Australia is well known for its vast clean coastlines and incredible seafood. The Shark Bay region of Western Australia is home to Australia’s premium shrimp fishery.
The fishery is the largest prawn fishery within Western Australia and is located off the mid-west coast of WA, 800km north of Perth.
Shark Bay is a World Heritage Site, inscribed by UNESCO to the World Heritage list in 1991. It is one of only a handful of places on earth that ticks all 4 criteria for natural listing.
The fishery was established in 1962 and has operated under a detailed and sophisticated management regime ever since, strictly controlled to ensure the sustainability for generations to come.
Western King Prawns and Brown Tiger Prawns are the major species caught by this fishery. Western King Prawns make up the majority of the catch. Small volumes of Endeavour and Coral prawns are also available.
100% of Western King Shrimp are wild caught.
Sustainable Management
Assessments of the fishery’s current performance demonstrate that all species are currently being maintained above levels necessary to maintain an ecologically viable fishery.
Some of the more important measures for sustainable management of the fishery include:
Input controls on gear and vessel equipment.
- Small numbers of vessels in the fleet
- Fixed season closures
- Real time monitoring of fleet dynamics and catches
- Areas are closed or opened depending on catch rates and sizes of prawns
- Permanent area closures to preserve sensitive habitats that are essential nursery areas for prawns and other species
- Time closures (including full moons) and restricted fishing to night hours
