Bream is a broad common name applied to many different fish species across the world. In Australia, it most often refers to yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis) and black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri), both popular targets for recreational and commercial fishing in estuaries and coastal waters.
These are medium-sized fish with firm, white, mildly flavoured flesh. They’re well-suited to a range of cooking methods including pan-frying, grilling, baking, and steaming. Australian bream are an important part of the coastal food web and a staple of estuary fishing culture.
In European contexts, the name typically refers to freshwater species like common bream (Abramis brama), while in the United States it can mean various sunfish. The specific species matters for both flavour and sustainability, so it’s worth knowing which bream you’re buying.
How it's produced
In Australia, bream are predominantly wild-caught by commercial line fishers, netters, and recreational anglers in estuaries, rivers, and nearshore coastal waters. They are managed by state fisheries authorities with size limits, bag limits, and seasonal closures to maintain sustainable stocks.
Some bream species, particularly black bream, have been the subject of aquaculture research, but commercial farming remains limited. Most bream on the market is wild-caught. The fish are typically sold whole or as skin-on fillets.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
* Based on what it takes to produce, from farm to factory gate.
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