Bermagui will host one of the eight NSW Taste of Seafood Festivals in 2022/23

That is when the NSW Taste of Seafood Festival comes to the Far South Coast.

The eight festivals are intended to help the seafood industry bounce back after a tough period punctuated by drought, bushfire, pandemic and floods.

The first festival is in Sydney. Others will follow in Ballina, Dubbo and Bermagui over the remainder of this year. Next year the Hawkesbury, Newcastle, Wallis Lakes and Coffs Harbour will host festivals.

Phil Harte, who is coordinating the festivals for the Professional Fishers Association (PFA), said one objective of the event was to lift consumption of local seafood in country areas.

He said while Bermagui-sourced seafood was readily available in the fish markets and restaurants of Sydney and Melbourne, there was an untapped market in nearby Canberra.

There was also scope for fishing co-operatives to get involved in developing more organised and sustainable distribution businesses into country areas, Mr Harte said.

As it is, the South Coast's wild-catch industry from Batemans Bay to Eden generates more than $28 million in revenue and over 350 local jobs, according to a University of Technology Sydney paper.

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Each festival will teach people about the importance of sustainable fishing and aquaculture and how they can support this by buying local seafood.

Tricia Beattie, chief executive officer of the PFA, said so much of people's thinking about sustainable fishing comes from overseas practices.

"They don't realise that Australia's practices are award-winning," Ms Beattie said. "It is actually very organic and highly sustainable."

There were yearly stock assessments of many species, plus limits around the size of catches, the size of fish harvested, and the number and type of lines, traps and nets.

Bycatch reduction devices allow big fish and turtles to safely pass through trawling nets, while also protecting the harvest of smaller fish and prawns.

"That makes us very kind to the environment and reduces our environmental impact," Ms Beattie said.

The events are likely to attract locals and visitors alike and so will put the spotlight on some of the state's top tourism destinations.

Mr Harte said each festival would be different, tapping into other local community events.

Bermagui's festival on November 26 will coincide with the 13th birthday of the Fishermen's Wharf complex.

The main event promises a fresh fish market, cooking demonstrations, competitions and games, and fabulous fish dishes.

The series of free events was funded by the NSW government's Eat More NSW Seafood grants program.

The Eat More NSW Seafood program is a partnership between the NSW government and the NSW Seafood Industry Council to promote consumption of NSW seafood and foster greater community awareness and support for the industry.