Spencer Gulf and West Coast prawn fisheries
King prawns are taken in the Spencer Gulf and on the West Coast of Eyre Peninsula by these fisheries.
Licensing
There are no new licences available for commercial fishing in the Spencer Gulf and West Coast prawn fishery.
Fees
Commercial licence fees must be paid each financial year. Invoices are issued annually in early June and payments can be made:
- up-front
- in a lump sum
- in quarterly instalments.
Transfers
Licences can be transferred from one person to another.
See the Application to transfer a Prawn Fishery licence ( ) for more information.
Boat registration and de-registration
All boats used for commercial fishing must be registered.
To register or de-register a boat use the Application to vary a boat registration endorsement form. ( )
Boat master registration
All people who act as a commercial fishing boat master must be registered by the licence holder. Multiple boat masters can be registered using the form.
Application to change registration of a master/s ( )
Spencer Gulf and West Coast prawn fishery management
Management plans:
- Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery ( )
- West Coast Prawn Fishery Harvest Strategy ( )
- ESD Risk Assessment of South Australia's Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery – July 2014 ( )
- Addendum to the 2014 ESD risk assessment of the South Australian Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery – December 2022
( )
Stock assessment reports:
- Spencer Gulf Prawn Penaeus (Melicertus) latisulcatus Fishery. Fishery Assessment Report to PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture November 2025 ( )
- Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery - Stock Status Determination 2023/2024 ( )
- Spencer Gulf Prawn Penaeus (Melicertus) latisulcatus Fishery. Fishery Assessment Report August 2023 ( )
Economic indicator reports:
- South Australian Commercial Fisheries Reports by BDO Australia
Department of Environment
The Australian Government Department of the Environment requires that all commercial fisheries that export product be assessed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Product from the Spencer Gulf and West Coast prawn fishery are currently approved for export.
For more information, see South Australian managed fisheries.
Closures
See the closures page for more information.
Regulations
Fishing activities in the Spencer Gulf and West Coast Prawn Fisheries are regulated under:
- Fisheries Management (Prawn Fisheries) Regulations 2017
- Fisheries Management (General) Regulations 2017
Determinations
Contact
Jade Fredericks – Fisheries Manager
Phone: (08) 8429 2313
Email: jade.fredericks@sa.gov.au