Following the success of the Gascoyne Food Festival this year, Western Australia’s Gascoyne region will once again take centre stage in April 2026 with the launch of the Exmouth Wild Prawn Festival — a first-of-its-kind celebration honouring one of Australia’s most iconic and sustainably harvested seafood treasures.
For more than 50 years, the Exmouth Gulf has produced what many chefs and seafood experts now regard as the best prawn in Australia: the Exmouth Wild Prawn. Born of one of the nation’s most pristine and carefully managed marine environments, this premium prawn is the hero of a brand-new festival set to elevate Exmouth as a leading culinary destination.
A Fishery Forged by Nature, Guided by Science
Stand on the shores of the Exmouth Gulf at first light and it’s immediately clear: this is no ordinary place. Beneath its glass-clear surface lies a rich mosaic of coral gardens, seagrass meadows and sponge fields — ecosystems found nowhere else on Earth. It is here, in this remote, thriving habitat, that Exmouth Wild Prawns develop their distinctive sweetness, texture and clarity of flavour.
The story began more than five decades ago, when the Kailis family established operations in the Gulf. Today, Sea Harvest continues that legacy, holding 100% of the prawn licences in the Exmouth Gulf and operating with a simple long-held philosophy: fish lightly, fish respectfully, and protect the ecosystem that sustains both community and industry.
Only 25% of the fishery is trawled annually, with sensitive coral, sponge and seagrass habitats permanently excluded. Vessels operate 22-day trips timed to environmental cues, returning to shore at each full-moon closure — a natural rhythm embedded into the management of the fishery.
In 2015, the fishery achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification — the global gold standard for sustainability. It was recertified in 2020, and in April 2026 will celebrate a major milestone: a decade of continuous MSC certification, making it one of the world’s most rigorously verified and responsibly managed prawn fisheries.
Sea Harvest’s sustainability commitment includes continual investment in cutting-edge bycatch reduction technology — escape grids for turtles, rays and sharks; mesh panels to allow fish to swim free; and live-water hopper systems that return bycatch gently to the ocean. These innovations are developed in collaboration with researchers and DPIRD to ensure long-term ecological balance.
A Prawn Shaped Entirely by Place
The secret behind the Exmouth Wild Prawn’s reputation lies in its environment. The Gulf is a rare meeting point between warm tropical currents and nutrient-rich desert runoff, producing prawns with exceptional snap, sweetness and purity of flavour.
Chefs praise their versatility — equally suited to raw crudo, wood-fire grilling, Asian broths, pasta, or simple butter and lemon.
“These prawns speak for themselves,” local chefs say. “They don’t need dressing up — they’re a celebration of Exmouth in every bite.”
Launching 2026: A Festival That Tells the Whole Story
The Exmouth Wild Prawn Festival will be held April 9–12, 2026, giving locals and visitors the chance to experience the fishery, its people and its produce like never before.
From immersive experiences to unforgettable feasts, the festival will reveal a side of Exmouth often unseen — the working port, the culinary talent, the local pride and the environmental stewardship behind every prawn.
The Welcoming of the Fleet — April 9
A tradition usually witnessed only by locals, the fleet returns to harbour with the first catch of the season. Chefs from across Exmouth gather along the wharf waiting for their first glimpse of the Gulf’s annual harvest — the sweetest prawns of the year. It is raw, real and emotional; a rare opportunity for visitors to witness Exmouth’s fishing heartbeat up close.
The Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Feast – April 10
The region’s hospitality shines at this progressive beachfront dining event. Guests move between six culinary stations, each serving Exmouth Wild Prawns prepared in a different style — from wok-fried and chilled to grilled, smoked and raw. Each station is paired with curated WA wines, with live music setting the tone as the sun drops behind Ningaloo Reef.
The Wharf Celebration — Salt, Stories and Seafood – April 11
A lively afternoon celebration on the Exmouth wharf, complete with vessel tours of working prawn trawlers, buckets of freshly cooked prawns, local distillers and microbreweries, food stalls, cooking demos and a bustling community market. Families sit along the water peeling prawns while music fills the harbour — an authentic snapshot of Exmouth at its best.
The Exmouth Prawn Trail
Throughout the month of April, eateries across Exmouth will each create a signature Exmouth Wild Prawn dish — everything from dumplings to tacos, linguine, brioche rolls, laksa, ceviche and grilled classics. An edible adventure across town, celebrating local talent and creativity.
Gascoyne –the food bowl of Western Australia
Western Australia’s Gascoyne region is renowned for its extraordinary produce — from seafood and saltbush lamb to tropical fruit and world-class beef. The launch of the Exmouth Wild Prawn Festival marks the start of the annual prawn season.
“The Gascoyne is blessed with outstanding produce, and Exmouth Wild Prawns are truly unique,” says Chris Higham, Chair of Gascoyne Food Council. “They come from a fishery that has always valued tomorrow as much as today.”
With a fishery built on stewardship, a prawn shaped by place, and a community defined by pride and resilience, the festival promises to become one of WA’s most distinctive regional food celebrations.
www.exmouthprawnfestival.com.au
