Carnarvon community left devastated after Shark Bay prawn fishery decline sees major employer Sea Harvest leave town

The regional community of Carnarvon has been left devastated after fishing company Sea Harvest Australia announced it will move its home port to the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour at the end of this season, making fourteen staff redundant. Key points: The catch of western king prawns in the Shark Bay fishery has fallen almost 60 per cent in seven years Poor catches and a lack of available employment has led Sea Harvest to announce 14 redundancies The flow-on effect in the community of Carnarvon is expected to be "devastating" The prawn operation had been a major employer in the town, 800 kilometres north of Perth, since it first began as Nor-West Seafoods in 1962. Sea Harvest said ongoing poor catches in the Shark Bay prawn fishery, combined with difficulty attracting staff, had led to the decision. "There is some challenging times ahead for the Shark Bay prawn fishery," he said. Fishery still considered healthy, sustainably The Shark Bay prawn fishery is one of 10 fisheries in WA to have received certification under the Marine Stewardship Council, which monitors the sustainability of fisheries across the world.