A Top End Indigenous fisherman hopes to expand his business with the purchase of a boat, establishing a processing facility and catching crayfish.

Don Wilton and his crew of 13 fishermen use a large shore-based net to work the waters near the Arnhem Land community of Maningrida.

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He is one of only a handful of people in the Northern Territory with an Aboriginal Coastal Fishing Licence.

Mr Wilton's catch is mainly sold to people in Maningrida and the nearby communities of Gunbalanya and Ramingining, and this year shipped his first load to be sold in Darwin.

With the purchase of a boat, Mr Wilton said he will be able to catch fish further offshore.

"We will be able to go out and catch reef fish, especially red emperor, mangrove jack and snapper," he said.

Don Wilton employs 13 men under his Aboriginal Coastal Fishing Licence to operate near Maningrida. ( ABC Rural: Daniel Fitzgerald )

All Mr Wilton's fish are sold whole, but with backing from the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation and funding from the NT Government, he aims to start a small processing facility in Maningrida where the fish can be filleted and packed.

"We are looking at [making filleted fish available] for ceremonies, or special events; they can come and buy it, instead of always cooking sausages and steak," Mr Wilton said.

Mr Wilton also wants to catch crayfish, which are found in the waters near his family's outstation, fetching around $35 per kilogram in the markets.

However he is not allowed to use a trap, and spearing the crayfish would damage the meat, so Mr Wilton had to come up with a new way of catching them.

"I thought about it and came up with a pipe — get a bit of rope, make a loop and when you see a crayfish, pull the rope and catch them," Mr Wilton said.

"That will make the meat safe and I'll chuck them in the esky."

A fisherman offers a fish to two 'pet' sea eagles in a tree. ( ABC Rural: Daniel Fitzgerald )

ABC Rural visited Mr Wilton's fishing area known as Nardmiluk, a deserted, pristine white beach edged by low scrub and pandanus.

"The main fish we catch here are bluetail and mullet, [also] trevally, salmon and queenfish," Mr Wilton said.

"It's a good [fishing] spot."

The crew usually fishes every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, Mr Wilton said.

The main catch at Nardmiluk are bluetail and mullet. ( ABC Rural: Daniel Fitzgerald )

"On Thursday when we fill the fish up in the esky, we drive back to the [Maningrida] supermarket and start selling the fish in the community," he said.

"In the morning we cook some mullet and sell the cooked ones around the community."

Fishing in Maningrida is supported by the Federal Government's Community Development Program.