The Australian Fisheries 2002 report, released today by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, found Fisheries’ production climbed 1.8 percent to almost 233,350 tons, but its value fell to USD 1.45 billion in 2001-02. Japan remains the single most import export market, worth USD 409 million, with southern bluefin tuna, at USD 183 million, the most important single fish product.
But despite the increase in production, a fall in fish prices contributed to the 0.8 percent drop in the value of production.
On the figures, the fisheries industry is the country's fourth largest primary food industry behind the beef, wheat and milk sectors. Although the total value of production fell, the importance of the aquaculture sector continued to grow accounting for almost USD 440 million of total production. Aquaculture production increased 3.5 percent.
Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald said the performance of the aquaculture sector, which has set itself a goal of USD 1.5 billion in production by 2010, was astonishing. "Any industry, let alone a primary industry, that can sustain a real annual growth rate of 11 percent in a highly regulated sector in the last decade can rightly be described as sensational," he said.
Finfish production climbed six per cent to USD 518 million, while crustacean production dropped 1.2 percent to USD 592 million due to falls in wild-caught harvests.
Rock lobsters continue to be the single most important fishery, worth more than USD 300 million, followed by prawns at USD 253 million, tuna at USD 193 million, and abalone at USD 147 million.
Total exports increased to 64,291 tons worth USD 1 billion.
Six countries - Japan, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, the United States, China and Singapore - accounted for more than 90 per cent of Australian exports.