The Exmouth Gulf Managed Prawn Fishery has been operating since 1962, before the town of Exmouth was even built. It was pioneered by the late Michael Kailis, as a diversification of his newly established lobster business in Dongara.

The MG Kailis Group is a family owned and operated company, with a rich history in the seafood and pearling industries. The Exmouth region has a population of just over 2000 people. The MG Kailis Group is an integral part of the Exmouth community, employing over 100 people in their prawn and pearling operations.

The Group established a processing facility in 1962 prior to the establishment of the town of Exmouth. The facility allowed the refueling of vessels, unloading & processing of prawns which became a self sufficient community. In the early 70’s the government requested the facility and adjacent community relocate to allow for the re-commissioning of the Learmonth Airbase. The processing facility is now located just 25km south of Exmouth, overlooking the pristine waters of the Exmouth Gulf. The processing facility had a major upgrade in 2002. This included installation of state of the art grading, cooking and chilling equipment.

The Exmouth Gulf Managed Prawn Fishery flourished and by the mid 1970’s, a total of 27 licensees accessed the fishery. A licence buy-back scheme reduced this to its current level of 16. MG Kailis Group owns or operates all of these licences, but fishes with only 9 boats.

From very humble beginnings the Group has established world class fishing practices and processing techniques to ensure the highest quality prawn products. Today Exmouth Fresh – Wild Prawns are renowned for their freshness and quality. They are sold and enjoyed all around the world.