In Australia, aquaculture production is expanding, and it is projected to reach the same value as wild-capture production in 2024.

Salmonid (including salmons, trouts and smelts) are the major fish produced in Australia, with aquaculture being the main source. Next come rock lobster and prawns, both with wild-catch as the main type of fishing operation.

Australia’s consumption of seafood

Per person, apparent consumption of seafood decreased slightly between 2007–08 and 2017–18 (trending down from 14.7 kg per person in 2007–08 to 13.7 kg per person in 2017–18). Apparent consumption of seafood typically ranks behind poultry, beef and veal, and pig meat but ahead of sheep and lamb.

Australian seafood imports

Seafood imports play an important role in Australian seafood consumption and are required to fill the gap between seafood consumption and local seafood supply. By volume, imported seafood accounted for around 65% of the Australian edible seafood consumption in 2017-18. 

The primary sources of Australian edible fishery and aquaculture product imports in 2017–18 (excluding live products) were Thailand, China, Vietnam and New Zealand. Together, these countries accounted for 64% of imports.

In 2017–18, most Australian seafood imports were shipped (generally the mode of choice for lower unit value products) into Australia. Prepared and preserved Finfish (such as canned Tunas) and Prawns accounted for most of the increase in seafood imports. Just under half the value of seafood imports in 2017–18 consisted of smoked, prepared, and preserved (for example, canned Finfish) products. Much of the remainder consists of frozen Finfish, Prawns, Squids, and Octopus.

What is sustainable fishing?

Sustainable fishing means leaving enough fish in the ocean, respecting habitats, and ensuring people who depend on fishing can maintain their livelihoods.

A fishery’s sustainability can be assessed regardless of its size, geography, or the fishing method used. 

The main principles considered are:

1. Sustainable fish stocks. Fishing must be at a level that ensures it can continue indefinitely, and the fish population can remain productive and healthy.

2. Minimising the environmental impact. The fishing activity must be managed carefully so that other species and habitats within the ecosystem remain healthy. 

3. Effective fisheries management. Fisheries must comply with relevant laws and be able to adapt to changing environmental circumstances.

Farmed Seafood

According to FAO, aquaculture or fish farming is the harvesting of aquatic organisms (including fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic plants) by an individual or corporate entity that has owned them throughout the rearing period. This activity has the potential to grow food more efficiently than most forms of animal agriculture as it can be done with substantially less reliance on natural resources. More than half of the seafood consumed worldwide is farmed. 

Farmed seafood is fish and shellfish bred, reared, and harvested in controlled water environments. However, one of the problems of this type of system is the waste of feed and veterinary drugs, which can pollute the oceans.

The production can occur inland or coastal. Inland aquaculture produces most farmed aquatic animals, mainly in freshwater. Coastal aquaculture is practiced in completely or partially artificial structures in areas adjacent to the sea, such as coastal ponds and gated lagoons.

Wild-caught Seafood

FAO defines wild-catch fishing as the harvesting of aquatic organisms by the public as a common property resource. Fishers catch wild seafood in natural marine environments such as oceans, lakes, and rivers. Wild seafood is in decline due to overfishing.

Why is sustainable seafood important?

According to FAO marine fish stocks have continued to decline. The proportion of fish stocks that are within biologically sustainable levels decreased from 90% in 1974 to 65.8% in 2017. However, despite this scenario, FAO claims that there is growing evidence that when fisheries are managed adequately, stocks consistently remain above target levels or are rebuilding. Therefore, sustainable fishing practices must be adopted by the entire industry.

Besides fish stock levels, another concern in wild-catch is by-catch. It occurs when aquatic life is killed or damaged during the fishing process but is not retained as a catch and sold. Even in fisheries where target fish stocks are currently managed at sustainable levels, accidental capture of non-target species remains a significant global problem, threatening many populations of marine mammals, turtles, seabirds and sharks. Therefore, by-catch is one of the most significant global barriers to fisheries sustainability, despite a series of mitigation efforts implemented in individual fisheries.

In aquaculture, on the other hand, the focus has been on fish feeding, since the species fed are increasingly dependent on terrestrial feed crops. Thus, aquaculture now competes for crop resources with livestock, the energy industry, and direct human consumption – raising concerns about the impact of aquatic agriculture on global food resilience. 

Australia’s sustainable seafood production

Australia has the third-largest fishing zone in the world, covering an area larger than the Australian mainland. However, Australian fisheries do not harvest as much fish like some other countries.

The increasing production in Australian wild capture fisheries is limited by strict management arrangements put in place to maintain fish stocks at sustainable levels. On the other hand, Australian aquaculture production is expanding in volume terms. A significant increase in salmon production mostly drives this expansion. Australia’s aquaculture strength is producing high-quality seafood products such as southern bluefin tuna, salmon, and edible oysters.