Fremantle Octopus
 | |
| Industry | Fishing |
|---|---|
| Founder | Craig Cammilleri, Ross Cammilleri |
| Headquarters | Fremantle, Western Australia |
Key people | Glenn Wheeler (managing director) |
| Products | Octopus |
| Website | https://www.fremantleoctopus.cm.au/ |
Fremantle Octopus is an Australian octopus fishery business based in Fremantle, Western Australia.[1][2][3][4] It was founded by former rock lobster fishermen Ros and Craig Cammilleri.[1][2]
The company catches and processes Octopus djinda.[1][5][Note 1] The species of octopus is regarded as having a relatively high grade based on size, texture, and taste; thought in part to be a result of its natural diet in the local environment.[1] Products made by the fishery include frozen raw tentacles, steamed tentacles, and marinated octopus.[1]
The business processes octopus catch from various independently owned boats, and has a processing plant in the suburb of O'Connor.[1] The business' founder Craig Cammilleri has been credited as the inventor of the 'octopus trigger trap', a method for catching octopus that uses a plastic grab with an in-built LED light to lure octopus.[6] Baby octopus and fish are not strong enough to trigger the trap.[1]
The business operates in a fishery with Marine Stewardship Council certification, one of only two octopus fisheries in the world where that is the case.[7] The total catch of Octopus djinda in WA is around 300 tonnes per year, of which Fremantle Octopus processes around 70%.[5] Estimates have placed the sustainable catch rate for the fishery at around 1-2 thousand tonnes per year.[1] Prior to being a valuable commodity, octopus were an annoyance for rock lobster fisherman as a predator of their catch.[8]
Around 80% of the fishery's catch is sold domestically in Australia, with 20% exported to foreign markets including the US, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai.[1] In 2019 the business expanded its exports to the Chinese market.[9]
In 2017 the company explored a float on the ASX.[3]
Notes
- ^ Sources from 2018 state that the species caught is named Octopus tetricus. Octopus from southwest Australia was once regarded as being conspecific to tetricus; however in 2021 it was reclassified as a separate species; Octopus djinda
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i de Moeller, Olga (19 January 2018). "West Aussie octopus takes on the world". The West Australian.
- ^ a b "Fremantle Octopus to extend reach". Business News. 2017-09-12. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
- ^ a b "Fremantle Octopus aims to expand tentacles to ASX". Australian Financial Review. 2017-06-12. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
- ^ "Fremantle Octopus working to expand its MSC-certified trigger-trap octopus fishery". www.seafoodsource.com. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
- ^ a b "WA octopus fishers spread tentacles into China". The West Australian.
Fremantle Octopus, which catches and processes about 70 per cent of the 300 tonnes caught annually, expects MSC certification will be the catalyst to a more profitable octopus industry.
- ^ "Freo octopus spreads its tentacles into global kitchens". The West Australian.
Founded by former crayfishermen Ross and Craig Cammilleri, FOG is credited with revolutionising and commercialising WA's octopus fishery, after developing technology (called trigger traps) that increased catch rates five times over traditional methods.
- ^ Brammer, Jenne (21 November 2019). "WA octopus fishers spread tentacles into China". The West Australian.
WA Fishing Industry Council chief executive Alex Ogg said WA was only the second octopus fishery in the world to receive the accreditation, the other being a small fishery on Spain's north coast.
- ^ "Freo octopus spreads its tentacles into global kitchens".
"Octopus tetricus is a predator of the lobster and thus a hindrance to crayfishermen, and so octopus fishing is fast becoming a viable commercial focus for these people," he said.
- ^ Brammer, Jenne (21 November 2019). "WA octopus fishers spread tentacles into China". The West Australian.