Prawn catch good | Coffs Coast Food | Wineries and Restaurants in Coffs Coast

JUST as the land experiences drought, so does the sea.

But it seems as though the 'wet season' has returned for our offshore fishermen, with good catches of school and king prawns reported from Tweed to Coffs Harbour.

The fresh water flushing out of the river has meant a good winter is forecast for offshore fishermen and this week prawning has been possible day and night thanks to the stirred-up water from the last bout of rain.

“It's better than ever after a rough four years of drought and high fuel costs,” Chairman of the Clarence River Fisherman's Co-op David Anderson said.

“We've had good catches since about last November, but the return for them is woeful,” he said.

The CRFC has responded to the abundance of school prawns that were coming in last week by placing a 600kg quota on schoolies per trawler.

“We have to have a market for them and prawns essentially are a summer catch with peak demand at Christmas and Easter.