- Buy local to support Western Australia's seafood industry and coastal
communities
- Back-of-boat lobster sales continue in the lead-up to Christmas Day
- Locally grown rock oysters
available for WA consumers for the first time
Local seafood is set to
feature on many Christmas menus this festive season, with Western Australian
fisheries offering some of the world's best seafood in store and fresh off the
boat.
The Cook Government is encouraging WA consumers to look
for quality and buy local to support the State's seafood industry and coastal
communities, from the Kimberley to the South Coast.
Any seafood products carrying the State Government's distinctive
Buy West Eat Best (BWEB) logo provides confidence that the product has been 100
per cent grown, farmed or fished right here in Western Australia.
There is a vast array of sustainably sourced seafood on
offer from seafood retailers and wholesalers including Albany rock
oysters, Shark Bay and Exmouth prawns, octopus, blue swimmer crabs, scallops
and fresh fish such as red emperor,
pink snapper, dhufish and Spanish mackerel.
There will also be plenty
of local supplies of popular Western Rock Lobster available, with an opportunity to buy off the boat
direct from fishers to enjoy fresh on Christmas Day.
Western Rock Lobster's
Back of Boat lobster special sale day is being held on Monday, 23 December at
ports in Cervantes, Mandurah, Hillarys, Fremantle, Geraldton and Kalbarri.
More than 260,000 lobsters have been landed through the Back of Boat
program since it started in 2020 to support the industry and grow local sales.
December has been the most popular month to purchase lobster, with more than
28,000 sold from the back of boats in the lead-up to Christmas last year.
For the first time this
festive season, WA-grown rock oysters will be widely available through
wholesalers, retailers and restaurants in Perth, Albany, Esperance and Margaret
River and beyond.
Leeuwin
Coast has harvested its first commercial-scale batch of rock oysters from
Albany's Oyster Harbour, which is a hub for shellfish aquaculture in WA. Rock
oysters are seasonal and will be available through to late April 2025.
Sea Harvest, the WA Fishing Industry Council's Seafood
Producer of the Year, has been operating in Western Australia for more than 60
years - providing sustainably sourced Exmouth and Shark Bay king and tiger
prawns, as well as scallops which are always popular on Christmas lunch menus.
More than 50,000 kilograms of king and tiger prawns and
scallops are expected to enjoyed by Western Australian's this festive season.
Western Rock Lobster, Leeuwin Coast and Sea Harvest are
all BWEB members. A full list of BWEB members and recipes are available
from buywesteatbest.org.au.
To find out more about how to pre-order your Christmas lobster through
the Back of Boat program visit backofboat.com.
Comments can be attributed to Fisheries Minister Don Punch
"Western Australia has some of the best seafood in the world, with 12 of our
fisheries carrying the Marine Stewardship Council blue tick of approval
for being sustainably sourced and managed.
"It is exciting to see Albany rock oysters widely available for the first
time and the continuation of the popular Back of Boat lobster sales.
"There are plenty of options to suit all budgets, whether it is buying
lobster directly from a fisher off the boat or heading to one of the many shops
across the State to buy prawns, oysters, scallops or fresh fish.
"By purchasing seafood directly from your local fisher
or retail outlet, you are helping WA's
seafood industries and regional economies to continue to grow and
thrive."
