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 Australia has established a world-class reputation for its quality seafood and environmentally sustainable practices.
An expansive coastline, good natural climate, clean environment and abundance of diverse species give Australia a competitive advantage when targeting high value domestic and overseas markets.
Furthermore, Australia’s proximity to the significant fish consumer markets of Asia and the Pacific mean it is well placed to capitalise on the increasing international demand for superior seafood products.
The commercial fishing industry consists of:
- Wild-catch – finfish, molluscs and crustaceans
- Aquaculture – one of Australia’s fastest-growing primary food industries
- Commonwealth fisheries production
- Processing and the retail food sector
Production and value
Commercial fishing is Australia’s fourth most valuable food-based industry and in 2006 production reached 241,000 tonnes, with a value of $2.13 billion.
Wild catch fisheries accounted for $1.14 billion, with the most prized species being rock lobster, prawns, abalone and tuna. These species accounted for more than 50 per cent of the gross value of fish industry production.
The aquaculture industry accounted for 35 per cent of the total gross value of production, with a value of $748.3 million. Valuable aquaculture industries include southern bluefin tuna, pearl oysters, salmon, edible oysters, prawns, trout and barramundi.
Commonwealth fisheries production was worth $278 million in 2005-06. Valuable species include prawns, tuna and barramundi.
Aquaculture species
Aquaculture is the fastest growing primary food industry in Australia. The diminishing of wild caught fish products together with an expanding world population have led to the reliance on aquaculture to meet the increasing global demand for fish protein.
The seafood industry together with the Australian Government has set a target for Australia’s aquaculture industry to achieve at least $2.5 billion in annual
sales by 2010.
The top five species being commercially produced in Australian aquaculture include:
- tuna
- pearl oysters
- salmon
- edible oysters
- prawns
Other species that are of high value or potential under research and development include:
- abalone (eg. greenlip, blacklip, roes)
- freshwater finfish (eg. barramundi, trout, murray cod, silver perch, jade perch, sleepy cod, etc.)
- brackish water or marine finfish (eg. barramundi, trout, snapper, yellowtail kingfish, mulloway, groupers, etc.)
- mussels
- ornamental fish
- marine sponges
- mud crab
- sea cucumber
Sustainability
The challenge for Australia’s fishing industry is to satisfy the huge global demand for seafood, while at the same time ensuring the sustainability of the sensitive marine ecosystem.
Australian aquaculture producers must comply with a range of Federal, State and Local government environmental restrictions and codes of practice to ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry and environment.
The Fisheries Research and Development Council has produced a 20-year research and development plan to support a profitable, competitive and sustainable Australian fishing industry. Issues addressed in the plan include reducing the amount of ‘bycatch', overfishing, habitat threats and illegal fishing.
Export products
In 2005-06, Australia’s total fisheries exports were valued at $1.55 billion.
Edible fisheries products such as finfish, crustaceans and molluscs made up approximately 80 per cent of those exports. The remaining 20 per cent were derived from non-edible products such as pearls, fish meal and marine fats and oils.
Major categories of fisheries products exported in 2005-06:
- rock lobster – $489 million
- pearls – $289.5 million
- abalone – $246 million
- tuna – $179 million
- prawns – $134 million
- scallops – $39 million
- crabs – $18 million
Non-edible exports were valued at $309.6 million, with pearls accounting for 93 per cent of exports.
Other non-edible fisheries products include marine fats and oils (used for pharmaceutical purposes), fishmeal and ornamental fish.
Export markets
Australia’s major export markets for seafood and aquaculture products in 2005-06 were Hong Kong, Japan, USA, China and Taiwan.
Total seafood exports from Australia in 2005-06:
- Hong Kong – $396 million
- Japan – $371 million
- USA – $110 million
- China – $74.7 million
- Taiwan – $49 million
Total non-edible seafood exports from Australia in 2005-06:
- Hong Kong – $150 million
- Japan – $63 million
- USA – $28 million
Sources:
ABARE, Australian Fisheries Statistics 2005-06 and World Trade Atlas
Research and development for the future
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts the increasing global demand for seafood will be met by aquaculture.
The FAO also predicts this trend will continue to the point that by 2030, aquaculture will dominate fish supplies, overtaking wild catch and fish produced in capture fisheries.
Research and development is key to the sustainable growth of Australia’s seafood and aquaculture industries.
The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) is the national body responsible for planning, funding and managing R&D programs in the Australian fisheries industry.
Current export markets for Australian seafood and aquaculture products include:
| Abalone |
fresh, chilled or frozen – Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, China, Singapore, USA
canned – Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, USA |
| Canned fish |
tuna – New Zealand
salmon – New Zealand
other – New Zealand, Singapore |
| Crab |
Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, USA, Singapore |
| Prawns |
headless – Japan, Hong Kong, USA, Taiwan
whole – Japan, Spain, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand |
| Rock lobster |
live – Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, China, Singapore, USA
frozen – Japan, China, Taiwan, USA, Singapore, Hong Kong
cooked – China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong
tails – USA, Japan, Hong Kong |
| Salmon |
fresh or chilled (whole) – Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong
frozen (whole) – Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan |
| Scallops |
fresh, chilled or frozen – Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia |
| Tuna |
fresh or chilled (whole) – Japan, USA
frozen (whole) – Japan, Samoa, Thailand, USA |
| Whiting |
frozen (whole) – Thailand, Japan |
Sources:
IBISWorld 2006, World Trade Atlas, Fisheries Research and Development Organization, ABARE Fisheries Statistics 2006
Export success story
Thanks to Austrade, Tasmanian company Petuna Seafoods is now exporting its sought-after ocean trout, tlantic salmon and saltwater charr to Japan, the United States and Europe.
The fish are selectively bred just off the west coast of Tasmania, where the cool seas of the Southern Ocean are enriched by the fresh waters flowing from the mountains of the Wild Rivers National Park.
Petuna sales and marketing manager Tim Hess said Austrade had been 'a key factor' in the company’s success in both the United States and Japan.
For more information please visit:
www.agribusiness.asn.au – Agribusiness Association of Australia and New Zealand
www.daff.gov.au/fisheries – Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Australia
www.afma.gov.au – Australian Fisheries Management Authority
www.apfa.com.au – Australian Prawn Farmers Association
www.aqis.gov.au – Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)
www.asic.org.au – Australian Seafood Industry Council
https://www.crc.gov.au – Cooperative Research Centres
www.frdc.com.au – Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
(Last updated: 17 Aug 2007) |