This report provides an updated assessment of the carbon footprint of farmed prawns in Australia, building upon the foundation laid by previous projects (FRDC Project 2020-089), which focused on the overall carbon footprint of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. This project involves a thorough assessment of prawn farmers carbon outputs to identify key contributors and emission reduction methodologies. 

 

The study provided an analysis of carbon emissions of the Australian prawn farming industry, categorising them into Scope 1 (fuel, aquatic nitrous oxide and refrigerant), Scope 2 (electricity), and Scope 3 (feed, transport and processing). While revealing a comparatively lower carbon footprint than imported products, the study identifies areas for improvement and the roadblocks for farmers to develop these reductions. The approach suggests targeted strategies, including energy audits and sustainable feed practices, highlighting the need for life cycle analysis and a further push towards carbon reductions. Additionally, blue carbon methods are explored, linking prawn farms to coastal ecosystem conservation and carbon sequestration.