images courtesy of Clarence River Tourism

such as administration, finance, marketing, export and sales, engineering, processing and distributing product.

Many of our members have a long lineage of professional fishing through generations of fishing in the estuary and surrounding ocean.

Through their daily activities our members have contributed to the development of one of the largest and most diverse fishing industries in Australia.

Today the Clarence River Fishermen’s Co-operative (CRFC) has over 130 members, all professional fishers, who supply fresh seafood products all year round.

While the current Co-operative was incorporated in 1945 by the professional fishers of the region, commercial fishing in the region goes back to the early 1800s. By creating a Co-operative, fishers, through investing in shares in the Co-operative, built one of the regions most well recognised industries. Today the Co-operative, through the efforts of our members, directly contribute to the livelihoods of hundreds of local families.

It was only through this collaboration and co-operation that the CRFC has been able to develop its widespread recognition as a consistent supplier of quality seafood products all year round.

Formation of the Co-operative importantly provided the means to construct a purpose built facility at Maclean (then Iluka) with processing, packing, storage, distribution and marketing all being handled centrally on behalf of the members. The Co-operative is a major local employer whose staff maintain the operations of the co-operative in positions

HISTORY