Description
Tiger prawns from Skull Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria with their characteristic Tiger stripes and striking fluorescent purple tails.
Sweet , delicate and packed with umami Skull Island Tiger Prawn lends itself into various ways of cooking.
Skull Island Tiger Prawns
Skull Island is an island in Australia’s Northern Territory and it’s where we catch the biggest tiger prawns in Australia’s Northern Prawn Fishery.
It is part of the Sir Edward Pellew Group of islands in King Ash Bay at the mouth of the McArthur River. The inshore protected waters adjacent to Skull Island provide the ideal habitat for tiger prawns. Large expansive seagrass beds, strong tidal movement and ample food allow juvenile tiger prawns to grow to sizes selected for the Skull Island brand.
Caught, packed and snap frozen at sea from the pristine waters of Australia’s Gulf of Carpentaria, ensure the eating characteristics of Skull Island tiger prawns remain intact until they are enjoyed on the plate.
Certified ‘sustainable’ by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Skull Island tiger prawns are the world’s first certified sustainable tropical prawn. They are only caught during the months of August to November each year, and only caught during the night to ensure minimal impact on bycatch. The remainder of the year is closed to fishing to ensure juvenile tiger prawns have ample time to grow into adults and reproduce. Skull Island Tiger Prawns are now also completely carbon neutral, with Austral Fisheries being certified under the Australian Government Carbon Neutral
The fishery has reduced fishing effort from 312 boats in the early 1980’s to the current efficient fleet of 52 boats. Bycatch has substantially reduced as a result, and continued efforts to redesign nets and change operational aspects to further reduce impacts continues. Turtle bycatch is insignificant following new technology and designs for turtle excluder devices in the prawn nets which allow escape of turtles and other large fauna unharmed and into the environment again. Prawn stocks are maintained at healthy, sustainable levels with annual scientific sampling and surveys, as well as multi-year scientific review of the status of the fishery. For more detailed information on the fishery, read more about it in the official MSC Report
