WAFIC

Brad Adams - Chairman

Brad is a third generation fisherman from Augusta. Brad was a professional abalone diver for 12 years. He is currently CEO of Ocean Grown Abalone Pty Ltd, an aquaculture company developing in-sea abalone aquaculture farms. He is also the CEO of Two Oceans Seafoods Pty Ltd - a seafood processing, wholesale and retail business in Augusta.

Brad has tertiary qualifications in Biology, Aquaculture and Business (MBA).

Brad's vision is for WAFIC to be seen by the seafood industry and government as a strong and united representative organisation that is responsive to the needs of industry and is focussed on obtaining outcomes that deliver tangible gains to the seafood industry.

James Paratore - Director

James has been actively involved with the Rock Lobster Industry since he was 12 years old working with his Father on fishing boat 'Vanessa James'. His family has been involved with Western Rock Lobster fishing since the 1960's, and his extended family still ply their trade in Italy using different forms of fishing.

James possesses a diverse background, the most prominent example being his other career choice, where in 2004, he completed a Bachelor of Pharmacy at Curtin University. 

In 2008, he was elected to represent C zone on the Board of the Western Rock Lobster Council and was elected to the WAFIC board in 2009.

He sees his appointment to this leadership role as a chance to promote the industry's link between a very proud Western Australian fishing community, serving to realign and promote its duty as custodians of the ocean, and guarantee its role as ambassadors of a wider Seafood Industry.  He looks forward to helping shape a new and prosperous path for the entire Western Australian Seafood Community.

Bruce Cockman - Director

Bruce has been involved with fishing his whole life and has skippered a lobster boat in b zone for the past 25 years and with the change of the lobster fishery to quota now fishes A and B zone. 

Damien Bell – Director

Damien has extensive experience across a range of WA commercial fishing and aquaculture industries including the Western Rock Lobster industry, pearl  and aquaculture production, mussel farming and currently owns and operates a license in the West Coast Estuarine Fishery of the Peel-Harvey Estuary.

In addition to his commercial fishing industry experience, Damien has also worked as a Marine and Aquaculture Workplace Training and Assessor for the Central West College of TAFE, Aquaculture Liaison Officer for the Department of Fisheries and provided assistance in the initial marine environment review and assessment for the Gorgon Project. 

Currently, Damien is the President of the Mandurah Licensed Fishermen's Association (MLFA), which has taken proactive measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of their fishery and the future security of its members and their families.  Damien is also working with Gascoyne Dermersal Fishery (Shark Bay Snapper) acting as a liaison between quota owners, fisherman, retailers and the government to develop new markets for their product and increase productivity for their fishery.

Arno Verboon – Director

Initially a steel boat builder by trade, Arno went on to carve a career in the Northern Prawn fishery starting on the deck and working his way up to become General Manager of A. Raptis & Sons, Australia's largest Trawl Fleet operator. Prior to that he was Fleet master for KFV Fisheries (now WA based Austral Fisheries) and also led that companies operations in the Middle East.

Additionally, he held the General Manager's role at Batavia Coast Fisheries in the Western Rock Lobster Fishery, a well as heading up Geraldton Fishermen's Co-op expansion south in 2002.

Currently, he is the General Manger of Fremantle Octopus P/L and has successfully established that product and brand as the premium octopus product both domestically and internationally.

Arno is passionate about the betterment of the marine foods business in Western Australia.

George Kailis – Director

George Kailis is Professor of Management at the School of Business at the University of Notre Dame Australia. Professor Kailis holds qualifications in law and management and has had extensive industry, government and community experience. He was Managing Director of the M.G. Kailis Group one of Australia’s largest fishing and aquaculture businesses from 1992-1999. 

Special interests are held in the areas of the environment, fisheries management and strategy. Professor Kailis has been a Director of both the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority. Ongoing positions held by Professor Kailis include directorship of the M.G. Kailis Group and the Australian National Centre for Oceans and Resource Security.

Kym Coffey - Director

Kym has experience with a diverse range of commercial fishing, pearling and aquaculture industries in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, particularly in respect of fisheries management, policy, resource access and multi-user marine areas.  

Kym works for the Paspaley Pearls Group, the largest producer of Australian South Sea pearls and one of the world’s only vertically integrated south sea pearling operations. In addition to pearling, Kym’s work extends to other areas within the Group, in Australia and overseas, and includes aviation, retail, marketing, rural industries and intellectual property.

She has a background and specialist expertise in negotiation, native title and indigenous agreements. 

Clayton Nelson - Vice Chairman

Clayton has been involved in the fishing industry since 1980. Primarily involved in the Northern Prawn Fishery and the North West Shelf Trawl fishery he was an executive director of Deep Sea Fisheries Ltd and the Tiger Fisheries Group of companies.

Clayton is now the principle of Jamaclan Marine Services. Jamaclan provides consultancy services to both State and Commonwealth fishing companies. Clayton is also a director of One Sea Pty Ltd, a Fremantle based fishing company.

John Hutton - Director

John is currently a shareholder and director of Marine Produce Australia Ltd, an ASX listed company involved in barramundi aquaculture at Cone Bay in the Kimberley region. This venture is Western Australia’s most significant seafood aquaculture project.

John is a member of WAFIC’s Audit Committee and a member of the Pearl Producers’ Association. John chairs the recently appointed Ministerial Working Group on water lease fees.