Wild Harvest Production

The gross value of wild harvest production was estimated to be $103 million in 2023-24 - an increase of 7.5% compared to the previous year. Wild-caught volumes also rose by 510.29 tonnes year-on-year, indicating growth not only in catch volumes, but also in market value of wild-caught products. ¹³⁵ This growth follows two consecutive years of decline, with total GVP dropping below $100 million in both 2021-22 and 2022-23.

The rebound suggests improved market conditions across several fisheries, including Ocean Trawl, Ocean Hauling, Estuary General, and Southern Fish Trawl. Notably, the Sea Urchin and Turban Shell fishery recorded a significant 92% increase in value compared to the previous year, reaching its highest level recorded in the past 15 years.

NSW fisheries are managed through controls on either catch (the maximum quantity of a species that can be harvested) or effort (such as the number of fishing days allowed), ensuring the long-term sustainability of commercial fisheries. This management approach helps maintain stable participation in the industry, as reflected in the number of active wild harvest fishing businesses, which remained steady in 2023-24 at 1,089 – virtually unchanged from 1,086 the previous year. This stability may partly explain the consistent recovery in catch volumes and value seen over the same period. ¹³⁵

Aquaculture Production

The value of aquaculture production in NSW remained relatively stable in 2023-24 at $112.1 million, slightly below the previous year’s figures of $113.3 million. ^{94 ax} This minor decline follows strong growth in 2021-22, which had been largely driven by land-based aquaculture, particularly Murray Cod and Rainbow Trout. A key contributor to the recent dip was a reduction in freshwater fish production, which fell from $19.1 million in 2022-23 to $17.4 million in 2023-24, as well as the halt in production of Black Tiger Prawns due to the impact of White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV). ⁹⁴ Black Tiger Prawn production remains halted following the positive detection for WSSV in April 2025 from prawns sampled from the Clarence, Evans, and Richmond River offshore areas. ¹³⁶

This decline offset gains in other sectors, such as Pacific Oyster production, and highlights the sensitivity of the aquaculture sector to seasonal, market, and operational factors. Despite this, NSW aquaculture remains a vital contributor to regional economies and a reliable source of high-quality seafood for domestic markets.

In March 2025, ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred brought widespread flooding to northern NSW, triggering hypoxic “blackwater” events that resulted in mass fish kills across major river systems, including the Richmond, Clarence, and Macleay. These events led to the death of hundreds of thousands of fish, including key estuarine species such as flathead, whiting, and bream, as well as prawns, mud crabs, and eels. ¹⁶⁶ The cyclone was a major economic disruptor, contributing to an estimated $1.2 billion loss to the Australian economy in the March quarter alone, with direct impacts on the seafood supply chain. ⁹⁹

On the international front, the global seafood market has been on an upward trajectory, with projections indicating growth from USD 110 billion in 2024 to USD 149 billion by 2034. ⁶² This expansion is driven by increasing consumer demand for high-quality seafood products, particularly in Asia-Pacific regions.