An Authentically Wild Regional Food Festival
Exmouth wild prawns are a truly extraordinary natural asset, as well as a uniquely Western Australian delicacy. The pure flavour, the touch of salt in every sweet and succulent bite, transports you to the Ningaloo Coast.
The Exmouth Wild Prawn Festival celebrates the pristine environment, people and industry that bring it to the world. Timed with the start of Exmouth’s prawn season in April, the festival brings together locals, visitors, chefs, fishers and food lovers for a weekend of ocean-to-plate experiences.
Celebrate the Exmouth Prawn Fishery, which has been certified to the MSC Standard since 2016. The Exmouth wild prawn fishery is recognised as one of the world’s most carefully managed and scientifically monitored.
PRESENTED BY SEA HARVEST
Sea Harvest holds 100% of the commercial prawn licences in the Exmouth Gulf and is the Festival’s presenting partner. As the custodians of this remarkable resource, Sea Harvest has built its operations around a simple ethos: fish lightly, fish respectfully, and protect the ecosystem that sustains both community and industry.
The fishery was first certified in 2016 to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard, the world’s most rigorous benchmark for sustainable fishing and use this until the re-certification comes through in 2026. This milestone reflects a long-held commitment to scientific management, ecological monitoring and independent auditing.
Sea Harvest vessels operate with world-class bycatch reduction and habitat protection technology, including turtle exclusion devices, shark and ray escape hatches, mesh panels for fish to swim free, and gentle live-water hopper systems that safely return bycatch. These measures, developed in partnership with marine scientists and the DPIRD (WA Department of Fisheries), are recognised internationally as best practice.
These systems represent some of Australia’s most advanced low-impact fishing methods, ensuring that every haul respects the marine environment that provides for our community.
FISHING FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
Sea Harvest only trawls around 25% of the fishery each year, giving the ocean time to rest. Coral gardens, sponge fields and seagrass meadows are permanently protected.
A FEAST FOR THE SENSES
Exmouth wild prawns are prized for their clean sweetness, bright flavour and unmistakable snap. This character comes from the clean, nutrient-rich waters they grow in. Ask any Exmouth local – a wild prawn is so full of flavour that all it needs is a lemon wedge and a pinch of white pepper.
Celebrating History…
Generations of Exmouth families have grown up around the rhythms of the prawn fishing season. For more than 50 years, trawlers slip out under an early April sunset and return with the full moon. Exmouth wild-caught prawns aren’t a commodity. They’re part of the town’s history and identity.
Today’s practices may be more advanced, but the underlying philosophy remains unchanged: take only what the ecosystem can provide, safeguard spawning grounds, and maintain a fishery that future generations will be proud to inherit.
…AND LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Exmouth’s prawn story is evolving, which makes 2026 the perfect time to launch the Wild Prawn Festival. By celebrating the environment and local produce, we aim to create something truly wild – with an unmistakably Exmouth flavour.
The program includes school engagement sessions, where students are invited aboard vessels to learn firsthand about sustainable fishing, bycatch reduction technology and onboard processing. Sea Harvest also sponsors the Exmouth TAFE Marine Student of the Year Award, encouraging young people to pursue careers in marine science and environmental stewardship.
These initiatives reflect a vision for the future and a commitment to sustainability shared by the community, local business owners and Sea Harvest.
