Northern Fin Fish

The Timor Reef

Austral Fisheries has operated in the Timor Reef Fishery since 2017. This fishery is located in the remote offshore waters of the Northern Territory, where Austral's small fleet of trap-fishing vessels primarily catch Goldband Snapper, Saddletail Snapper, Red Emperor, Mixed Cod species and other tropical reef species.

The Fishery

The Timor Reef Fishery covers a 29,000 km² area known as the Timor Box and Austral has one trapping vessel operating here, catching goldband snapper and similar tropical reef fish. The fishery is located in the remote pristine waters north-west of Darwin, and is sustainably managed by the Northern Territory Government through a limited number of licenses. The Total Allowable Catch is assessed annually.

Northern Fin Fish Vessels

Austral Fisheries' Northern Fin Fish fleet has grown from one vessel in 2017, to five as of July 2022.

The Fleet's original vessel, the Eubalaena, is a 25m vessel built in 2001. In 2020, the Pacific Endeavour was purchased in Auckland, where it underwent a significant refit before making its way to Darwin to join the fleet. Since then, the Comac Enterprise, formerly part of Austral's Northern Prawn Fleet, has undergone a conversion in Fremantle and will be joining the Northern Fin Fish fleet, along with two other vessels joining from July 1st, 2022.

The fish are handled using the Ike Jime method and immediately placed into iced seawater to chill the fish as quickly as possible. The fish are then removed from the iced water when at the correct temperature and stored in a refrigerated hold until they are ready for market.

Australia's Highest Quality Snapper and Fresh Fish

Austral's mission is to supply the highest-quality fresh fish to the Australian domestic market.

We're continuously seeking ways to achieve this, and one of those is to use the Ike Jime method. This method sees the fish immediately placed into ice-cold sea water to chill them as quickly as possible.

The fish are then removed from the icy water when at the correct temperature and stored in a refrigerated hold until they are ready for market.

Fishing Operation

Timor Reef Fishery

The Timor Reef Fishery covers a 29,000 km² area known as the Timor Box. Here, Austral operate five trapping vessels catching tropical reef species including goldband snapper, saddletail snapper, red emperor, and more. The fishery is located in the remote waters north-west of Darwin, and is managed by the Northern Territory Government through a limited number of licenses. The Total Allowable Catch is assessed annually.

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