Australian Prawn Fisheries Value
The prawn fishing industry is the second largest fishing sector in Australia. The sector averages a 20,000 tonne per annum catch valued at $270 million but this fluctuates based on seasonal conditions. For example, in 2020-21, Australian prawn fishers caught 16,000 tonnes of prawns worth $232 million, of which prawns valued at $73.6 million were exported.
Australian Prawn Fisheries in Numbers by State
Jurisdiction | Tonnes (2020-21) | Value (2020-21) | No. vessels (*estimates) |
---|---|---|---|
NSW | 1744 | $24 million | 100* |
VIC | 72 | $0.9 million | 6* |
QLD | 4915 | $61 million | 261 |
SA | 2018 | $39 million | 44 |
WA | 2,325 | $32 million | 16* |
Commonwealth | 4923 | $75 million | 52 (NPF) |
Where are prawns caught?
Exmouth Gulf, WA
www.sea-harvest.com.au →
Victoria
St Vincent Gulf, SA
Sheltered by Yorke Peninsula on its west, and the Fleurieu Peninsula on its east, the Gulf of St Vincent is a sheltered and shallow gulf home to Western king prawns.
Shark Bay, WA
The sparsely populated World Heritage listed area is home to Western Australia’s largest prawn fishery. The 1500km of coastline is bordered by the limestone cliffs of Edel Land Peninsula and Dirk Hartog Island to the west, red sand hills of Peron Peninsula, and the tidal eastern coast. Western King, Endeavour, Tiger and Coral Prawns can be found in Shark Bay.
Gulf of Carpentaria
NSW
Queensland
Spencer Gulf and West Coast, SA
Torres Strait
Lying between the tip of Cape York and Papua New Guinea, consisting of over 100 islands and many more reefs, the main fishing ground is to the east of the Warrior Reef complex with a focus around Yorke Islands. Tiger and Endeavour prawns are caught in these waters.