With low prices and a drop in international demand, the northern prawn fishery is looking to push more into the domestic market.Australians are being urged to eat more wild-caught tiger prawns, as fishers move away from sending their produce overseas.
"We're very much looking around how we can increase the tiger prawn sales and consumption here in our homeland."Austral does already supply the domestic market, but with banana prawns rather than tiger prawns.While wild-caught tiger prawns fetched premium prices internationally, they also have a cult following at fish markets in some parts of Australia.Owner Peter Adams said he could sell up to 300 kilograms per week."We just think they give out the best product.
The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation reported the average unit export price for Australian prawns had dropped from $36.68 per kilo to $28.41 per kilo in 2024. "You have to catch about 20 per cent more just to end up at that same price point, and then you have to consider the fact that fuel is very high," he said."The good news is Australians can get access to more quality seafoods that would normally go overseas. The bad news for us is it's a lot cheaper than we'd like," Mr Van Wyck said.