Wild Australian Salmon to Make a Comeback on Dinner Tables of Aussies
The rumours are true: WA is set for a BRAND NEW MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR cannery – 2 decades since Western Australia last had an operational cannery.
And the inspiration? Wild Australian Salmon. Yes, the species often likened to cat food and even used for bait, now has the ability to make its way back on the dinner tables of Australian families thanks to long-term sardine fisherman and part-owner of the operation, Jim Mendolia of Fremantle Sardines and Mendolia Seafoods.

Jim Mendolia holding wild Australian Salmon in the new multi-million dollar processing factory in O’connor.
After a successful promotion of Wild Australian Salmon at Sydney fine foods last year – Jim said that it was incredible how many overseas people were interested in the Australian species.
“We launched our product at Sydney Fine Foods last September and people from all around the world tasted it – and loved it! It is going to be a big hit!”
“We have been continuing to experiment with Wild Australian Salmon for a while – including creating our own marinade.”
Fishermen, down South, net the Salmon on the beach as they migrate up North, but Jim said that the season is only short.
“The season runs for 2-3 months at a time. We are already buying it in now, blast freezing it and stock piling it,” he said.
It is an exciting time for Jim, his partners and Salmon fishers with the cannery to be complete in 3 weeks’ time. Not only does the new cannery give people in the industry confidence moving into the future, it provides an economic growth opportunity for West Aussies.
“There has been no canning of the wild salmon for at least 20 years. The species is abundant – and we are going to do something about it!”
“The wild salmon processing factory is going to be based just out of Fremantle in O’Connor.”
Don Nicholls, Executive Officer of the Southern Seafood Producers (WA) Inc. (SSPWA) is proud to be working with Mendolia Seafoods on this exciting initiative.
“SSPWA believes that the innovation by Mendolia Seafoods in breathing new life into a traditional product is a great example to the industry. ”
“Mendolia’s is in many ways typical of SSPWA members. Multi-generational, family businesses supplying seafood for our domestic consumers. They are always looking to innovate, often using lesser known species that provide great value, quality eating and fantastic health benefits for the community,” he said.
To those of you who want to try the product, Jim says that it is going to be stored in retail stores throughout Western Australia.
“In 3 weeks’ time we will be mass producing it – and we will be stocking the product into retail stores. Mendolia is the brand to look out for.”
“There will be two varieties – one enclosed in WA olive oil and the other, local Canola.”
“Locally canned, locally produced – exciting times for the industry. Definitely support our Western Australian product.”
“In the future, we are going to be canning Longtail and Mackerel tuna, caught mainly up North. They are both low-value, underutilised species of tuna.”
“Our products will be Tuna, wild Australian Salmon and Sardines. For now, enjoy wild Salmon and Sardines (together) on your toast, he laughed.
For further information please read:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-04-15/wa-first-fish-cannery-to-tin-australian-salmon/9648348