AUSTRALIA 



The Australian shrimp production has shovjn an upward trend 

 in recent years, particularly since the start of ocean trawling a feij 

 years ago. In the year ended June 30, 1956, the industry produced about 

 6 million pounds, as compared with about 6.6 million pounds in the pre- 

 vious year. The drop in the 1956 catch was due to heavy rains in the 

 main shrinking season (December through March). The estuary shrinp 

 were washed out to sea and lost during this period. 



Catch statistics for the years since 19^8 are as follows (as 

 reported in the United States Foreign Service Despatches): 



1/ Year ended June 30. 



In Australian waters, a considerable number of commercially 

 important penaeid prawns are abundant in the estuarine area and in the 

 littoral areas down to the edge of the continental shelf. The shrimp- 

 fishing activities until the raid-forties had been confined to the 

 estuarine area. Following the incidental discovery of schools of large 

 shrimp in ocean waters off New South VJales in I9U7, a steadily increasing 

 niimber of offshore trawlers began to operate these new grounds. With 

 the development of offshore prawn fisheries, particularly in Stockton 

 Bight near Newcastle, N.S.W., and on grounds in the Ballina-Evans Head 

 area on the far north coast, special prawn investigations vjere initiated 

 in 1951. Since May 1953, comprehensive and detailed studies have been 

 carried out in the fields of biology, ecology, and embryology. The 

 State Fisheries of Western Australia are also exploring previously 

 unknown offshore grounds along the whole western coastline of Australia 

 and are stu(^ing the prawn stocks in the vicinity of Koreton Bay, 

 Queensland, 



Historical records on the start of the commercial fishery 

 for shrimp in Australia are not available. Migrants from Mediterranean 

 countries were the first to explore the estuaries around Sj'"dney, A 

 commercial fishery seems to have existed in the last two decades of 

 the nineteenth century. 



67 



