‘An abundance of supply’: Australian seafood favourite going cheap this Christmas

In good news for Aussie seafood fans, the price of one festive favourite could be reduced thanks to an “abundance of supply”.

An “abundance of supply” means high-quality Australian prawns could see reduced prices this Christmas, in good news for seafood fans.

Industry experts have predicted there will be no major cost hikes as we move into this festive season, after prices plummeted in June by almost 50 per cent since last December.

Seafood Industry Australia chief executive, Veronica Papacosta, told The Guardian that both aquaculture prawns and wild prawns – the country’s two main sectors – have had “fantastic years”.

“Often at this time of year we hear of skyrocketing seafood prices. And that just won’t happen,” Ms Papacosta said.

Considerable investment and improvement in sustainable farming of seafood across the board, as well as weather conditions, are behind the boom in prawns, she explained.

Heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding in various regions of Australia earlier this year led to an abundance of nutrients from the land being washed out to sea – leading to a surge in crustacean populations.

“It’s been a good season for growing prawns and prawn catching. And so where we find ourselves is with an abundance of supply.”

An ‘abundance of supply’ means that high-quality Australian prawns could see reduced prices this Christmas. Picture: Lachie Millard

Director at Aptus Seafoods in South Melbourne, Angelo Zahos, told The Guardian his customers can expect to save between $10 and $20 per kilo compared with last year.

“Medium sized prawns are about $29.99 to $35 a kilo at the moment,” he said.

“The larger King (prawns), so the bigger size, are probably closer to $40 to $50 a kilo, which last year they were probably $60 to $65 a kilo.”

At Coles, thawed Australian raw king prawns are approximately $18 a kilo at the moment, with green king prawns at Woolworths selling for the same price.

‘It’s been a good season for growing prawns and prawn catching.’

Ms Papacosta warned that cheaper prawn prices might not always translate to the consumer – who could absorb the added cost of transporting the seafood.

“Whether I see the price dropping or not, is another question,” she said.

“So I think there will be an abundance of high-quality products on the market. And that’s good for customers. Whether it translates to the consumer price at the retail level comes down to the cost of doing business.”

Mr Zahos, who has been in the fresh seafood industry for 54 years, said he hoped to keep prices down for his customers – given that last year, some “people weren’t able to afford prawns”.

“It’s been quite a hard year for everybody,” he said, adding his aim is to ensure that for “anyone (who) wants to put seafood on their table … this year, is a good year for people to do that.”

The same can’t be said for oysters.

The same can’t be said for another Christmas food favourite, though. Festive tables may be without oysters this year, with the supply from two of the east coast’s biggest farming regions under threat.

The news comes after revelations authorities are reportedly investigating links between a “gastro-like illness” and an area known as one of the most significant producers of Sydney rock oysters.

According to The Daily Telegraph, oysters from the Wallis Lake system – located on the NSW mid-north coast near Forster and Tuncurry – are under investigation, with authorities shutting down the harvest and sale of oysters from the lake since October 17.

Meanwhile, the ABC reports that heavy rainfall and flooding has left every estuary south of Sydney unable to be harvested, just weeks out from Christmas.

The closed estuaries account for almost 60 per cent of the state’s total oyster production.

Originally published as ‘An abundance of supply’: Australian seafood favourite going cheap this Christmas