Prawns will be plentiful and affordable this Christmas season in Sydney, as fishers report strong hauls along the east coast.

“Prawns are it this year,” says Seafood Industry Association president Veronica Papacosta.

“We’ve got an abundance – aquaculture fisheries have done a really good job, and some wild-caught fisheries are having their best year yet.”

More than 120 tonnes of prawns are expected to sell from the Sydney Fish Market during the marathon 36-hour round-the-clock Christmas trading period – its final at the current site, before moving to its new $800 million space next year.

Fishmongers say medium- to large-size eastern king prawns present some of the best value for money, after a series of great catches drove prices down to about $30-$35 a kilogram, at time of publication.

“There’s some really, really good stuff coming from Queensland areas like Mooloolaba,” says fourth-generation fishmonger Nic Lucas, who opened Bondi retailer Uncut Seafood Delicatessen with siblings Jack and Kaitlin in May. “So, even though demand is extremely high this time of year, the price isn’t as high as it would usually be.”

King prawns are a sustainable native species, a little saltier and paler than their stripey, subtropical tiger prawn counterparts. They’re sometimes found as far south as the Hawkesbury River, where another budget-friendly native species dominates: the eastern school prawn.

Central Coast fisherman Dane Van Der Neut says this year’s school prawning season is a significant improvement on the past two, when blooms of orange jelly blubbers “basically destroyed the season”.

“The jellyfish have been a problem for many years, but it was the first time the small ones managed to get into our catch,” he says.

This summer, Van Der Neut, his brother Josh and his father Tom are back on their trawler (Lyndy) with modified nets, and bringing in “massive” school prawns from the waters around Patonga.

“The whole river is full of them at the moment,” says Van Der Neut, who sells them through the family business, Hawkesbury River Seafood.

It’s good news for the Hawkesbury community, which has come to prize local school prawns for their sweet flesh, solid size (now only marginally smaller than a medium-size king prawn), and crunchy orange shells (thanks to their time on the sandy river floor, near the river mouth).

“Every year, people are hounding us for school prawns, and I know there’s been an increase in demand Australia-wide,” he says. “But the price has remained steady, anywhere from $20 to $30 a kilogram, depending on where you get them from.”

Another veteran school prawn fisherman, Carl Blacklidge, says it’s part of the growing demand for wild-caught seafood: “Because I catch the prawns today, and people eat them today, or maybe tomorrow, they have a better taste,” he says.

Hawkesbury River jumbo school prawns can be found at independent fishmongers across the Central Coast, including D & L Witchard’s Seafood Outlet in Woy Woy.

Three more products to help you save on seafood this summer

Western rock lobster

This Christmas could be your last chance to score an Australian lobster for under $40. In October, the federal government announced Chinese trade restrictions on live rock lobster will cease by 2025. Prices are likely to rise significantly after that, says Michael Messiou, managing director of Astakos Fish Market, which has retail locations across Sydney.

“That said, many consumers are watching their budgets more closely, and demand for high-end products like lobster has slowed. This shift in consumer behaviour has helped balance some of the pressure on prices.”

Western rock lobster is a smaller lobster, usually about 500 to 600 grams, and this year they’re of particularly high quality, Papacosta says. Expect prices of $40 to $60, depending on the size.

Sydney rock oysters

Supply of Sydney rock oysters is looking strong this year, particularly out of NSW estuaries on the Far South and Mid North Coasts. “Compared to last year, when heavy rainfall affected supply and estuary conditions, they’re more abundant,” Messiou says.

But shortages can still occur due to skill shortages, says fishmonger Nic Lucas. “The only thing that will hold us back is how labour-intensive it can be to shuck oysters – sometimes we can’t physically pump out the work.”

The Sydney Fish Market expects to sell more than 70,000 oysters in the 36-hour lead-up to Christmas, and Sydney Seafood School manager Sally Webb says those from the colder, saltier waters of the South Coast have been some of the best she’s tried all year, advising shoppers to purchase unshucked for freshness.

Prices vary between sizes and regions, but sit at about $28 for a dozen medium-sized shucked oysters, and up to $5 cheaper when unshucked (live).

Whole fish

Atlantic salmon is your best bet for a whole fish this year, Lucas says.

“Farmed salmon is actually coming down a fair bit in price,” he says. It’s also the most popular choice at Astakos because it’s “familiar, reliable, and great value”, Messiou says.

But there are concerns around the sustainability of salmon farming practices in Australia, according to online sustainability guide GoodFish. NZ snapper may offer a budget alternative. “Widely available, comes in various sizes, and perfect for feeding a crowd without compromising on quality,” Messiou says. A whole snapper is going for about $25 to $30 a kilogram at the moment.