seaFood PrICes
Seafood prices vary around Australia because of A survey of six seafood retail outlets in Sydney and
regional and seasonal fluctuations in supply and Cairns on Friday 16 October 2009 showed that the
demand and the type/location of the retail outlet. cheapest Australian seafood available was skinned
Whole fish typically retails for about $5 or more headless Ocean Jackets for $8.90 a kilogram and
a kilogram and fillets are about $10 or more a Blue Mussels for $9.99 a kilogram. Red Emperor
kilogram, reaching into the $70 bracket for prime fillets were the most expensive seafood, at $48.90
species in times of scarcity. King prawn prices can a kilogram. Table 3 shows the prices noted at
be more than $50 a kilogram in Melbourne even at an independent fishmonger and a neighbouring
times outside the Christmas period. national supermarket outlet in Sydney and Cairns.
The brief summary of typical food prices in 2009
(Table 2) shows that the only fish fillet regularly
available for less than $10 a kilogram was imported
basa fillet. Loose Blue Mussels were the only
shellfish commonly available for less than $10 a
kilogram. Many consumers are now paying more for
the convenience of one-kilogram packs of cleaned,
de-bearded mussels.