Sudden losses or shocks to food production can impact food security, as well as local industries and livelihoods. To build more resilient food systems, understanding the trends and drivers of shocks is crucial. We analysed shocks in 195 fisheries and aquaculture production time series in Australia using established quantitative methods. We detected 39 shocks over three decades, but only one shock was associated with aquaculture. Historic overfishing was the dominant driver of shocks; yet, management change was implicated in over half of all shocks, largely in response to stock declines. Shock numbers peaked in the late 1990s to early 2000s and then declined – a trend that aligns with a period of major fisheries reform. Our study suggests that proactive and responsive fisheries management, alongside a diverse aquaculture sector, could act as a local stabilising force to seafood production and potentially reduce the ever-growing threat of climate change.