So what was the number one seafood in Australia in 2013?

So did we toss more shrimps on the barbie in 2013 than any other type of seafood? Were prawns our number one seafood?

Interestingly of the top ten twenty seafoods for 2013 according to a recent Australian Fisheries Statistics report, 15 were wild caught and four were farmed. The remaining one was crabs which are wild caught as well.

There are sustainability issues with both wild caught and farmed seafood and much research is being done on new and sustainable feed for these farms. The areas allowed for wild catch fishing are very carefully controlled and ideally all of this seafood should meet sustainable standards.

Sustainability of fresh seafood is rapidly becoming a crucial factor in the purchase decision by many consumers. Health related issues are also a major factor in purchase and the number one seafood is very much at that position because of it’s recognised health benefits as well as convenience.

The report was compiled by the Australian Government’s Fisheries Research and Development Council (FRDC).

Shark is in the Top Ten and this is somewhat controversial as work is being done to ensure that sufficient stocks are available and maintained to ensure it is on the menu in the future.

Australia’s Top 20 Seafoods in 2013

1. Farmed Atlantic Salmon, 43,989 tonnes
2. Wild-caught prawns, 18,596 tonnes
3. Oysters, 15,745 tonnes
4. Wild-caught tuna, 7,554 tonnes
5. Wild-caught shark, 6,003 tonnes
6. Wild-caught crab, 5,090 tonnes
7. Farmed Barramundi, 4,498 tonnes
8. Wild-caught mullet, 4,418 tonnes
9. Wild-caught flathead, 4,059 tonnes
10. Farmed prawns, 3,491 tonnes
11. Wild-caught whiting, 3,441 tonnes
12. Farmed Blue mussel, 3,404 tonnes
13. Wild-caught squid, 2,885 tonnes
14. Wild-caught Australian salmon, 2,604 tonnes
15. Wild-caught scallop, 2,344 tonnes
16. Wild-caught barramundi, 2,259 tonnes
17. Wild-caught pink ling, 1,217 tonnes
18. Wild-caught Spanish mackerel, 1,714 tonnes
19. Wild-caught bream, 1,201 tonnes
20. Wild-caught dories, 818 tonnes

This article has been written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.