Where Will Gold Coast Seafood Come From in the Future?

For many people on the Gold Coast, fresh seafood is part of living by the water.

Whether it is prawns at Christmas, fresh fish for dinner or a classic fish and chips by the beach, seafood has always been closely connected to the Gold Coast lifestyle.

But behind the seafood counter, there is a bigger story unfolding.

The future of the Gold Coast's working fishing industry is being shaped by increasing pressure on valuable waterfront land.

A working fishing industry on the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast Fishermen's Co-operative has been operating at Carter's Basin on The Spit since 1970.

For decades, the site has provided an important link between local commercial fishermen and the community. Fishing boats can come in, unload their catch and get seafood into the local market.

That connection is easy to take for granted.

When we walk into a seafood shop and see fresh fish or prawns on display, we don't always think about everything that has to happen before the seafood reaches the counter.

Commercial fishermen need somewhere to berth their boats. They need space to unload, handle and store their catch, and they need practical access for trucks, customers and other vehicles.

A working fishing industry needs a working waterfront.

The Spit is changing

The Spit is also one of the Gold Coast's most valuable and popular areas.

It is becoming increasingly important for tourism, dining, recreation, accommodation and marina development.

The Queensland Government's plans for Carter's Basin include new fishing facilities alongside a commercial marina, accommodation, dining and public spaces. The Government says the project is intended to support the long-term future of the fishing industry while creating a new destination for locals and visitors.

But the Fishermen's Co-op has raised concerns about whether the proposed redevelopment provides enough practical space for commercial fishing operations.

The Co-op says issues including logistics, truck access, vessel movements and customer access could make it more difficult to operate from the redeveloped site.

That has led to a much bigger question:

How do we make room for both tourism and a working fishing industry?

Why does this matter to seafood lovers?

At first, this might sound like an argument about property development.

But it is also about food.

A local fishing industry provides a direct connection between fishermen, seafood businesses and consumers.

If commercial fishing becomes harder to operate from the waterfront, there could be consequences further along the supply chain.

It could become more difficult or expensive for local businesses to access seafood directly from local fishing operations.

That doesn't mean the Gold Coast will suddenly run out of fresh seafood. There are still plenty of seafood retailers and restaurants across the region, and the redevelopment plans include new seafood facilities.

But it does raise an important question about where our seafood comes from and how easily consumers can access locally caught seafood in the future.

The timing is particularly interesting

This debate is happening at a time when Australian consumers are becoming increasingly interested in knowing where their food comes from.

From 1 July 2026, new seafood labelling requirements mean restaurants, cafés, pubs and takeaway businesses must identify seafood as Australian, imported or mixed.

That gives customers more information when they are ordering seafood.

But knowing that seafood is Australian is only part of the story.

We also need the infrastructure and working businesses that allow locally caught seafood to make its way from the water to the customer.

Protecting a connection to local seafood

The Gold Coast has changed enormously since the Fishermen's Co-op began operating at Carter's Basin more than 50 years ago.

The city has grown. Tourism has grown. Property values have grown. And demand for waterfront space has grown.

But the fishing industry is part of the Gold Coast's history too.

The challenge is finding a way to allow the area to evolve without losing the working industries that have helped give the Gold Coast its character.

A modern waterfront doesn't necessarily have to mean a waterfront without fishing boats.

In fact, there could be an opportunity to showcase the fishing industry as part of the Gold Coast experience — allowing visitors to see working vessels, buy fresh local seafood and understand where their food comes from.

What does the future look like?

There is no doubt that the Gold Coast needs to continue developing.

But as the city grows, it is worth asking what we want to preserve.

Do we want our waterfronts to be purely places for tourism, dining and recreation?

Or can they also remain places where people work, boats operate and locally caught seafood reaches the community?

The future of Carter's Basin could help answer that question.

For seafood lovers, the issue is surprisingly simple:

If we want fresh, locally caught seafood on the Gold Coast, we also need to protect the working infrastructure that makes it possible.

The Gold Coast has always had a strong connection to the ocean.

As the city continues to grow, keeping that connection alive may be just as important as building the next waterfront development.