The value of farmed salmonid production climbed by 7 per cent to $323 million in 2008-09, based on the latest ABARE-BRS Australian fisheries statistics 2009 report.

"Most of this growth occurred in Tasmania which produces more than 95 per cent of Australia's farmed salmon production," said ABARE-BRS Deputy Executive Director Paul Morris.

"Australian prawn production also increased, by 6 per cent to $289 million as a result of a 5 per cent increase in production volume," he said.

"In 2008-09, farmed salmon continued to be the largest aquaculture species produced in Australia and now accounts for 37 per cent of the total value of Australian aquaculture production and 15 per cent of the total value of fishery production."

The total growth in salmon and prawn production contributed to the gross value of Australia's fisheries production remaining stable at $2.2 billion in 2008-09, after a fall in the value of tuna and rock lobster production, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics - Bureau of Rural Sciences.

In 2008-09, the total value of Australian fisheries exports rose by 14 per cent to $1.5 billion. Rock lobster was the most valuable export species at $462 million, followed by pearls at $366 million, abalone at $208 million and tuna at $177 million.

Hong Kong remained Australia's main export market for fisheries products in 2008-09 at $726 million, ahead of Japan at $367 million and the US at $87 million.

The value of Australian imports of fisheries products showed continued growth in 2008-09, up by 22 per cent to $1.7 billion.

Canned fish from Thailand, together with frozen fish fillets, and fresh and chilled whole fish from New Zealand remained the major sources of Australian imports of fisheries products.

Mr Morris acknowledged the assistance and contribution of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation to the report.