History of fisheries

Fishing in the Mooloolah River and the Mooloolaba Harbour has been undertaken by First Nations people for tens of thousands of years. Today commercial fishing is well established. 

In the 1930s the local fleet comprised of twelve motorboats. The port was also used by other fishing boats to pick up supplies, dispatch fish to the Brisbane market or to shelter. Mooloolaba offered the safest haven for boats in rough weather on the coast between Bribie Island and Wide Bay. At its peak, the Sunshine Coast had the largest long line tuna and prawn fishing fleets on the east coast. The industry directly employs more than 110 people and generates millions in sales and exports, mostly to Japan and the USA. Mooloolaba Spit is famous for its prawns and many trawlers operate out of the harbour. To ensure the prawn fishery is sustainable, fleet numbers have substantially reduced since the 1990s.