Seafood industry promises competitive prices as they prepare for Christmas rush
West Australians looking to get their fill of festive seafood are reassured that prices are stable compared to last year; This is rare good news amid persistent cost-of-living pressures.
Local fishermen and seafood outlets are promising competitive prices on everything from crawfish to oysters to shrimp as they prepare for the busiest time of the year.
“The Christmas period is a bit different to Easter where there is a really nice festive transition into Christmas where people celebrate office parties and get together with other family and friends before Christmas Day,” Matthew Kailis, owner of Kailis Bros, said this week.
“The biggest period is December 23 and 24, when people do last-minute fresh seafood shopping.”
He expects to sell up to 5 tons of crawfish and 3,000 dozen oysters this holiday season, he said, adding that the store offers a feast of fresh seafood “to suit every budget.”
“We expect our prices to be roughly around last year’s levels,” he said.
Herdsman Market Fish Merchant seafood manager Kae Glauert said Christmas orders are already through the roof, with specialty items like octopus, caviar and oysters becoming this year’s hot ticket items.
He said the best time to order is “right now.”
“Seafood is a staple of the Australian Christmas table, so we have a lot of customers who prepare in advance and source what they need for their festive celebrations,” he said.
“Our seafood sales are busier this Christmas. Our offer focuses on WA-caught crayfish, prawns and scallops, as well as other specialties such as line-caught fish, fresh oysters and caviar.”
Ms Glauert said The Herdsman had increased its seafood prices “slightly” but remained committed to fair pricing.
“Like many retailers, we have seen a slight increase in seafood costs this year, but we remain focused on providing our customers with the highest quality local fresh seafood we can obtain,” he said.
“We are committed to offering a fair price to our suppliers and the market; you can always be sure that with us you will buy the best.”
Mr Kailis said it was a privilege to feed families during such a time of celebration.
“We’ve seen a lot of familiar faces over the years… people who came at a young age and now bring their children as part of a tradition,” he said.
“It’s great to be part of such a time of celebration for families and we enjoy having some connection to this family event and giving people the opportunity to celebrate Western Australian seafood.”
