FISHING OPERATIONS
SHARK BAY
Shark Bay Seafoods inshore fishing activities operate vessels in the renowned Shark Bay World Heritage Area of Western Australia and specialise in the catch and production at sea of King Prawn, Tiger Prawn and Scallops. Blue Swimmer Crabs, Squid and Cuttlefish are also part of Shark Bay Seafoods wild catch and production.
Shark Bay Seafoods – Seafood Supplier brings to market the very finest of these species from the clean, pristine waters of Shark Bay and are committed to ecologically friendly harvesting of sustainable ocean resources.
Shark Bay Seafoods – Seafood Supplier continue to set new standards in quality and ‘cold-chain’ management for sea-processed products and evolved the culture within the company from a standard fishing operation, to a company whom today deals directly with customers, sets product specifications and adapts processing and packaging requirements to the modern market.
Shark Bay supports Western Australia’s major fisheries for Prawns, Scallops, Snapper and Western Sand Whiting. It was not until the 1920’s and early 1930’s, when the first freezers were built, that the fishing industry was really established.
Before this, Shark Bay had been too remote to supply quality seafood in commercial quantities to markets.
In 1962, the Shark Bay Prawn Fishery was created. Sophisticated and detailed management practices were established to protect the fishery. Fisherman voluntarily keep log books detailing catch and effort.
1991 and Shark Bay was inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List. Shark Bay is one of very few places on earth meeting all four of ‘natural’ criteria for this listing.
In 2003 all Shark Bay Prawn and Scallop vessels fitted with mandatory by-catch reduction devices.
2015 Shark Bay Prawn Fishery’s Western King Prawn and Brown Tiger Prawn received wild stocks sustainability certification from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
FISHING OPERATIONS
DEEP SEA FISHERY
Shark Bay Seafoods Deep Sea Fishery is operated under both The Western Deep Water Trawl Fishery and The North West Slope Trawl Fishery management plans.
It is a Commonwealth of Australia managed fishery by limited entry operators and regulating what type of fishing gear can be used. Currently there are only two licensed operators and each operator must hold a permit to allow them to fish.
The major target species are Australian Scampi, Deepwater Prawn, Deepwater Lobster and Whitetail Bugs on mud and sandy bottom.
Shark Bay Seafoods Deep Sea Fishery operations are based out of Point Sampson in Western Australia’s remote Kimberly region.
Deep Sea Fishery Operations are far from Western Australia’s coast in some of the most untouched, pristine and unpolluted oceanic waters in the world in depths of 200 metres to 500 metres.
The deep sea catch from very cold water are sorted, graded to size, packed and blast frozen to -40C on board the state of the art vessels within minutes of the catch landing on board, producing Sashimi Grade quality seafood.
Shark Bay Seafoods guarantee of ‘Packed and Frozen at Sea’ validates the deep sea fishey produce is only handled once on board the vessel. Fishing trips can be to a duration of 30 days before unloading shore base. High standards in quality cold-chain management transports this premium seafood from remote Kimberly to Shark Bay Seafoods modern Perth based factory and cold storage facilities.