On average, 25,000 tonnes of Australian prawns are produced annually with the main species caught and grown being king, tiger and banana prawns. 21,000 tons are wild caught from the ocean and about 4,000 tonnes are produced by Australia’s prawn farms.
Australian prawn fishers and farmers range from small family business fishing from single boats or operating small farms to highly organised and sophisticated operations employing the latest technology in their fleets or across their aquaculture operations.
Australia is blessed with stunning, productive and sustainable wild catch prawn fisheries from the warm tropical waters of the Northern Prawn Fishery, to the pristine southern waters of Spencer Gulf in South Australia and the turquoise waters of Shark Bay and Exmouth Gulf in WA. Fishers and fisheries scientists across the country manage the annual catch in each of the fisheries by setting strict quotas which ensure that they only take enough to ensure there will be just as many prawns available the next year and we don’t run out.
To supplement the wild caught fisheries and ensure that Australians can enjoy these tasty and healthy little critters year-round, we also have a number of dedicated prawns farmers committed to producing the healthiest, happiest and most sustainable farmed prawns in the world. Generally speaking, all of Australia’s prawn farms are located up north where the water and climate are naturally warmer year round and best suited to production.
Swapping prawns for lamb, beef or chicken as the main protein component of a meal is an easy way to maintain a healthy weight because prawns have no carbs and far less fat. You only need 4 or 5 medium sized prawns per serve as the main protein component of a meal so prawns end up much cheaper per serve than beef or lamb. Think about the price per serve, not per kilo and always insist on Aussie prawns!!