensure that your product can be
event of a product recall
traced quickly.
Where necessary, modify your Approved Arrangements procedures to
ensure your product can be traced.

Supply Chain Validation

Monitor Some Shipments

You would be well advised to conduct some trials before you export and to then put some temperature
loggers in your first few shipments to determine what is actually happening to temperature while in transit.

A good data logger can produce a graph such as that shown in Figure 3 which can be invaluable in tracking
your product and determining what caused that unexpected temperature ‘spike’ and where it occurred.

This analysis will be invaluable for you to determine the most appropriate temperature for shipment and the
packing steps that you should implement to reduce stress, mortality and stock losses during transport.

There are some excellent temperature loggers available at a very cost effective price.

31
 Figure 3: Typical temperature log

Documentation

Having completed this critical analysis of your supply chain, you will have identified some steps where the
chain can fail. You will now need to develop and document procedures to ensure that the hazard is removed
or the risk severity is minimised.

These procedures are an essential element of any exporter’s operation that should be respected and utilised
by all partners in the supply chain, from domestic transporters through storage facility operators, international
airlines and transporters/wholesalers at your final destination.

32
Learning from Experience
Industry Involvement

Important to the development of this manual was the need to assess and Modern temperature data
document the current effectiveness of the Australia-China fisheries loggers are a relatively easy
products supply chain. To undertake this task successfully required the and inexpensive way of
involvement of a number of seafood enterprises with experience in the capturing important
export and import of fisheries products within Australia and PR China, the information on the
objective being to utilise their experience and knowledge in the field to performance of seafood
identify and document: supply chains - from packing
to customer receipt.
 critical elements of the Australia-China fisheries products supply
chain for key products and over key transport routes;
 issues that can arise in the supply chain that impact negatively on
product quality; and
 practical solutions to those issues (some of which are species
specific).
Based on the results of the
temperature data logging
exercise, is that the Australia-
Following a Call for Expressions of Interest, a number of Australian seafood
exporting enterprises expressed a desire to participate in the project, while China seafood supply chain
appears to be working
satisfying the criteria for participation. These enterprises then were
reasonably well.
contacted by the project team, and following discussions a short list of
appropriate participants was drafted and a programme of visits (and trial
product shipments) to PR China (excluding Chinese Taipei) were scheduled.

The enterprises selected provided the opportunity to trial a broad range of

key export products from a range of Australian locations to a range of
destinations in PR China. This mix of products, product forms, locations,
destinations and transport routes provided the opportunity to encounter a
Exporters would be well
good range of potential seafood supply chain problems and solutions. The
advised to monitor individual
final portfolio of project participants resulted in the following coverage:
supply chains on a regular
basis, especially across all
 Dispatching enterprises – seven enterprises located across four
seasons due to the high
states, namely Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and
seasonal temperature
Queensland;
differences between Australia
 Fisheries products – six different species were monitored, namely and PR China in the winter
Western Rock Lobster, Southern Rock Lobster, Spanner Crab, and summer months.
Blacklip Abalone, Pacific Oyster and Blue Mussel; and
 Receiving enterprises – eleven enterprises located across Hong
Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing;

Note: For reasons of commercial confidentiality the despatching

enterprises and the receiving enterprises have not been identified
in this Manual. In addition, every effort has been made to ensure
that enterprise information that could be considered ‘commercial
in confidence’ has been removed and replaced with
generalisations that can be reasonably applied to most
enterprises involved in the seafood supply chain.

33
In addition to identifying the critical elements of the Australia-China seafood supply chain, the project aimed
to monitor multiple shipments per despatching enterprise, ideally covering different climatic conditions, using
temperature data loggers in each shipment (including external loggers to monitor ambient conditions).

In addition to monitoring temperature and time across each link in the supply chain, the project aimed to
collect data on any problems with the physical condition of the animals and the packaging at the shipment
destination as these physical issues also offered opportunities for improvement.

Data was captured at the product level, with temperature data loggers distributed at different positions within
boxes. In addition, a single logger was attached to the outside of the batch, to record the ambient temperature
profile, which would enable a record of the external environment throughout the journey and the
temperature differential (external/internal) throughout the period of transport.

Each despatching enterprise in Australia was visited by a project team member who provided an overview of
the project and its objectives as well as training in the use of temperature data loggers and associated
software. Arrangements were then made in relation to the composition and timing of trial product shipments
to PR China. A representative of the dispatching enterprise and a representative of the project team
accompanied initial trial shipments to ensure engagement and facilitate training at the receiving enterprise in
PR China.

In total, eight (8) seafood supply chains from four (4) States were mapped and analysed. This covered three
(3) crustacean species (Spanner Crabs, Western Rock Lobster and Southern Rock Lobster) and three (3) mollusc
species (Blacklip Abalone, Pacific Oysters and Blue Mussels). A total of eighteen (18) trial product shipments
were made to four (4) destinations in PR China (Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing) over a twelve
month period.

Over this period eighty three (83) temperature data loggers were successfully retrieved and their data
downloaded. Each thermal profile was analysed to identify issues in the supply chain and opportunities for
improvement.

Summary of Trial Shipment Findings

Overall Findings

Overall, the study identified that:

 Modern temperature data loggers are a relatively easy and inexpensive way of capturing important
information on the performance of seafood supply chains - from packing to customer receipt.
 Based on the results of the temperature data logging exercise, the Australia-China seafood supply
chain appears to be working reasonably well.
 There were relatively few instances where temperatures inside the boxes exceeded the maximum of
the desired ranges for both crustaceans and molluscs, and even in these few cases the period of
above range temperatures was limited. If anything, the possibility of ‘cold abuse’ of the products
appears to be more of a concern.
 Exporters would be well advised to monitor individual supply chains on a regular basis, especially
across all seasons due to the high seasonal temperature differences between Australia and PR China
in the winter and summer months.
 The pre- and post-packing chill down operations appear to be highly significant segments of the
supply chain process for both crustaceans and molluscs, successfully establishing product
temperatures within the desired species-specific ranges and enabling the insulation between the
product and the ambient temperature to maintain a target thermal environment (with or without
freezer packs).

34
 Exporters should closely monitor their chill
down processes for thermal efficiencies,
both the loss of chill and excessive chill.
The elimination of such inefficiencies
would save costs as well as improving the
quality of product at the final destination.
 Airports and associated operations such as
inter-aircraft storage, stopover operations
and cold storage facilities appear to
represent particularly hazardous
environments for shipments of live
fisheries products, particularly shellfish,
with opportunities for both heat and cold
abuse.
 From specific supply chain data captured on the temperature loggers, companies should approach the
relevant operator (airport authority, freight forwarder), with the aim of explaining the requirements
of the product and methods for effective temperature management. It may well be that
improvements as simple as the provision of shade areas for short term transfers is all that is required;
alternatively more significant investment in species-specific cold storage facilities, may be necessary,
as current cold stores may not be designed to accommodate shellfish and their specific supply chain
requirements.
 Training opportunities for appropriate staff in these organisations should be offered in the specifics of
temperature abuse. Initiatives such as the South Australian Freight Council’s ‘Temperature
Monitoring Programme’ should be implemented across the shellfish exporting sector.
 The absence of refrigerated facilities (both transportation and storage) at destination cities is also an
area with a significant potential to lead to temperature abuse.
 A detailed explanation of the need for access to adequate refrigerated capacity in both transport and
storage aspects of the destination city segment of the supply chain should be presented to
representatives of customers and consignee companies. There may be a case for offering assistance
(both technical advice and investment funds) in establishing an improved capacity in these facilities.
 Less than optimal integration of domestic transport facilities, leading to extended stopover of
shipments at export airports appears to be a concern, particularly for Tasmanian product in transit
through Melbourne airport.
 There remains room for improvement in handling of EPS boxes in particular, with rough treatment
such as upturned boxes, the use of strapping as handles and throwing boxes onto/from transport
vehicles resulting in damage to the boxes and to the product (particularly crustaceans and abalone).
 Transport companies, freight forwarders, customers and consignee companies should be encouraged
and assisted to train workers in good handling practices.
 Equally, there is room for further progress towards optimisation of the physical aspects of shipments,
specifically
o the strength and insulation qualities of the boxes;
o the effectiveness of absorbent pads within boxes; and
o the effectiveness of freezer packs (gel formula and consistency, pre-pack preparation and the
number/size/ location inside the box).
 Exporters should be encouraged to conduct in-house assessments and tests of the qualities of their
containment/temperature management assets. In the event of improved handling and temperature
control from destination airport onwards, then there could be a significant cost saving to Australian
exporters from lower specification boxes and a reduced number of freezer packs.

35
Crustaceans (Rock Lobsters and Spanner Crabs)

In relation to crustaceans, the study found that:

 The pre-packing chill down appears to be potentially the most important process of the supply chain,
with all examples showing a cooling to the lower end of the species-specific temperature range;
 The relatively low packing temperatures were generally successfully maintained throughout the
supply chains, even without the use of freezer packs and even in the case of the lowest desired
o
temperature range of 5 – 12 C.
 There were some periods in transit
at the export airports when the
boxes were exposed to ambient
temperatures. Exporters using these
shipment routes (flights from Perth,
Adelaide and Brisbane) would be
well advised to ensure that they
monitor the thermal handling
performance of the handling and
transportation companies,
particularly during the summer
months.
 Airport handling appears to be a
particular Hazard, both the initial
despatching location, during the
critical period between arrival in refrigerated truck and loading onto the aircraft, and en route.
Although ambient loggers were not always available, when they were the recorded temperature
profiles indicated that there were times when a cool storage environment was not provided, or that
the cool cargo hold environment was allowed to dissipate at a stopover. Data from internal loggers,
when the external unit was not recovered, confirmed the loss of temperature control on a number of
occasions.
 The external loggers indicated that cargo hold ambient temperatures were likely to fluctuate through
the flight. Exporters would be well advised to ensure that the presence of live freight was clearly
acknowledged by the airline and that the pilot was made aware of the preferred temperature range.
 There was a consistent pattern of inadequate temperature control following unloading at Hong Kong
airport and during the journey to Yantian. As a result, the quality (the density and therefore insulation
effectiveness) of the boxes is a critical factor during these final stages of the supply chain in
maintaining thermal integrity of the shipment. This is particularly true for boxes without freezer
packs, but even freezer packs are used, their ability to cool the boxes after 24 hours could be reaching
the limit of effectiveness.
 There is an apparent absence of refrigerated transport available for the final section of the trip (Hong
Kong to Yantian), which is not helpful to the objective of maintaining thermal integrity.

Molluscs (Blacklip Abalone, Pacific Oysters and Blue Mussels):

In relation to molluscs, the study found that:

 The pre-packing chill down appears to be a similarly important element of the supply chain for
molluscs, with most internal data logger readings indicating temperatures generally within the
desired ranges by the time of loading onto the first flight (chill down plus the impact of freezer packs,
as all mollusc shipments included freezer packs).

36
 However, there were a few examples of inadequate chill down and the resulting temperature profile
was one of slow decline (freezer packs and good insulation) which in some cases still failed to lower
the temperatures to below the range maximum within 48 hours, confirming the importance of the
chill down process.
 There were examples of possible cold
abuse, when boxes were held in
refrigerated storage for a number of hours
awaiting export, or days in the destination
city. However in general cold stores appear
to have been operating efficiently.
 There were examples of possible heat abuse
at airport facilities, when the boxes were
either being trans-shipped to the export
flight or unloaded at the destination city,
including awaiting customs inspection.
 As noted above, all shipments of molluscs
incorporated freezer packs, normally placed at the top of each carton, as part of the temperature
management regime. This approach contributed to successfully maintaining internal temperatures
within the desired ranges, even when the external loggers recorded significant rises in ambient
temperatures.
 The pattern of inadequate environmental control recorded for the latter stages of the crustacean
supply chains was similarly noted in the mollusc supply chains, with a general absence of refrigerated
storage or transport vehicles.
 As with crustaceans, the thermal insulating efficiency of the boxes was critical to maintaining product
quality, especially in the latter stages, where refrigeration was typically not available.
 There is evidence of a need for greater integration of the transport chain, to reduce waiting times at
intermediary airports and storage facilities and to optimise the logistical passage of live shipments.
 Improved integration of the transport chain is particularly true for Tasmanian exports, where there
are no direct flights to China and due to timetabling of domestic flights there is limited ex-Hobart
capacity, if transfer times in Melbourne are to be minimised.
 Ambient temperatures in the cargo holds during the international flights were generally sufficiently
cool, although there were some examples of fluctuation and relatively warm conditions.
 There were instances of excessively robust handling, sufficient to compromise the physical integrity of
the boxes (from chipped and split to completely broken sides) and indeed the integrity of the product.

37
Case Studies
Example Cool Chain No 1

An example combined graph of the temperature profile of 4 internal and 1 external loggers is shown in Error!
Reference source not found. for a specific shipment of Western Rock Lobsters (WRL) from Fremantle, WA, to
Yantian, with a routing of Cathay Pacific from Perth International airport non-stop to Hong Kong, followed by
boat and truck delivery to Yantian/Shenzhen.

This shipment is described below in detail, as an example of the cool chain analytical exercise.

Wild catch WRL from a number of fishing vessels are transported to Fremantle in company owned spray
trucks, where they are initially graded on the basis of live/ weak/dead and judgementally assessed on weight
and colour and stored in tanks.

The export supply chain commences at the corporate

holding facility, with a more detailed second grading
on precise weights and colours as specified by the
Chinese customer.

Packing usually starts in late afternoon, when product

is selected from appropriate holding tanks.

Temporary handling plastic cases are then passed

through a chilled water conveyor unit, to bring the
product temperature down to around 15ºC (+/- 2ºC).

38
Assessment of ‘Cool Chain’ monitoring results in China:

Chilled product is packed into standard EPS boxes,

with internal insulation provided by wood shavings;
no use of freezer packs in this shipment.

Cartons are sealed with a colour coded tape (e.g. red

tape for Taiwan, yellow for China).

Pallets of boxes are transported in a company

owned refrigerated truck to Perth international
airport during the evening, to complete AQIS
clearance procedures and to be loaded onto the
evening Cathay Pacific flight (CX170) which departs
around midnight.

The transfer of responsibility is at Hong Kong International airport (around 08.00 the following day), where the
consignee company picks up the consignment after clearing Hong Kong customs. The shipment is then
transported by boat to Shekou Terminal in Western Shenzhen (total journey time of 1½ - 2½ hours).

After unloading from the boat, the shipment is loaded into a non-refrigerated truck and delivered to Yantian ,
either directly or with a further trans-shipment to a local delivery vehicle, finally arriving at the customer’s
facility (which may well be a different company) around 13.00.

39
In some cases the transportation company involved is a subsidiary of the consignee company, while in other
supply chains the transportation is provided by a third party. In both cases there appears to be a significant
absence of refrigerated vehicles.

The external logger is clearly visible on the lid of the

middle box (below), along with the red logger
identification tape.

After the boxes are opened, the WRLs are removed

from the packing material of wood shavings by
emptying the boxes across a grid.

Total travel time for this and similar shipments is around 18 – 19 hours (with a total elapsed time from start of
chill down and packing of around 21 - 22 hours).

In summary:

Packing at Fremantle 3 hours;

Fremantle to Perth (until flight departure) around 5 hours;

Perth to Hong Kong 8 hours;

Hong Kong – Shekou: 1 hour

Shekou – Yantian: around 3 - 4 hours

Analysis of the data logger recordings

Analysis of the data captured on the loggers from this shipment shows numerous periods when the boxes
experienced ambient temperatures, as recorded by the external data logger, outside the preferred
temperature range (14 to 18⁰C). However for the majority of the time the internal loggers recorded
temperatures within the desired range for this product.

40
The differential between the external readings and the internal loggers reflects the chill down preparation, the
quality of the box material and the location of the loggers within the boxes.

The summary overall data for this example Supply Chain is tabulated below:

Table 6: Shipment of WRL Fremantle, WA, to Yantian (c.22 Hours, May 2009

Logger Location Time (Mins) Time (Mins)

> Range (18ºC) < Range (14ºC)
External/Ambient 690 (11.5 hrs) 450 (7.5 hrs)

Top Right 540 (9 hrs)

Top Left 360 (6 hrs) 120 (2 hrs)
Bottom 300 (5 hrs) 780 (13 hrs)
Middle 300 (5 hrs) 1,110 (18.5 hrs)

The cool chain temperature profile for this particular consignment (see Error! Reference source not found.
below), for the individual segments of the chain, has been assessed as follows:

Packing and local transportation: All the internal loggers illustrate a reduction in temperature to within the
target transportation range by the time truck loading commences. There is a marginally different pattern for
the external unit, reflecting the need to wait for a box to be sealed before fitting the logger; therefore the
cooling process is slightly delayed, followed by a more rapid impact of cold room storage.
o o
The external logger illustrates the impact of the ambient temperature (rising from 15 C to 20 C) during loading
of the truck, while the internal loggers barely react to the move from chilled storage to truck. Most logger
recordings remain stable while in transit to Perth international airport (PER) and loading, although the top
right shows a decline, but this is judged to be a localised phenomenon.
o
The external logger records the effect of the truck refrigeration, returning to 15 C during the transit to Perth
Airport.
o
Flight, to unloading airport in China: The ambient temperature logger records an initial reduction (15 C to
o o
10 C) followed by a rise to 18 C. This pattern could reflect the temperature regime in the passenger cabin - a
typical lower temperature to cool passengers down, followed by a warmer environment to offset hours of
o
inactivity. After some 4½ hours a stable temperature of around 13 C is established for the remainder of the
flight.

Loggers located in the middle and base of boxes register essentially stable temperatures throughout the flight,
o o
rising slowly from around 12 C to some 14 C. The loggers at the top of boxes record temperatures that are not
o
only higher at the start, at some 15-16 C, but correlate quite significantly with the rises and falls of the
ambient temperature.
o
There were no temperatures registered above the maximum of the target range (18 C) by any logger during
the flight, however there were long periods of below minimum temperature recorded for both middle and
base loggers. Indeed, the Middle of box logger failed to rise above the target minimum until after unloading in
Hong Kong.

Trans-shipment from airport to primary wholesaler: This section of the supply chain appears to have been
o
non-refrigerated, with the external logger recording a peak of 40.9 C during the initial transport by vessel to
o
the Shekou Terminal in Western Shenzhen before declining to around 27 C.

41
The pattern of the ambient temperature was reflected in the readings from the Top of box loggers, which rose
from 15⁰C to 18 - 20⁰C, before declining to within the target temperature range. The other loggers remained
essentially insulated from the external environment and registered little effect of the external changes.
o
A second temperature spike, reaching 68 C on the external logger, is judged to have been the result of the
boxes being exposed to direct sunlight for up to 2 hours, either at Shekou Terminal or during trans-shipment
from a multi-ton truck to the van that finally delivered the shipment to Yantian.

Despite this excessive temperature, the insulation material of the boxes proved very effective, as the internal
loggers appeared largely unaffected, with even the loggers at the top of box recording only marginal increases.
The apparent absence of impact of the ambient temperature was probably affected by the location of the
boxes with loggers within the overall shipment.

The temperature experience of the consignment during travel, i.e. post-departure from Fremantle, can be
summarised in terms of the time each logger recorded a value above or below the limits of the target
temperature range.

On the basis of the 30 minute frequency of monitoring, these periods are summarised in Table 7 below:

Table 7: Shipment of WRL Fremantle to Yantian (May 2009) – Post Departure Experience*

Logger Location Time (Mins) Time (Mins)

> Range (18ºC) < Range (14ºC)
External/Ambient 390 (6.5 hrs) 450 (7.5 hrs)

Top Right 120 (2 hrs)

Top Left 30 (0.5 hrs) 90 (1.5 hrs)
Bottom 540 (9 hrs)
Middle 960 (16 hrs)
* Total journey time: 19 hours

The ambient temperature experienced by the shipment is, perhaps not unsurprisingly, largely beyond the
limits of the target range. However, what may be unexpected is that the time period above the maximum (6½
o
hours above 18 C) appeared not much more than the period spent below the minimum (7½ hours below
o
14 C).

There also appears to be a temperature gradient within the boxes, with Top of box loggers tending to exhibit
more above range temperatures (2½ hours) than below range temperatures (1½ hours) while base and central
loggers experienced only below range temperatures (9 hours and 16 hours respectively).

However, this analysis of the data fails to differentiate between the scale of above or below target range
temperature excess, that is there is a 30 minute value attributed to all temperature excesses whether of 1, 5,
or 10 degrees.

A more accurate reflection of temperature experience outside the desired target range can be computed in
terms of ‘Degree Minutes’, defined as the number of minutes (30 minute for each reading) multiplied by the
number of degrees above or below the upper or lower range limits.

The post departure temperature experience using degree minutes as the measurement for the five loggers is
shown in Table 8 below and illustrated in Figure 4.

42
Table 8: Shipment of WRL Fremantle to Yantian – Post Departure Experience

Logger Location Time (Mins) Time (Mins)

> Range (18ºC) < Range (14ºC)
External/Ambient 6,345 564

Top Right 147

Top Left 3 9
Bottom 306
Middle 882
* Degree Minutes : Difference Below Minimum or Above Maximum x 30 Minutes

The degree minute values give a different and more detailed picture of the temperature experience of the
loggers:

The ambient results indicate that the real thermal issue for the shipment is one of excess heat, rather than the
apparent similar above/below indicators from the previous measurement of time outside the range limits;
The ‘top’ box logger calculation confirms that the issue here is a limited one of above range temperatures;
The temperatures recorded lower in the box show that the issue here is one of excess cold, and – as might be
expected - the central core is consistently and significantly colder than elsewhere in the carton.
The importance of the chill down, packaging and cold store process is clearly indicated by the results of the
data loggers, particularly as this shipment did not incorporate freezer packs. The shipment recordings illustrate
a remarkable stability for Middle and Base box temperatures and a satisfactory result even for the Top of box
temperatures, although there was clearly greater fluctuation for that logger.

It could be concluded that the cooling down process in this example was, to some degree, excessive, leading to
a starting temperature – which was more or less maintained in the centre and base of the boxes – which was
below the desired minimum.

The temperatures recorded by the middle and base of box loggers were consistently below the desired
minimum from preparation for loading into the refrigerated truck in Fremantle, while the top of box
temperatures, although fluctuating to a limited degree, remained within the target range from loading into
the truck, until unloading in Hong Kong.

How to reduce stratification of product temperatures within a box could be difficult to resolve, but could prove
a worthwhile exercise.

A further conclusion would be that there clearly appears to be a significant lack of temperature control in the
supply chain following unloading at the airport in Hong Kong. The limited effect of the less than satisfactory
handling of the shipment on the product is a result of the high insulation quality of the boxes, which must have
a cost impact on the Australian exporters.

An improvement of cool chain protocols and handling expertise from Hong Kong airport onwards could allow
the introduction of lower density and cheaper, yet perfectly adequate, boxes.

43
Figure 4:Fremantle to Yantian (May 2009)

45
Top Left
40 Middle
Bottom
35 Ambient
Top Right

30
Loading commences
Temperature (oC)

25 Arrive Yantian
Truck Departs Fremantle
20 Depart Perth, CX 170 Arrive Hong Kong

15

Packing & Chill Down

10

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Elapsed Time (Hours)

44
Example Cool Chain No. 2:

A second example Case Study for a specific shipment is that of Blacklip Abalone, from Electrona, Tasmania to
Shanghai. After early morning packing (02.15) the shipment was routed by the Virgin Blue morning flight to
Melbourne (DJ 1313), followed by the Air China flight non-stop to Shanghai (CA 178).

The product is wild caught (diver) Blacklip Abalone, for live export (Greenlip Abalone is only used for processed
product), landed directly to the Electrona storage/packing facility or to Hobart and transported by truck (20
Kms).

Example abalone ‘mother ship’ and diver work boats

in Hobart harbour:

The abalone are graded qualitatively from 2 to 5

according to size and condition, then stored in tanks
and observed for mortalities, weakness, etc.:

Abalone is packed into standard polystyrene boxes,

with a water absorbent pad on the base, and a plastic
liner bag;

45
 Export shipments are identified with a number of
labels – company, Cathay Pacific and Australian Air
Express (AAE) :

Shipments are transported to Hobart airport (HBA) in company owned refrigerated trucks (average delivery
time 45 minutes to AAE). There is a minimum 90 minutes before scheduled departure deadline. Freight
Forwarding is usually DHL, but alternatives Worldlink and Airlink Logistics are also used, depending on flights.

Flights:
There are a number of possible flight routings to China (although available from both Melbourne and Sydney,
Qantas was not mentioned as an option due to scheduled departure times [2009]):

Via Melbourne to Hong Kong:

 Cathay Pacific, CX104; flight departure from MEL is scheduled at 14.30, with arrival into Hong Kong
(HKG) scheduled for 22.00 (9½ hours elapsed time); Aircraft Type: Airbus 330 -300;
 Cathay Pacific, CX134; departure from MEL scheduled for 07.35, arrival into HKG scheduled for 15.05
(9½ hours elapsed time); Aircraft Type: Airbus 330 -300;
 Cathay Pacific, CX168, departure from MEL scheduled for 23.55, arrival into HKG scheduled for 07.25
next day (9½ hours elapsed time); Aircraft Type: Airbus 330 -300;
 Cathay Pacific operate a dedicated freighter service twice weekly (Monday and Tuesday) on MEL -
HKG route;
Via Melbourne to Shanghai/Beijing:

 Air China, CA178; departure scheduled for 09.55, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, arrival
Shanghai (PVG) scheduled for 18.45 (approximately 11 hours elapsed time); continuation to Beijing,
after 1 hour 40 minute stopover, scheduled to arrive PEK at 22.35; Aircraft Type: Airbus 330;
 Cathay Pacific/Dragonair: Various connections with CX168 in HKG;
Via Sydney to Hong Kong:

 Virgin Atlantic, VS201; daily departures, scheduled for 14.25, scheduled to arrive HKG at 21.55 (9½
hours elapsed time); Aircraft Type: Boeing 747;
The company reports that the main transport constraint is the currently limited freight capacity between HBA
and MEL, specifically:

 A reduction in flights by Jetstar in the past 12 months (from 5 to 4 daily), with a restricted freight
capacity;
 The Tiger Airways replacement being restricted to passengers only;

46
  The impact of the 4 Virgin Blue flights switching from Boeing 737 – 800 Series aircraft to B 737 – 700
Series (a reduction in freight capacity from 120 to 40 boxes per flight);
 The only morning Qantas flight (in order to connect with CX104 at 14.30, the preferred flight to HKG),
is scheduled to depart at 06.05, resulting in an extended stopover/trans-shipment at MEL;
 Australian Air Express has cancelled 3 dedicated freighter flights per week, although there continues
to be a freighter service out of Launceston. However, this demands an additional 2 hours delivery
drive (plus greater uncertainty, as the airport is plagued with delays/shutdowns due to fog).
As a result, this exporter has since mid-September 2009 chartered flights (Aircraft Type: Metro 3), on Tuesdays
and Thursdays. These flights are twice daily, scheduled to connect with CX104 (morning departure) and CX168
(afternoon departure).

The Case Study shipment arrived at Shanghai fish

market at around midnight following the 09.55
departure of Air China flight CX 178;

Boxes are unloaded at the customer’s facility:

The external logger is clearly visible, although

‘camouflaged’ against the blue label:

47
A ‘Top’ internal logger is successfully retrieved:

The product appears to have survived the journey

without too much disturbance

No apparent damage on these products – a successful

shipment!

Analysis of the data logger recordings:

The temperature profile of the shipment (1 external and 2 internal loggers in each of 2 boxes) is summarised
graphically in Figure 5

The first observation must be that despite significant variations in ambient temperature, the product
recordings never exceeded either the minimum or maximum range parameters of 5 - 15 ⁰C. Therefore there
is no valid ‘Degree Minute’ analysis possible for this shipment.

48
Indeed, the product temperature recordings were restricted to a close range throughout the monitoring
period, with a particularly close correlation between top and base recordings for each carton. And although
there is equally a clear correlation between ambient and internal temperature recordings, the insulation
qualities of the shipment were clearly sufficient to prevent thermal stress to the product.

The period of greatest ambient temperature concern over the entire journey was during the layover at
Melbourne Airport. The shipment was supposed to be stored in the cold storage facility, but appears to have
been left exposed to the local environment, rising to around 23 ⁰C. During that period, temperatures in the
boxes clearly reflected the ambient exposure, rising to 10 -12 ⁰C in box 1 and 12 -14 ⁰C in box 2. This must be a
concern, given that this was October, at the beginning of the summer season in Southern Australia, with higher
ambient temperatures and more intense sun effects a certainty during later months.

In-flight temperatures were not a problem, with the ambient recordings averaging around 10⁰C, helping to
maintain within range temperatures for the product

Although the ambient temperatures were above desirable during customs clearance at Shanghai airport and
the final transport to the destination of the Shanghai fish market, the thermal quality of the boxes maintained
the temperature of the product at within the desired temperature range extremes.

The consistently lower temperatures of box 1 compared to box 2 suggests that there is thermal stratification
within the shipment, a characteristic which suggests there should be further monitoring and analysis of intra-
shipment temperatures.

Further monitoring returns have confirmed the overall results of this particular shipment, specifically that
product temperatures both Base and Top have remained within the desired temperature range, while the
most significant thermal abuse, ambient temperature as measured by external data loggers, appears to occur
at Melbourne airport, when there is a limited period of stopover (2 - 4 hours).

Summary:

The importance of the preliminary chill down process, associated with a comprehensive packaging procedure
of box and packaging assessment, is clear, while the support of the in-flight cool temperatures (< 10⁰C for
more than 50% of the flight) was also a positive element of this particular cool chain.

Poor temperature control at Melbourne airport and at Shanghai customs should also be a source of concern
for exporters.

49
Figure 5: Shipment Electrona to Shanghai, October 2009

25.0

Handling at
Depart MEL Ambient (1) Arrive Shanghai
Melbourne airport
(CA 178)
20.0 (cold storage Ambient (2) Shanghai customs fish market
Base (1)
facility?) clearance,
Base (2)
Top (1) truck PVG to
Chilldown and
Top (2)
transport to Max.Range
15.0 Hobart airport
Temperature (ºC)

Min.Range Arrive Shanghai

(refrigerated

10.0

Depart HBA
5.0 (DJ 1313)

0.0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Elapsed Time (Hours)

50
Example Case Study No.: 3

A third Case Study analysed is of a shipment of wild caught (diver) Blacklip Abalone from Electrona to Beijing.
Preparation of the shipment was similar to that for Case Study No. 2, but with the boxes being packed in the
afternoon and following a different route, travelling by Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong. An onward flight to
Beijing Capital airport (PEK), after an aircraft change, was by Dragonair (Cathay Pacific associate).

Example ‘Conditioning Tabulation’ (including diver

source, for traceability) to enable selection of
customer specific product for packing:

Plastic dividers to which the abalone attach

themselves are inserted; the bag is goose-necked,
after it has been filled with oxygen; plastic separation
sheets and freezer packs are added last:

Gel packs are prepared in-house, to a 1.2 Kg weight

and their own gel specification, to ensure quality and
consistency:

51
An internal logger is successfully located and
retrieved:

After arrival, the product is weighed as soon as

possible, to calculate losses:

The shipment reached the Jing Shen fish market in

Beijing mid-evening of the same day as departure.

Analysis of the data logger recordings:

Following the cool down process, all the internal logger readings remained within the desired temperature
range for the entire journey. Indeed, the effectiveness of the freezer packs was evident in the steady decline
of internal temperatures from departure until landing in Hong Kong. Despite the rising of temperatures in the
latter stages of the journey, from Hong Kong to Beijing, they never breached the maximum of the range
(highest reading: Top logger of box #: 12.8⁰C).

52
The external loggers indicate that although the boxes were exposed to high ambient temperatures on arrival
at Melbourne airport, they were subsequently stored in a cool store or at least sheltered from external heat
(as the recordings only declined to around 12⁰C, not an example of cold storage).

There was firm temperature control during the flight, with the external loggers recording a steady decline in
the cargo hold to little more than 6⁰C on arrival at Hong Kong, supporting the efforts of the freezer packs to
maintain internal temperatures within the desired range.

The apparent lack of cold storage at Hong Kong airport is again shown from the rapid rise in ambient
temperature readings after arrival, reaching a maximum of 21.5⁰C. The situation appeared similar at Capital
airport in Beijing, although the spike was lower, reflecting the cooler evening temperatures in the more
northerly city. There is also evidence of an absence of cool storage during the process of customs clearance,
although temperatures did decline to a limited degree from the highs recorded on unloading.

The product was in generally good condition on arrival at the customer’s wholesale facility, with no mortalities
recorded on this occasion. This reflects both the careful selection of quality animals from the storage tanks
and the efforts to maintain temperatures within the 5 - 15⁰C range throughout the journey.

53
Figure 6: Shipment Electrona to Beijing, October 2009

25

Ambient (1) Depart HKG

Ambient (2) Customs clearance;
Depart HBA (Charter) Base (1) truck to Jin Shen fish market
20 Base (2)
Depart MEL Top (1)
(CX 168)
Top (2)
Max.Range
Min.Range
15
Temperature (ºC)

10

Cooldown and MEL storage

pack; truck to HBA

Arrive MEL
Arrive Beijing
5
Arrive HKG

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36
Elapsed Time (Hours)

54
Figure 7: Fremantle to Yantian : Degree Minute variation from target temperature range - Internal & External loggers

7000

6000

5000
Degree Minute </> Range

4000

>18⁰C
<14⁰C
3000

2000

1000

0
Top Middle Base Ambient

Logger Location

Figure 8: Fremantle to Yantian: Degree Minute variation from target temperature range - Internal Loggers

900

800

700

600
Degree Minutes </> Range

500

>18⁰C
400 <14⁰C

300

200

100

0
Top Middle Base

Logger Location

55
Useful Websites and References
1. ABARE 2009, Australian Fisheries Statistics 2008, Canberra, July;
http://www.abareconomics.com/publications_html/afs/afs_09/afs_09.html
2. Seafood Services Australia “Trade and Market Access Database”; http://www.seafood.net.au/trade/
3. The National Cold Chain Centre provides a one-stop-shop for Cold Chain Logistics, Training, and
Education; http://www.coldchaincentre.com.au/
4. Food Chain Intelligence website; www.food-chain.com.au
5. The Cool Chain Association website; www.coolchain.org
6. Ambient Systems is a Dutch privately-owned technology firm that specializes in the development of
innovative active RFID technologies based on wireless mesh networks; www.ambient-systems.net
7. Network Cool Chain Management provides an exchange of experience and ideas between research,
industry, public authorities and consumers; www.ccm-network.com
8. Food Adelaide; facilitates business matching services for exporters;
http://www.foodadelaide.com/about.htm
9. The Australian Trade Commission (Austrade); http://www.austrade.gov.au/
10. Seafood Services Australia; Seafood Transport Technologies (2006); HTG004;
http://www.seafood.net.au/shop/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ssa01&Product_Code=
HTG004&Category_Code
11. Seafood Services Australia (2006); Seafood Packaging Technologies; HTG003;
http://www.seafood.net.au/shop/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ssa01&Product_Code=
HTG003&Category_Code
12. Seafood Services Australia (2006); Seafood Traceability Technologies; HTG002;
http://www.seafood.net.au/shop/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ssa01&Product_Code=
HTG002&Category_Code
13. Seafood Services Australia (2006); Seafood Biosecurity Technologies; HTG001;
http://www.seafood.net.au/shop/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ssa01&Product_Code=
HTG001&Category_Code
14. WA Seafood Quality Management Initiative SQMI (1999); Handbook for on board handling of fresh
fish; available from SQMI, Fisheries Western Australia
15. WAFIC (1995); Fifteen Minutes – A Code of Practice for Handling Live Rock Lobster; FRDC Project
94/134.02
16. Commonwealth of Australia (1997); ISO Best Practice Manual – Catching and Handling of Live Reef
Fish aboard the Vessel; available from
http://www.seafood.net.au/shop/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ssa01&Product_Code=
PU025&Category_Code
17. Tasmania Abalone Council Ltd (2008); A Quality Assurance Code of Practice for the Tasmanian
Commercial Abalone Fishery Draft Version 5;
http://www.tasabalone.com.au/documents/QA_COP_Skipper_summary_000.pdf
18. Seafood Services Australia (2010); Australian Seafood Quality Index Manual;
http://www.seafood.net.au/shop/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ssa01&Product_Code=
AQI&Category_Code=

57
58
Seafood Services Australia, a not-for-profit company, is the industry development
service arm of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and the
Australian seafood industry.

SSA: The Next Generation (2007-2012) is supported by funding from the FRDC on
behalf of the Australian Government.

Seafood Services Australia works with the seafood industry and its stakeholders to:

generate new knowledge, processes and technology and facilitate their

dissemination, adoption and commercialisation;

acquire and disseminate technical information and advice from around the world
that benefits the seafood industry;

develop and implement management systems and standards for seafood safety,
quality and the environment; and

identify and capitalise on opportunities to develop the seafood industry.

All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of materials from this publication
for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorised without any prior
written permission from the copyright holders provided the sources are fully
acknowledged. Reproduction of materials in this publication for resale or for other
commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright
holders. Requests for such written permission should be directed to the Managing
Director of Seafood Services Australia Limited.

Copyright © Seafood Services Australia Limited 2010

ISBN xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

60