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Domestic Fisheries
Worth over $2 billion annually, fishing and aquaculture is the fifth most valuable Australian rural industry after wool, beef, wheat and dairy. Australia’s fishing zone is the world’s third largest (total of 8,148,250 square kilometres), but our waters lack nutrient-rich currents and, consequently, have lower productivity. Australian waters contain some 3,000 known species of fish and at least an equal number of crustaceans and molluscs, but only about 10 per cent are commercially fished.About 9,000 commercial fishing boats operate in Australia, of which about 1,000 currently hold Commonwealth fishing concessions and the rest state/territory licenses. As at November 2007, Australia’s fishing industry employed approximately 16,000 people.
Up to date information on the biological and economic status of fish stocks managed by the Australian Government can be found in the Bureau of Rural Sciences’ Fishery Status Reports and the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics’ Fishery Economic Status Reports.
Last Updated: 17 Jul 2008
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