A Sunshine Coast scientist is helping drive world-first research that could help make fresh seafood as cheap as beef and chicken.
University of the Sunshine Coast associate professor and genetics specialist Wayne Knibb said adapting the breeding principles used in other livestock could help lower the price of prawns.
“Really we hope that through these efforts prawns can be $6/kg and consumers can have them a few times a week for dinner instead of being out of reach,” he told The Australian.
"We would expect in the span of time that genetics will give us banana prawns (currently about $15/kg frozen at the supermarket) at the same cost as we get chicken at Woolworths."
Using the techniques that gave us big-breasted chickens and fatter pigs, Knibb said prawns were being genetically selected for their size, taste, and visual appeal.
He said while the goal was to boost the productivity and output of prawn farms, retaining flavour and colour in the animals was also important.
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