PRAWN DAY:::

While prawns are perfect on a bright sunny day, catching them means working through the night. Prawn fishermen must work with nature, fishing in sync with the moon and the tide.

There are 15 major prawn fisheries around Australia. Many fishers are family businesses and many families have been fishers for generations. Other fisheries are highly organised vertically integrated businesses employing the latest technology in their fleets.

Australia is blessed with stunning, productive and sustainable fisheries – from the warm tropical waters of the Northern Prawn Fishery to the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, where intrepid crews brave the frigid roaring forties in search of the Western King. The turquoise waters of Shark Bay and Exmouth Gulf in WA serve up a delightful combination of kings, tigers and endeavours and all these fisheries are certified to the international gold standard of sustainability by the Marine Stewardship Council. Queensland’s warm waters are home to the most species of Australian Prawns – the king, banana, tiger, endeavour, coral, scarlet, bay and red spot prawn, but you will find significant fisheries in NSW, South Australia and Western Australia with a boutique fishery off Lakes Entrance in Victoria.

ALSO

• 1857 Indian mutiny against rule by the British East India Company begins with the revolt of the Sepoy soldiers in Meerut
• 1994 Nelson Mandela sworn in as South Africa’s 1st black president

BIRTHDAYS:

1957 – Sid Vicious, English singer and bass player (d. 1979)

1998 – Priscilla Hon, Australian tennis player