April/May 2006 by Tim Walker

Volume 20 No. 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; April/May 2006

Oyster farm's new patented baskets Sea Bounty Mussels big on prospects Stand-alone silver perch business Aquaponics links Murray cod and basil 'Have A Go Farm' takes on yabbies Prawn farm profits from small harvest Biosecurity critical for hatcheries Skretting launches Halo for abalone

April/May 2006

www.AustasiaAquaculture.com.au

Editor-in-chief Dr Tim Walker Regular contributors David O'Sullivan John Mosig Dave Field Subscription/editorial Austasia Aquaculture PO Box 658, Rosny, Tas. 7018 Ph: 03 6245 0064 Fax: 03 6245 0068 Email: AustasiaAquaculture@ netspace.net.au Advertising Megan Farrer Graphic design Beverly Waldie Printing The Franklin Press 91 Albert Road, Moonah, Tas. 7009 Copyright © by Austasia Aquaculture. Contents cannot be reproduced without permission. Statements made or opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Turtle Press Pty Ltd (ABN 98 506 165 857).

FA R M P R O F I L E S Fresh is best for southern Qld prawn farm

‘Have A Go Farm’ takes on yabbies

Murray cod and basil showcase aquaponics potential

Silver perch mainstay of stand-alone aquaculture business

Salmon Ponds upgrades

Despite the setbacks, Sea Bounty Mussels bullish on future prospects

Single seed key to quality for Shoalhaven Oysters

Passion for breeding endangered fish see Mary River cod success

NEWS Biosecurity critical for hatcheries and farms

New investment opportunities in Victorian marine aquaculture

AQUANET – the Australian Aquaculture Industry Suppliers Network

Prawn and oyster quality the highlight of aquaculture competition

TECHNOLOGY Austasia Aquaculture magazine (ISSN: 0818 552) is published by Turtle Press Pty Ltd (ABN 98 506 165 857) for the promotion of aquaculture in the Australasian and Asian regions – inclusive of farming in marine, freshwater, brackish and hypersaline waters. Reader's contributions are encouraged on the clear understanding they will be subject to editorial control and, if accepted, will appear in both printed and online versions.

Cover photo: Technical Services Manager, Dr Matthew Brandsen feeding abalone with Halo – their new abalone feed.

Skretting hosts nutrition workshop

Introducing a revolution in water quality monitoring

Dr. Mark Porter Joins Ridley Aqua-Feed

New hatchery products from ADSI & Aquafauna Biomarine

FISHENEWS

April/May 2006

www.AustasiaAquaculture.com.au

2006 Australasian Aquaculture Conference (Outside back cover) AGK Technology Ajay & Duraplas Tanks Alltanks Australia Aqua Supplies WA AquaFauna Biomarine Aquahort AQUASONIC (Inside Front Aquaspex Aquatic Diagnostic Services International AQUI-S Austasia Aquaculture - subscription page Baume Partners BST Oysters Cumminscorp Davey Pumps Dept Primary Industries – Victoria Elders - Fisheries & Aquaculture Brokers Hurlcon JEYCO Mooring & Rigging MOS Plastics Murray Darling Fisheries NSA (Natural Aquaculture Systems) Oblomov Trading Ocean Tech Industries One-Temp Plastic Fabrications Quinntech P/L RBM Aquaculture RIDLEY AQUA-FEED (Inside Back SED - Shellfish Equipment Skretting Australia Superior Fibreglass Tapex Technolab Marketing The Market Place – classified ads The Supply Line Tooltech Uarah Fish Hatchery Ultra Violet Products WA Cromarty Waterco Wedeco

18 33 30 45 24 25 Cover) 40 44 37 56 25,47 9 29 31 13 31 15 29 48 19 42 44 30 45 48 32 41 Cover) 20 34,35 15 32,33 16 63,64 23 32 11 25 36,45 19 36

FARM PROFILE

Fresh is best for southern Qld prawn farm Farm gate sales have allowed a small prawn farm on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast to prosper. People drive for hours to get prawns that are so fresh ‘they're almost jumping out of the bag!’.

eter and Judy Spindler are well known by prawn fanciers all around the Sunshine Coast region. Along with Judy’s son Simon Butler, they grow and sell fresh farmed prawns from their 40 ha Bullock Creek Prawn Farm at Donnybrook, some 16km west of Caboolture (around 90 minutes drive north of Brisbane). “We used to grow fruit trees, but the market prices were not good, so one day I just bulldozed them,” explains Peter. “Given some family involvement in the fishing industry a couple of people suggested we dig some ponds and start prawn farming. So in 1990 we applied for a fish farming licence; we got it and then built some ponds. Since then we have learnt a lot of things from talking to other farmers and fisherman and from our own hands-on involvement.” Over the past 14 years the Spindlers have expanded their operation to incorporate four 0.5ha ponds, a 0.5ha supply pond and a 0.7ha settlement pond. Annual sales have averaged between 12 tonnes (during a cold summer) and 18 tonnes. Industry people would immediately ask how such a crop could support three full time people?

quality and freshness they are going to get. We’re better off selling product that might be larger than the grade as we are still getting prices much better than what we’d get if we were selling to restaurants, wholesalers or processors.” The face-to-face contact with the customers allows Peter, Judy and Simon to reinforce that superior quality. “They think it’s unreal that they can come in and see the prawns coming out of the ponds and then into the cookers or the chillers. It is great PR and advertising and these people spread the message by word of mouth. We only need to put an advert into the local paper when we are going to start selling and people come crowding to our door.” Simple pond design The growout ponds are 1.5m deep in the centre and 1.3m along the edges. Being of sandstone clay, the pond walls can

have a good batter with 1 in 3 fall. The supply pond is around 4m deep whilst the settlement pond varies from 1.5 to 2.5m depending on water flow. Each growout pond has a 2m wide by 3m long jetty that allows access to the deeper parts of the ponds. A 25HP China pump moves up to 600m3 of water per hour. The saltwater comes from the Bullock Creek. “To get high salinity we normally pump at high tide, to get lower salinity we would pump at low tide,” says Peter. “The water goes through a channel to the supply dam. From there it can gravity flow through 250m PVC pipes into the growout ponds. We have put fine shade cloth socks on the ends of the pipes to keep crabs or larval fish out of the ponds. We don’t want to be wasting food on them.” Concrete monks with wooden baffle boards allows water to flow out of the

The pond banks are all stabilised with grasses and each pond has a number of small and large paddlewheels.

The answer is simple. The entire product is sold at the farm gate for premium prices: • Small (21/25s) prawns are $17/kg • Medium (16/20s) are $21/kg • Large (11/15s) are $24/kg • Extra large (U10s) are $27/kg. “Once we open for the season, we keep the prices the same, no matter what the supply or demand is,” Peter continues. “The prawns could be green or cooked; it is all the same price. Our entire product is hand graded so people know what

April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 3

FARM PROFILE

ponds and down channels into the settlement pond. Screens over the front of the monks prevent the prawns from escaping.

The back of the processing and sales area at Bullock Creek Prawn with a mobile cooler.

Peter says that it’s an EPA (Environmental Protection Authority/Agency) requirement that water from the settlement pond can only be discharged from the top high tide for a maximum of 2.5 hours. “Our water discharge has to have a pH between 6.5 and 9, dissolved oxygen above 4 ppm and a suspended solids level of less than 20 mg/L. We try to have the water as clear as possible. We can recycle some back to the supply pond by discharging the water at the same time as we are pumping water from the creek. So that gives you a bit of an idea of how clean the discharge water is.” Ponds are not drained during the production season. “We just keep adding water (to make up for losses from seepage and evaporation),” Peter explains. “At the end of the production season all four of the growout ponds, the supply pond and the settlement pond are completely drained and sun dried. We clean the muck out of the centres of the ponds with a bobcat and a small truck. The EPA licence allows us to disc this organic matter into our paddocks which helps the grass grow fast for our horses.”

Each pond has a small access jetty. This one shows a feed tray hanging up to dry.

Quality PL15s Production rate (3-4.5 tonnes/ha/crop) varies markedly depending on water temperatures and quality of the PLs. “This year the quality has been brilliant! We have been buying our seedstock from Warren Truloff.” Peter says that they purchased PL15s and stocked their ponds at a density around 30/m2. “This is a bit lower than some other farms but we are trying to grow larger prawns so these prawns need a bit more room. Over stocking can be a recipe for disaster. We like to stock at the end of September and into early October. With good water temperatures, we can start harvesting in mid January and we might finish at the end of April and into early May.”

Bullock Creek’s water licence allows them to pump at high tide.

4 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

Over the years the Bullock Creek team has learned to simplify the production process. Notably, in 14 years of production, Peter says they have also yet to have

FARM PROFILE

a pond crash on them. “We monitor the water quality every morning, particularly pH, but also dissolved oxygen and temperature. This data is entered onto our datasheets which we keep down at the shed. We are able to watch what is going on in the ponds by also closely watching the prawns. Judy, Simon and I all can lift a feeding tray and examine the prawns closely. We look at their gills, heads and antennae and get a good idea of how things are going. We also get to know how much to feed. Conditions can vary from one side of the pond to the other, so we have four feed trays spread out over the pond. We generally know within 1-2 hours if the prawns aren’t eating well. In this way we have learned how to manage the ponds well. “We used to feed five times a day; now we only do four. We had a FCR of 1:1.5 – 1.56 last year and this year we reckon we will do even better than that. We check the four feed trays in each pond morning, noon and evening. We have been using CP Feeds which are imported from Thailand. We are pretty happy with them and use 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s (mm).” In case of blackouts, the 150KW emergency diesel generator is tested every seven days to ensure it is ready to be used. “We have 10HP of paddlewheels – 4 x 2HP and 2 x 1HP – spread around the ponds to circulate the water and push any wastes into the middle of the ponds. We save power by putting on the smaller HP paddlewheels first, then put the large one on as more circulation is needed (as the biomass of the prawns increases). This is important as there have been really big increase in the cost of power over the past few years.” Simple processing system – cooked or raw Once the harvesting period starts, the team set four prawn traps daily, just after sunrise. “We keep working them until we catch our orders, which might be 100kg or up to 400kg. On some days this might only take a half hour, on others it might take 4 hours.” The prawn net is lifted by pullies and the prawns are emptied into plastic crates on a trailer on the jetty or the side of the

Management Metrics Key Management Decisions for Bullock Creek Prawn Farm include: • Keeping all of the employment within the family means that everyone knows what to do and can swap jobs. • Higher market prices for fresh quality product keeps the farm profitable. And word of mouth ‘advertising’ is not only free, it usually generates repeat business. • By selling direct to the public, instant feedback on quality and other issues means that small problems can be addressed quickly. • Direct sales also maximise prices (no third party, freight, packaging costs). Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): • Culture System utilised: earthen ponds with paddlewheels. • Growth rate (from stocking to market): 4-8 months (0.05g to 30g) • Av. stocking density: 30 PLm3 • Annual harvest: 12-18 tonnes • Production rate: 6-900kg per 1,000m3 (growout system volume) per year • FCR: 1.1.5 (up to 1.56) • Productivity: 4-6 tonnes per Effective Fulltime Unit (240 days, 48wk X 40hr)

ponds. The catch is immediately driven to the processing area and into the shed – around 15m by 20m with 3.5m ceilings. Although built to AQIS export specifications, as sales have been all local there has been no recent need for maintaining the permit. “We get the prawns out of the ponds and into the cooker or the brine slurry (for green prawns) within five minutes. Customers love to see the prawns still jumping around when they are brought in, a sure sign of their freshness. The cooked prawns are held in an ice brine to quickly cool down, the brine is changed regularly to keep the temperatures below zero°C.” With a minimum purchase of 0.5kg, most customers bring their own eskies. “Usually we just have to give them the prawns with some ice. We give a lot of advice to the customers on how to keep the prawns. People seem to be getting more adventurous in their cooking so more are buying green prawns. We work by word of mouth so it is important that we give people great service. People are willing to pay extra for fresh high quality prawns.” Such is the fame of the Bullock Creek prawns that truckies and bus drivers who are driving out west stop in with a few orders for their ‘mates back home’. “People often say how they can’t believe they can get such good quality prawns. We never freeze our prawns so they are always sold on the day we harvest them.

This keeps our quality control pretty simple. We get visits from the Caboolture Shire Council Health Department and they are happy with what we are doing.” Peter, Judy and Simon are very confident of their future, despite rising costs of production and cheaper imports of prawns from Asia. “We are not competing with the cheap imports. The feedback we get from our customers about our fresh farm prawns against frozen import is great. They will not buy the imports ‘thawed for your convenience’ anymore. Sometimes they buy our green prawn and freeze them for themselves to test for next season. We find people are very willing to pay extra for our farmed product.” It’s not only the retail customers who reckon theirs is a great product. Bullock Creek has also won two gold and two silver medals at the Sydney Fine Food Show. “We send down only one entry each year. Winning these medals and a good story in the local paper helps with our marketing and our regular customers love it.” By Dos O’Sullivan For more information contact Peter and Judy Spindler, Bullock Creek Prawn Farm, PO Box 26, Donnybrook, Qld 4510. Tel: 07 5498-8659, Fax: 07 5498-8399.

April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 5

FARM PROFILE

‘Have A Go Farm’ takes on yabbies

yd and Sientje Jenkins bought 26ha at Violet Town in Victoria’s Lower North East in 1996. The block had been part of an old piggery and there was 20ML of water storage. Known to ‘have a go’ at most things, the place was called Have A Go Farm. Syd built a couple of ponds and tried water chestnuts initially but found the buyers kept lifting the bar. “They started off wanting 30mm chestnuts, then the next year it would be 40mm, then it got up to a 50mm,” he recalls. “The locals would come in and ask if they could take a few yabbies from the dam. They’d only be down there for a short while and drive out with bucket loads of them. I threw a few of them in the water chest-

1. Boiled wheat is used to feed the yabbies in the hatchery and the ponds. 2. Aquarium heaters maintain the hatchery temperature at 20°C. 3. The spillway overflow channel also protects the ponds from run-off.

6 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

nut ponds and they thrived so in 2000 we became yabby farmers.” The farm consists of eleven 1m deep ponds although he has a permit for 14. The ponds vary slightly in size but cover 2ha including the water storage. The 20ML water supply reservoir doubles as a twelfth pond and gene pool for the farm. Evaporation over summer is 1m so the ponds receive at least one water exchange each growing season. The ponds are not netted but, being away from major wetlands and with the 2

house overlooking the ponds, birds, water rats and tortoises haven’t been a problem. Syd feels that the cost of bird netting wouldn’t be cost effective for the odd little pied cormorant that finds its way to the farm even though he admits they were persistent when they did adopt the ponds as a feeding ground. 3

FARM PROFILE

The ponds are built north and south, along the line of the prevailing winds to maximize aeration from that source. During still periods, Syd fills the fire fighting tank with water from the storage dam just before first light and sprays the ponds with the high pressure hose. This keeps dissolved oxygen (DO) levels up when the wind-induced circulation is low.

Hay contracting is currently the mainstay on the farm. One round bale is used per 0.1ha pond.

Water temperatures range from 28°C to 9°C. They hit 20°C by late September and hold there till late March. Setting up the farm was not without its troubles. For starters, Goulburn Murray Water decided the yabby ponds were water storage despite the fact that they were filled from their already licensed water storage. Contour channels built uphill from the ponds to divert water away solved that problem. Then the local shire couldn’t come to grips with what was involved in aquaculture. By the time they got all that sorted out the Jenkins ran headlong into the district’s longest drought on record – instead of an average annual rainfall of 600mm (24”), just 200mm (8”) per year were recorded during the long dry. The farm has only been fully stocked over the last 12 months. Nutrition As a hay baling contractor, Syd has access to cheap or damaged product.

And he’s also been able to buy cheap wheat. These sources of nutrition provide a low cost food for the yabbies. The wheat is fed twice weekly at 1% of the estimated body weight when water temperature is above 20°C. Hatchery feed is made onsite by boiling millet for half an hour to produce a gruel that is fed at the rate of a teaspoon per yabby every second day. Being farmers from wayback, the Jenkins were fully aware that control over production was the key to success of the operation. So production is based on the cyclical method. The pair try to manage a two summer cycle but during the drought this had to be extended to three summers of production before the ponds were drained.

4 6

Ponds are prepared by spreading out a round bale over the bed of a dry 0.1ha pond. Syd uses cereal hay, baled with the grain still in the head. A round bale weighs 330kg, giving a detrital feed source of 3.3t/ha. American crawfish farmers will use up to 10/ha (1kg/m2) so the rate is well inside the maximum levels. He did try pasture hay once with disastrous results. The water turned black and he had to drain the pond and start again. Natural production Given the running of the farm along natural principles, Syd reckons it could be called organic although it’s not actually registered as such. Dynamic Lifter is used to boost pasture growth and the ponds get a 2kg dose twice a year to boost the plankton bloom. There are no sprays used on the property and even the 11% protein wheat used in the ponds is grown organically. Pond levels are maintained throughout the year. Water is pumped to them from the reservoir via a 50mm small diesel pump. As a pond reaches the end of the production cycle it’s trapped heavily, drained and allowed to dry out before being limed at the rate of half a bag per 4. The house overlooks the farm. Aerial predators don’t hang around. 5. The farrowing boxes and a simple bio-filter removing the ammonia and organic solids. 6. The local ironstone gravel makes a cheap but effective bio-filter medium. 7. A healthy harvest off Have A Go Farm.

April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 7

FARM PROFILE

to 20°C whenever it is naturally below that mark.

A view of the ponds from the storage dam wall.

Syd finds that as the temperature rises – as it does should breeding extend into the warmer months – cannibalism becomes an issue. However as most of the breeding is done in the late winter to early spring it hasn’t been a major problem.

pond and lined with hay. The water pH is neutral at 7 pH. At an attrition rate of around 50% the Jenkins have to stock twice as many yabbies as the intended harvest. Stocking is between 5/m2 and 10/m2. The pair used to buy in their juveniles in but onsite breeding has been found to be more

8 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

economical. The small hatchery is the usual simple but effective flow through system with a central joining tank and separate farrowing boxes. Local ironstone gravel has proven to be an efficient medium for the bio-filter; moreover it’s a lot cheaper than the proprietary lines on the market. Water temperature is raised

One of the myths of yabbies is that they are impervious to damage. Not so says Syd. He’s found that despite their armourplated exterior, yabbies are sensitive creatures, particularly to cold and falling water levels. A cold snap for example will cause havoc to a breeding batch in the hatchery and trapping returns will drop to nearly zero. Falling water levels in the ponds will also bring about a dramatic drop in harvest rates. Syd says they are far more sensitive than they’ve been giving credit for. Marketing Initially the farm retailed its produce to the local hotels and restaurants. The money was good – $18/kg – but the cost of servicing the food sector carried hidden costs. Syd says the extra dollars weren’t worth it compared to selling to a

FARM PROFILE

wholesaler. “We take them up to John Brian at Moama. Selling in bulk is a far better proposition than going around to the retail outlets. John has country as well as city customers. Since country people don’t mind a few missing one claw, John can take a percentage of one-clawers.” Purging is another cost that selling to a wholesaler avoids. The pair hold stock until they have 50kg then run them up to Moama. They have found a current between two islands in the storage dam and they hold the stock in prawn trays just below the water surface. It rarely takes less than two days to build up the volume for a trip. Everything over 50g is harvested. The return is $12/kg delivered to the depot with yabbies of 60-70g bringing a $1/kg premium. Future Syd estimates the attrition on licenses that followed the introduction of PrimeSafe regulations and Fisheries Victoria’s Cost Recovery program has halved the number of people in his region. “I’m a member of the Australian Freshwater Crayfish Growers Association. We used

to get a good collection of people turning up to meetings. Since the new regs came in 50% or more are gone. It cuts into the strength of the industry.” Fisheries Victoria fees have halved since the Aquaculture Cost Recovery Standing Committee (ACRSC) has questioned the services that were charged under the first Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS). Gone are the peak body levy and the cost of the extension service. The Victorian government de-gazetted its recognition of the Victorian Aquaculture Council (VAC) as the growers’ peak body and the Inland Aquaculture Extension Officer’s position has been made redundant. PrimeSafe also seems to be more sympathetic to the needs of the industry. Syd has received a letter from them informing him that the first audit this year will be free. By selling to a mutli-water license, the Jenkins don’t really need a PrimeSafe license; however they have registered with PrimeSafe so as to remain independent. Syd reckons though that anyone starting up today would find it very difficult to get the number of permits required. “It

took us two years to get everything in place and now we’ve got it sorted we’re hanging onto it,” he says. “It’s $500 a year to stay registered, but that’s cheap compared to what it would cost to get started today. I told the shire chap that if they tried to take our permit from us we wouldn’t need the license after the payout we’d get from the court case!” Another lesson Syd’s learned is that a lot of the information available on yabby farming is based on laboratory experiments. “Ten yabbies in a fish tank are one thing,” he says. “A thousand in a pond behave very differently.” At this stage the hay contracting carries the farm but the Jenkins are working towards reversing that, phasing out the hay as the yabbies become the mainstay. With the yabby industry showing signs of the revival after the drought, it may not be long before Have A Go Farm becomes better known for its yabbies rather than stock fodder. By John Mosig Syd Jenkin can be contacted by phone on (0407) 852 898.

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April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 9

FARM PROFILE

These basil plants take only 3-4 weeks to grow from seedlings to sale size.

Murray cod and basil showcase aquaponics potential Following successful pilot scale trials, a commercial Murray cod and basil farm has been established at King Lake, north of Melbourne, using a simple recirculation system. Occupying an area only slightly larger than a tennis court, the aquaponics farm is still expected to be profitable, with both products commanding good market prices.

he October-November 2005 issue of AAM (19.5) ran a feature article on the PhD work completed on Aquaponics by Wilson Lennard at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). In that article Wilson outlined his ideas for a commercial scale Aquaponics systems growing Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii) and basil. Well, he has been busy and that facility is now gearing up for full production. Aquaponics is defined as the integration of recirculating fish culture with hydroponic plant production. Wilson explains 10 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

that there are several reasons for this integration, including: • Water conservation – little ‘new’ water is required. • Zero environmental impact – no nutrient rich waste water is discharged. • An additional crop is produced from the same initial resource, the fish food and the water. • Increased profit potential and faster start of cash flow with plants being sold within weeks of start-up (as opposed to the months required in fish-only systems).

• The nutrient concentration in the water is much lower than for traditional recirculation system, meaning the fish are living in a much cleaner system. • Herbicides and pesticides cannot be used so the plants produced are a premium, “green” product. • With the adoption of an organically certified fish food, the process should be able to be organically certified, leading to potentially higher prices for both fish and plant products. “Basically any freshwater species that

FARM PROFILE

can adapt to medium to high density recirculating aquaculture can be used,” explains Wilson. “We have chosen Murray cod because it is the species I have the most experience with and it commands a high sale price. However, other species could include barramundi (Lates calcarifer), jade perch (Scortum barcoo), eels (Anguilla spp.) and ornamentals. There are also a wide range of plant species that are grown with traditional hydroponic methodologies. In Australia these include leafy greens (such as lettuce, herbs, etc.), fruiting greens (such as tomatoes, capsicum, etc.) and horticultural species such as cut flowers, annuals and perennials.” As aquaponics is increasing in popularity, more of its benefits or advantages are being identified. According to Wilson, research completed in Canada shows that the aquaponic process can cut down bacterial and fungal infections or diseases in the plant crops. “There is a search underway for the ‘special factor’ in the aquaponic process that acts against the diseases. Also with aquaponics, higher growth rates are reported for the plants than for normal hydroponic systems. Thus there is a strong case for the use of fish with plants.” Wilson also cites research that indicates benefits from the integration with plants above and beyond those of removing the fish wastes. “There is evidence that the plants pull out various dissolved elements such as tannins and flavonoids (these could influence off flavour in fish cultured in ponds or recirc systems). Thus the plants can have a beneficial effect and assist the production of high quality fish.”

The top of one of the four biofilters showing the spreader bar which allows water to be introduced evenly across the column of polystyrene beads.

Proving the system With the RMIT results revealing the potential for aquaponics, Wilson needed little encouragement to look for an opportunity to prove his system commercially.

ren. A bunding system made from Besser blocks has been installed to ensure that all water from leaks and breakages remain in the shed. Outside there is a flattened region on which one 5m wide by 15m long polyhouse has been installed.

The Minnamurra Aquaponics facility has been established at King Lake in the picturesque Yarra Valley, around 75 minutes north of Melbourne. The property, owned by Warren Watkins, contains a 500m2 colourbond shed. With a 15cm thick concrete floor and 5m high ceiling, the shed provided an excellent base for the culture tanks and associated recirculation systems which were built by War-

“Because I was still at Uni for the first half of 2005, Warren basically built the entire system himself, from plans that I gave him,” Wilson says. “He has done a fantastic job with those plans and has improved on several component designs. We have a great partnership, because I provide the ‘egg head’ technical and scientific stuff, and Warren makes it all happen.

Operating costs, especially in the use of buffer to manage the pH in the fish system, can also be reduced. Wilson explains that the plants release bicarbonate as they take-up nitrate for growth. “This is because the plant needs to balance the fact that it is taking up a negatively charged ion (the nitrate ion), so it releases another negatively charged ion (the bicarbonate ion) to compensate. The plants release one bicarbonate molecule for every two nitrate molecules they take up, so some buffer still needs to be added.”

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The back of the polyhouse showing the fish culture effluent pipe coming in and the aquaponics effluent pipe running back to the culture shed.

“Given this and the other biological controls we have in the shed we have been told we could easily get a licence for barramundi.” With assistance from Vic DPI aquaculturists Fern Hames and Brett Ingram, Wilson applied for National Land Care Program funding. “The NLCP is managed by the Dept of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and provides a dollar for dollar funding for environmental friendly projects. With our zero nutrient output we were successfully awarded a grant of $22,500. This will be used to establish the remainder of the polyhouses, install digital water quality metres for the fish tanks and purchase a 0.8KW air blower and 4KW backup generator.” Whilst the pumps operations keep water temperatures in the insulated shed more or less around 18°C, a wood heater has been also installed. “This works really well,” says Wilson. “With only two red gum logs we can keep water tempera12 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

tures between 20 and 22°C overnight. With the expansion into more polyhouses we will also add solar collectors on the roof of the shed for water heating, further reducing power costs.” Whilst the system can run on dam water, it’s currently using filtered rainwater collected from their shed in a large tank. “At present we have around 32,000L in the system. This comprises 10,000L in the fish tanks and 1,500-2,000L in the support system (such as swirl separator, filters, sumps, pipes, etc.). The plant systems increase the water volume by 20,000L in each of the polyhouses (at the time of the site visit by AAM only one tunnel was in operation; as the fish biomass increased the other 3 will be added). There are five 2,000L polyethylene round bottom tanks each with a 50mm water inlet controlled by a ball-valve and a 50mm bottom drain controlled by an external standpipe. A stainless steel screen with a pore size of 4-5mm over

the outlet keeps the fish in the tanks. Effluent water is collected in a 200mm manifold which gravity flows into the swirl separator (1.2m diameter, 70cm high). This also has a 45° conical base with a release valve so that solid effluent collected in the bottom can flow out a 15mm pipe into a bucket for transferral to the compost pit. After flowing out the swirl separator, the effluent water then flows through a 200mm pipe to the screen (solids) filter which is contained in a colourbond box. “We have designed this to be a double cell box,” explains Wilson. “The water is split into half so we can clean each side separately. Each cell has a flat 100µm mesh screen. If this blocks with solids the water will overflow into a gutter so it is easy to see when cleaning is required. It is a simple matter of pulling out the screen and washing it with a high pressure hose in a 60L tub. The wastes and the washing water are also transferred to the compost pit.”

FARM PROFILE

The water then gravity flows into a 3,000L sump. “At present we are only using less than half the capacity; however the rest is needed if there is a pumping failure. We have built another 3,000L sump which we can use when we install more fish culture systems (at present Wilson and Warren plan to add three more).

The trickle column biofiltration systems use polystyrene bean bag balls providing a surface area to volume ratio of 400m2/ m3. “I have designed the system so I can insolate the fish or the plant sections, in case something goes wrong and a treatment is required,” Wilson continues. “Water is collected in a 200mm return manifold which can allow the water to go in one of three directions. One option is straight back to the tanks through 50mm feed pipes, another to the polyhouses via a 200mm feed or the water can bypass these through a 200mm pipe back to the sump.” Polyhouses Wilson and Warren negotiated with the polyhouse manufacturer to have straight side walls. “Usually the polyhouse start their semi-circle from the base which meant that along the sides there was less growing space for the plants. We got them to have straight walls to 1.5m in height before the semi-circle rises up to an apex at 2.5m. The frame is made from 25mm galvanised pipe whilst the skin is 60µm thick. Wooden battens hold the skin onto the frame. The skin has an opaque colour which scatters the light so there is more even exposure to light throughout the polyhouse. The skin allows the standard 92% transmission of light.” The polyhouse sits on a crushed gravel base so that any water spillages soak into the earth. There is a 1.8m wide by 1.8m

Warren Waktins checks on the Murray cod inside one of the 2,000L culture tanks.

DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

New investment opportunities in Victorian marine aquaculture Expressions of interest are now being invited for premium aquaculture waters in Port Phillip Bay and Western Port in Victoria, Australia. The Victorian Government is offering eighteen Crown leases totalling 192 hectares of Victoria’s high quality water for the purposes of aquaculture, in the first stage of allocation. The lease areas are ideally suited for growing shellfish. The allocation will be through a competitive online auction in late June 2006. Further opportunities to secure leases in these oceanic and bay waters may be made available over the next few years. Interested parties have until 12 May 2006 to submit an expression of interest to participate in the online auction. Find out more about this exciting opportunity by visiting www.dpi.vic.gov.au/aquareserves or call the Customer Service Centre on 136 186. For information about DPI visit the website at www.dpi.vic.gov.au or call the Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

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A Hurlcon 1.5KW pump pushes the water up 4.5m to four 500L biofilters – the hanging system has room for an four more. The biofilters are made from stainless steel, 350mm in diameter and 700mm long with 45° conical bases for easy drainage. “We have installed swing arms of our design to take the water from the 50mm supply pipe and distribute into the biofilters. We have ball valves on each so we can individually adjust the water flow.”

April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 13

FARM PROFILE

able. “I have had FCRs at Uni using this food of around 0.8, which I am very happy with. However, I am open to further suggestions in the area of available foods in Australia for native, carnivorous fish, like Murray cod.”

The water treatment system includes a swirl separator and a sediment trap (both pictured) as well as a series of biofilters.

high opening at each end which has an insect wire flap to keep out pests. Three rows of three plastic lined trays (4.8m long 1.2m wide and 150mm deep) are set at a height of 1m for ease of working. Each tray has a water volume of 750L. The water supply pipe splits into three manifolds (100m) that supply the trays. A flow rate of 250L/hr per hydroponic tray is maintained and water overflows a 30mm diameter standpipe to feed into a 50mm exit manifold. This in turn flows through a 200mm pipe back to the sump. Blocks of 40mm thick polystyrene float in each tray. Up to 270 holes (40mm) are punched into these to hold the plant seedlings, each of which is placed in a plastic ‘basket’ frame to supports it and its associated soil plug. The seedlings are supplied in 144 cell trays – a standard for the horticultural industry – and are propagated in soil. Floating in the culture water the roots of the plant quickly grow down to form a dense mass. “We have a density of just over 50 plants per square metre of tray. This allows plenty of space for them to grow quickly.” Biomass balance the key Wilson says that the key to managing the system efficiently is to keep the fish biomass from fluctuating too much. “Our system is based on producing around 14 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

500kg of Murray cod per year. At any one time, when at maximum production, the system will hold approximately 500 to 600kg of fish. This is the biomass of fish required to grow the number of Basil plants needed on a 3-4 week rotational harvest cycle to achieve the budgeted basil sales and profit. The Murray cod, around 60kg at present, were purchased from Steve Kanara, of L.V. Recirc., in Traralgon, Victoria) as advanced stockers (between 250-350g) and are to be harvested at between 750g and 1 kg. It should take six months. Wilson explains: “These fish have been purchased to start-up the system. Once we are happy with the technicalities of the integration of both fish and plant systems, we will purchase some fingerlings and, if available, some more advanced fish to gain the biomass we require. We will be looking for fish around 100-200g. This way we will have three separate cohorts of fish to cycle through the system, and in around eight months time we should be able to harvest fish every week.” Skretting Classic SS salmon diet is used. Whilst this might not be the most appropriate food for native fish such a Murray cod – as the protein is only 43% and oil content 15% – Wilson says that he has been unable to find anything more suit-

Harvest of the basil is very simple: the plants are cut at the base which leaves the plastic basket for re-use. The basil (leaf and stem) is then packed directly into polystyrene eskies for immediate delivery. “The beauty of aquaponic plant growth is that there is little, if any, soil involved, so the plants don’t get dirty. This makes harvest, packing and delivery a very efficient process in terms of the labour required. Warren and I can harvest and pack 50kg of basil in under an hour. One of our selling points is that we guarantee to get it to the customer within thee hours of picking. This means the basil is sweet and fresh and our customers love its aroma and flavour.” At Minnamurra all solid biological wastes and effluent or cleaning water is collected and put into a dry compost bed. The solids include fish mortalities, roots and other non marketable parts of the plants, fish wastes, and uneaten or spoilt food. The bed is a dry, aerated, style compost system (like most backyard gardeners use). Wilson says: “We plan on trying to sell this compost as a nutrient rich compost for gardeners and the like. The whole point is to create as little waste as possible and, with a little thought, most of these wastes can be marketed and sold.” Economics Although the initial capital input required ($15,000 for the fish system, $20,000 for the plant system and , $40,000 for the shed) was substantial, Wilson reckons the small scale system is till capable of large profits. “Our current system is only 500m2 in area. However we estimate that we will make some $100,000 a year from it at full production. Basically the revenue from the fish pays for all the operating costs of the systems; it is the plant crop where you make your money. “As the Murray cod needs to be harvested in small quantities, usually 10-12kg per week, we will be selling them exclu-

FARM PROFILE

sively to local restaurants who will offer it as a once a week special. In this way we will be getting $24/kg for live or gilled-gutted fish.” That translates to $12,000 a year. The return from the basil is much better although more seasonally variable – $10/ kg in summer but as much as $20/kg in winter due to low supply. “We chose basil as it is a fast growing plant. We buy seedlings (2 leaf stage, around 7cm high) for 7c each in 1,000 lots. Some 3-4 weeks later they are harvested at 30cm high and can be sold at approximately 80-90c each. “Our 3-4 week growth cycle is around 50% better than that achievable by ‘inground’, traditional basil farmers,” Wilson continues. “We can harvest them this early before bugs or other pests start to cause problems as we don’t use any pesticides or herbicides. Instead we have an integrated pest management system that includes the use of quick growing plants. Nevertheless, we will also be purchasing lady birds from Bugs for Bugs, a Queensland outfit. They sell the lady birds as eggs on egg cards, the lady birds hatch out and then start hunting and eating any pest insects such as aphids, mites, caterpillars and grubs.”

maintain pH is lowered. • Constant conductivity. • Plant yields are as good as that reported in the traditional hydroponic industry. As part of their NLCP funding arrangement, Wilson says that three workshops will be run to showcase the system. “We have one planned for May or June, another at the end of August and a final one before the end of the year. We are monitoring almost everything, so there will be a heap of data and information

available for people to see how well these aquaponic systems can work. “In the future, we have plans to double the fish capacity and add a further four polyhouses (bringing the total to 8). This will allow us to produce a tonne of cod a year, and around 20 tonnes of Basil a year. The ten fish tanks and eight polyhouses will contain around 180,000 L of water. We should be able to catch enough rain water to supply a system of this size

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“The fact that we can’t use pesticides and herbicides (because they may harm the fish), also means that the basil is ‘clean and green’, which also pleases our customers and aids in our marketing approach.” Wilson says that the system was extremely water efficient. “The makeup water requirement is only 0.6% per day to replace water lost through evapotranspiration. Other positive outcomes include: • Low system nutrients – the system runs at a maximum nitrate level of approximately 20-30mg/L and a maximum phosphate level of approximately 8-10 mg/L, while the conductivity never rises above 700 µS/cm). The goal is to balance fish nutrient production with plant nutrient use so this means that the hydroponic component is much larger than the fish component. • pH buffering by plants which means that the requirements to add bicarb to April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 15

FARM PROFILE

Management Metrics Key Management Decisions for Minnamurra Aquaponics include: • Production of two high priced products (Murray cod and basil for pesto). • Balancing of fish production to provide nutrients for the plant crop. • Zero nutrient output, everything is composted. • Use of wood heater and pump operation to heat room, will add solar collectors soon. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): • Culture System utilised: Recirculating aquaculture system with polyethylene culture tanks for Murray cod, trickle filters with swirl separator, plants (aquaponics) to remove nutrients. • Growth rate (from stocking to market): <12 months (100g to 1,000g) • Survival rate: 90% from first stocking to sale size • Av. stocking density: 50 kg/m3 • Annual harvest: 600kg at full capacity (currently 500kg) • Production rate: 60kg per 1,000m3 (growout system volume) per year • Water use: under examination • Power use: under examination • FCR: 0.8–0.9: 1 (number of kg of food to produce 1kg stock) • Productivity: 2 tonnes per Effective Fulltime Unit (240 days, 48wk X 40hr)

with rainwater collected from the shed.” Whilst Wilson is pleased with the progress of things at Kinglake, it has been long and hard. He has no qualms about admitting that the whole thing would never have been possible without Warren’s support, enthusiasm and com-

16 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

mitment to the process. “I met Warren at Uni one day and he told me he wanted to be a fish farmer. He asked me what I was going to do in the future and I replied that I would probably get a job in another field and leave aquaponics by the wayside for while. After being a stu-

dent for three and a half years I had no money. It was then that he proposed we go into partnership.” Since that day, the two have been working feverously to achieve their collective goals. “I think it is really great, and very brave, of him to have taken on this enterprise. We are really working in unchartered waters here and his commitment and enthusiasm has never wavered. I reckon the most important thing to come out of the whole process is that Warren and I have forged a really great business partnership, whilst becoming firm friends as well. I can’t say enough about how this partnership with Warren is pivotal to the success of my interest in commercial aquaponics. We have also had solid support from DPI Fisheries (Aquaculture) Victoria, in particular Fern Hames who has been extremely supportive of our work.” By Dos O’Sullivan For more information contact Wilson Lennard, Minnamurra Aquaponics, 390 Coombs Rd, King Lake West, Vic 3757. Mob: 0409 542-621, email: willennard@gmail.com

FARM PROFILE

Silver perch mainstay of stand-alone aquaculture business 1

1. Looking down over Pioneer Fish Farm from the headwater catchment reservoir. 2. Blue the dog. The most tireless and underpaid worker on the farm. He retrieves any dead fish that float to the surface. Very good at detecting early warning signs of a disease outbreak. 3. A bank of 4 x 40w UV tubes at Pioneer Fish Farm. A second bank is used when the second pump is in operation.

ioneer Fish Farm is on the Central Coast Region of NSW just 3km out of historic Gloucester and perched under the towering mastiff of The Buckets. With ample good aquaculture water and a warm temperate climate it has 20 ponds – ranging from 0·6ha to 0·3ha and covering 5·8ha – in production plus three dedicated water storage reservoirs. The farm’s history goes back to the mid 1970s when the family patriarch, Don Scifleet, bred tropical ornamental species. When Canberra opened our borders to fish bred in South East Asia the operation was shelved. Mark and Vicky got the farm going again in 1994 with a couple of trial ponds while he wound down his logging business before developing the farm fully as a silver perch producer for the seafood market. The Scifleets now have three permanent and three casual workers. The farm’s water supply is a mixture of run-off, bore and river water. The 28ML headwater dam collects run-off. There

are two settling ponds holding 21ML and 48ML respectively. Water can be pumped up from the river on a 390ML license. The whole farm is connected by a 150mm pipe giving multiple options for water movement. “Water is not an issue,” says Mark. “The district rainfall average is 1.4m. We harvest 100ML a year.” The farm is an integrated agri-aquaculture operation. In 1997, the Department of Soil Conservation designed the pond layout and the EPA approved the water use. The water can be utilised three times, twice on the fish and once on neighbouring irrigation farms. As Mark points out, the water produces beef, milk and fish. Water temperature – or rather thermal shock – can be a problem. While the warm temperate climate is ideal for growing warmwater species, the farm, is directly below The Buckets and adjacent to the Barrington Tops. With the tops carrying snow in a cold wet winter, the

region is subject to subject to sudden temperature drops that impact adversely on the fish. Given a temperature range from 8°C to 34°C, Mark says Pioneer Fish Farm is the home of Saprolegnia. A large shed is the heart of Pioneer Fish Farm. Situated in the middle of the operation it accommodates grading, purging, packing, ice room, hatchery and administration functions all under the one roof. One end of it even provides a home for wife Vicky, daughter Candice and son Walter. A huge advantage of this arrangement is that they are on site should anything go wrong. Ice is made onsite from the seventy thousand litres of water collected from the shed’s colourbond roof. This is treated before going into icemaking machine. There are six 9,000L and four 2,000L bottom draining tanks in the shed. After removal of suspended organic solids in the swirl filter, tank water goes through a April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 17

FARM PROFILE

Looking back up at The Buckets from the headwater reservoir. Note the over bearing presence of this mastiff on the farm.

second to none. I’ve done trials with other feeds, but I keep coming back to Select Nutrition,” Mark says. Mark trains his fish to feed at the surface – on a slowly sinking/floating pellet – from a very early age so he can see how they’re going.

4,500L biofilter and is UV treated. The plastic 6mm x 3mm diameter beads in the biofilter are made from recycled food grade plastic. The system gets a thorough clean down every four months.

which the fish have been harvested. All ponds are aerated. They run paddlewheel aeration at 8·5hp/ha. A 65Kva generator supports the pumping and aeration system and another 10Kva system supports the shed activities.

Mark runs two pumps in the shed. This allows him to move 28,000L/hr when he is lightly stocked and 56,000L/hr when heavily stocked.

Feed Select Nutrition diets are used. “Andrew (Rhodes) has been doing some trials here. I’m pretty happy with the feed he’s starting to produce, and the service is

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The farm has done away with automatic feeders. Whilst Mark says they were good for growing big fish the impact on water quality wasn’t worth it. Feed is now blown into the ponds once a day from the back of the tractor. If extra growth is needed, he’ll slip in an extra feed. Feeding rates again vary with conditions and the production required to cover the market at the time. Fry and fingerlings are fed to satiation. For growing fish it ranges from 1% to 2·5% of their biomass. The production cycle Good growing conditions occur from October through to the beginning of May. May through to the beginning of September is cold. Depending on the conditions they’ll breed from mid November to mid December to ensure to take advantage of good algae blooms. Even in the late spring there can be a cold snap. Production is geared towards market requirements; a best case scenario is 600g fish in less than 18 months while some are still on the place after 24 months.

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18 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

The fish are fed to suit the Pioneer production program. If the market is oversupplied and prices flat he’ll hold some ponds back. At other times he’ll push them forward. He finds this keeps his FCRs between 1·6:1 and 1·8:1. Given the new diets are dearer than the SP35, he uses the SP35 as a “gut filler” when he’s holding fish and the new diets when he’s pushing fish forward.

In a peak year Pioneer Fish Farm will turn off 35t a year. Fish come out of a mild winter with more growth on them and this makes all the difference. Last winter saw pond temperatures bottom out at 11·5°C and Pioneer looked to a solid harvest. But in the winter of 2002, pond temperatures fell to 7·8°C and 23t of fish were lost to Saprolegnia.

FARM PROFILE

A view of one end of the shed showing the tanks and the work packing floor.

Breeding program The Scifleets have bred their own fry since 1996. Don’s experience in the ornamental industry has proven invaluable and four genetic family lines are held on the farm. All broodstock are micro chipped. This season they will be breeding PFF3. Mark has noticed a steady improvements flowing from the breeding program. Instead of focussing on length the Pioneer program is developing thick, deep-bodied fish with a heavy ‘shoulder’.

The re-cycled plastic medium used in the bio-filtration towers.

Over wintered fish are split and graded in October. The shooters can go as heavy as 35g but the tops average 20g, the middle third will average 12g and the bottom 30% – some of them as small as 3g – will be “buried under the pumpkins.” By doing this, the farm avoids giving pond space to inefficient fish and improves their genetic line at the same time. Saprolegnia Saprolegnia is a problem in the silver

perch industry. A few treatments are being worked on at the moment, none of them particularly promising. Formalin is the pharmaceutical of choice. Fish are concentrated at one end of the pond and given repeated doses until the crisis has passed. Mark says maximum aeration is essential throughout treatment. He does see disease management as a normal part of husbandry. “Disease diagnosis and observation on the farms is a

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FARM PROFILE

lot better now. I’ve spent a lot of time with Phil Read (NSW Aquaculture Extension Officer) and Matt Landos (NSW Aquatic Veterinary Officer) and I’m reasonable confident with my microscope skills to be able to pick up the early signs of disease,” he says.

However, it is of great concern to Mark that since DPI made Dr. Landos’ position redundant there is no dedicated fish vet available in NSW through growers’ aquaculture license fees.

Marketing The farm is just three hours from Sydney. Half its fish go live and the other half fresh chilled. Mark sees no problems with the Safe Food regulations: “As long as everyone abides by the rules there won’t be any drama. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the fishing industry and Vicky has long experience in the food service industry. We understand what has to be done. It’s very easy to make a good product and it’s just as easy to muck good product up,” he says. He’s bullish about the markets. “There’s more of a market now than when we started in 1996,” he says. “I can’t see any reason why it won’t keep increasing. A lot of my customers sell into the Caucasian market. It’s all a matter of exposure.”

1. A view of the massive shed that is at the centre of Pioneer Fish Farm. 2. Mark besides part of the bio-filtration system. 3. A view of the tanks with purged fish waiting to go to market.

Most of his clients are regulars that Pioneer has been dealing with since 1999. But there are still fluctuations. Mark has noticed that demand ramps up in November/December and goes ‘through the roof’ for the Chinese New Year in late January/early February. It then flattens out till just after Easter when it falls away to less than half the summer market. The Scifleets have overcome adversity at Pioneer to establish a working farm that is a fully integrated agri-aquaculture water system drawing on three water sources. By observing what the market wants, and growing for that market, they have developed a stand-alone aquaculture business. By John Mosig Mark and Vicky Scifleet can be contacted by phone on (02) 6558 2379, or by email on mark@pioneerfishfarm.com.au Their website address is www.pioneerfishfarm.com.au

20 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

FARM PROFILE

The water is supplied from the Plenty River which is gravity fed through the ponds. The only treatment for the water is passing through a wedge wire screen to remove any debris. Photo by Andrina Fay.

Salmon Ponds upgrades ‘Once there was an Australian, a New Zealander and an Irishman and ...’ While this may sound like the beginning of a bad joke three such men run the oldest trout hatchery in Australia. Improvements are underway to upgrade the southern Tasmanian facility to produce more top quality stock for restocking waterways for recreational fishing.

ocated at Plenty, a short, scenic drive out of Hobart, the Salmon Ponds opened in 1861, making it the oldest trout hatchery in Australia. The facility is described as the birthplace of trout in Australia. These ponds were used to raise the imported fish that were to become the base stock of both Australia and New Zealand’s Brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) populations. The Salmon Ponds are spread over three acres of historic gardens. It is one of the last examples of Victorian style gardens in Australia, which makes the expansive lawn area and large exotic trees the main feature of these stunning grounds. This

facility is a fully functioning hatchery as well as a historical and educational attraction. While known as the Salmon Ponds most of the fish kept on site are actually trout. According to Phil Adams (the Kiwi), of the six display ponds at the facility five of these are stocked with trout. “We have Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), Rainbow trout, Brown Trout, Tiger trout (a Brown and Brook trout hybrid which is crossed using Brown trout eggs with Brook trout milt), albino Rainbow trout and Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar),” he explains. “The display ponds each hold between two or three hundred fish. These are usually older fish so they are

nice and big to make it easier for the public to see them. While we don’t breed all these varieties of fish here it’s more for the public interest and education.” Phil has been the acting manager at the ponds since the previous manager retired in January. “I’ve been here for about 15 years. I started out mowing the lawns and doing the gardens and then I moved more into the fish side of things. We are now looking at sub-contracting out most of the gardening.” These ponds (ranging in size from 40m to 200 m circumference by around 1.5 m deep) are all earthen based and fed from the Plenty River that runs alongside the facility. The water is drawn 1km upstream April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 21

FARM PROFILE

been a cool damp summer which has given us good conditions for fish growth.” Dissolved oxygen testing is also done only when required. “If the fish look distressed or if the temperatures are rising we do test the dissolved oxygen. We do use oxy-injectors to increase the (dissolved) oxygen levels.”

Phil Adams with some of the upwellers and trays used in the hatchery. Photo by Andrina Fay.

from the hatchery and travels half the way via a 4m wide open channel irrigation drain and then via a 300cm underground pipeline to the facility. The water is gravity fed which reduces the use of pumping on site. There is also a back-up system which draws water from the Derwent River 2km away via a 300mm pipeline. This supply is mainly used during the summer months when the flow in the Plenty River is reduced and the temperature has increased. “When the Plenty River warms up we can use the water from the Derwent which can be a bit cooler. The only draw back is that during the summer months the Hydro (Hydro Electric Commission) reduces the water supply from the dams, which cuts the river flow and increases temperatures in the Derwent too. But, usually the water is at least a couple of degrees cooler,” says Phil. The water quality from both these rivers is superb so very little water quality testing needs to be undertaken. “We do have temperature loggers in the display ponds but we don’t do any temperature manipulation. Generally the temperatures aren’t too much of a problem until summer – where we will run for long periods at 18-20°C, peaking at around 24 – 25°C a few times over the summer. The conditions this year have been something we get only once every ten years or so. It’s

22 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

The only treatment the water has before entering the facility is that it passes through a 1.5mm wedge wire to remove debris and to keep out redfin perch (Perca fluviatilis). “We have another wedge wire screen that the water passes through before leaving the site. This ensures that the solids that make it to this stage are captured and removed manually from a collection pit.” Because the display ponds are earthen with clay base there can be problems with excessive weed growth. To combat this, the ponds are drained once a year after spawning to be cleaned out before refilling. Tourism activities leased out While the ponds are owned and run by the Inland Fisheries Service, the tourist facilities are leased to a privately-owned company. This has allowed the restaurant, entrance and other tourist amenities to be run independently to the fish hatchery. “It means that we can focus on our core business – breeding and growing fish for the recreational fishery. Even our Museum of Trout Fishing and the Angling Hall of Fame may be adopted by a group of local volunteers from a community group. This will give a fresh look to the exhibits and take some of the pressure off us to maintain them.” While the facility is a working museum there are plans to bring some more modern technology to the ponds to enable an increase in production. “In the past we haven’t run the system with the aim to produce large numbers. Now with the new facilities and expertise of Eoin Ryan, (the Irishman) our other full time staff member, we are looking at ways of increasing our production and stocking rates. Eion has only recently joined us, being previously employed at Saltas, Tasmania’s largest Atlantic salmon hatch-

ery, so he has plenty of experience with intensive hatchery practices.” Phil notes that the planned increase in fish numbers will require more regular water quality testing and an upgrade of some infrastructure. Given the age of the Salmon Ponds, some sections aren’t particularly user friendly. For example, there are four 4m diameter fibreglass tanks which are 1.5 metres deep and 16 fibreglass troughs (each 4m long by 1.2m wide by 500 mm m deep) which Phil says will be replaced or re-utilised. “The area that holds our old tanks is to be reverted back to parklands eventually. So four new large tanks and another shed holding our troughs have been constructed in another part of the grounds. The age of the old tanks means there was no way they would have survived being moved. Our current hatchery is located in the same spot as the first hatchery which was basically a tent over a gravel filled stream. As with all fish farms there are lots of pieces of equipment we have on our wish list at the moment such as new graders, counters, fish pumps and maybe one day a fully recirculating hatchery. But we have to wait and see what is feasible.” Recreational stocking “Our focus is on the supply of wild rainbow and brown trout for the recreational market so our main income stream is licence sales, combined with the sale of eyed ova to the South Australian flyfishermen and some fry and fingerling sales to private fisheries.” Phil says that the production of wild fish is quite different to the production of the domesticated (cultured) fish. “We have a different end product; we don’t have to focus as much on size of the fish. We aren’t trying to grow a domestic, farmed fish – a swimming steak if you like. We are more interested in growing a leaner, more typically, wild looking fish Some of the lakes we supply with just one type of fish. For example Great Lake is managed as a wild brown trout and rainbow trout lake but has limited natural recruitment of rainbow trout, so we will supply as many wild rainbows as we can. “Inland Fisheries is using some of the

FARM PROFILE

excess brown trout population in our stocking program. Eventually we will restore the balance of rainbows versus brown trout which will hopefully be reflected in catch rates in future years. “We are aiming to grow the fish until they are about 20g before we release them. This is large enough for them to be able to adapt and survive in most situations, they are more economical to transport and this sizes gives them wild fish attributes by the time they are large enough to take (baits, flies or lures).” The farm gets its eggs from the wild stocks of fish at Great Lake. “At the Inland Fisheries base at Liawenee there are V-traps and canals set up especially for this purpose. The brown trout are stripped about mid May while the rainbow trout are stripped in September or October (a 1kg female can produce around 2,000 eggs) which is much later than the domestic stripping season. With the old technology in place this gives us a very short growing season as we try to grow them from fry so we can move them out before water temperatures increase around Christmas. However as we implement the new systems we hope to be able to grow them on through the summer and beyond

The old tanks are located on grounds which are to be converted back to a natural park land. New tanks have been built as these tanks are unlikely to survive being transferred to another area. Photo by Andrina Fay.

“All of our larger (display) fish are also stripped to prevent them from becoming over ripe and egg bound. But these eggs are not used as they aren’t as viable as the eggs from the wild caught fish.” Given a supply of eggs from wild stocks, the number can vary from year to year. “Each year we collect around 800,000 to a million brown trout eggs and usually we can get between 100,000 to 600,000 rainbow trout eggs,” says Phil.

These new tanks are the start of the new developments at the Salmon Ponds. These will allow for greater numbers to be stocked and the retirement of some of the old facilities. Photo by Andrina Fay.

The eggs are placed in the historic hatchery and left there to incubate in10L upwellers for a couple of months before being transferred to trays to hatch. All of this can be seen by the visiting public. The fry will stay in the hatchery until first feeding when they are transferred to large tanks. “We cover these tanks to stop the rainbow trout from jumping out and it was previously believed that the brown trout preferred a darker environment but they generally don’t seem to mind either way.” April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 23

FARM PROFILE

Few mortalities and losses Mortalities in the ponds and tanks are removed on a daily basis to ensure the paying public don’t see dead fish in any ponds. There is almost no predation with only an odd cormorant dropping by. “The survival rates vary for each year and there is also some variation between species. Generally survival rates are between 50% and 80%. The brook trout usually have a higher mortality rate and display poor growth. This could be due to small gene pool for the species and the high summertime water temperatures which affect viability.” The Salmon Ponds also hold elvers as part of the Hydro restocking program. Photo by Andrina Fay.

The hatchery is a working museum which is open to the public. This area of the hatchery is located on the exact site of the original hatchery in 1861. Photo by Andrina Fay

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Another reason for the variation in survival rates can be attributed to the occurrence of various common diseases in the hatchery. “We don’t have many problems with disease as we try and use routine preventatives such as having low stocking densities, and salt baths. We can have small outbreaks of columnaris, and gill irritations but it is generally water temperatures that are the triggers.” Until recently the fry have only been fed by hand but the loan of belt feeders from Tassal’s Russel Falls site has reduced this job. “We still do hand feeds in the tank farm. With the new tanks that have been constructed we will have provisions made to have automatic feeders in each tank. Out in the grounds we have vending machines so the public can feed the display fish. We do have to use a different feed in this machine as the usual fish diets contain too much oil and it gums up the machine so they dispense a low oil diet. We often find though that the public will feed our fish at the worst times, when it’s hot or the fish are stressed. But during the colder months visitors numbers are lower and we have to do more of the feeding ourselves. “We have just changed our feeders over to a new ‘Nutra’ fry starter supplied by Skretting that is imported from France and while it is more expensive, it is certainly worth the extra. This new feed, combined with this year’s lower summer temps mean we have many more fish surviving at about 10 g already.”

FARM PROFILE

Contract Transport With just two full time staff and one other person as a 0.8 position (Tim Browning, the Aussie), there is always plenty of work to be done. That’s why the facility has now contracted out transport of the fish. “We’ve found that this saves us quite a lot of time and money, because we don’t have the upkeep of a truck, transport tanks or fuel costs. And with fish being moved every few week it’s a substantial saving.” The fish are starved for 24 hours before being loaded to ensure the water quality doesn’t decrease substantially over the trip. Martins Transport and Toll are the two operators used – both are very well versed in the salmon transport industry. The fish are transported in 3m3 tanks sitting on trucks that carry from one to six tanks, all with auto and manual O2 delivery systems on board. The time saved is used for more grading, feeding and counting. “Previously we have done a hand grade every couple of months but we intend to do monthly grades using bar graders.” The Salmon Ponds aren’t all just about

Management Metrics Key Management Decisions for Salmon Ponds include: • Expanding from a tourism facility to a commercial hatchery. • Use wild caught broodfish to ensure quality of offspring (the resultant progeny are probably also more suited to release into waterways) • Contract tourism and transport activities to external parties to allow small workforce to concentrate on core operations. • Excellent site selection takes away a lot of problems, i.e. no water quality issues, low predation, few diseases, etc.

fish either. The facility also uses some of the troughs for holding elvers (short fin Anguilla australis). “Fisheries run a restocking program to return the elvers to various areas upstream of the Hydro dams. In the early days when the Hydro was building dams, there wasn’t much thought given to providing fish access past them. To stop this problem we go and trap the elvers during their annual early summer migration and bring them back here where we hold them before they are relocated. We do sometimes get fish in the traps as well so we use the opportunity to remove any bycatch.” The elvers are also used to supply commercial eel fisheries for restocking purposes.

The numbers of elvers caught annually varies, but can be as much as two tonnes, at ratios up to 400 elvers to the kilogram.

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FARM PROFILE

Despite the setbacks, Sea Bounty Mussels bullish on future prospects L

ance Wiffen goes back to the very beginning of mussel farming in Victoria, starting in the late 1980s. Fisheries Victoria (FV) had made several 3ha blocks available near Portarlington. At the time Lance was scallop fishing and, as his boat and crew often had spare time when they finished dredging, decided to give mussels a go. Marketing under the Sea Bounty label, he is now the largest mussel grower in Victoria. He also buys crop under contract from other growers and his processing works – just out of St

Daughter Kate stacking boxes ready for packing.

Hauling mussel ropes aboard.

Leonard on the Pearl Bay Coast – handles more than half the Victorian crop. What started out as a bit of a hobby has grown into an important part of the Victorian mussel industry. Lance farms in three aquaculture fisheries reserves: Grassy Point and Clifton Springs within easy reach of Portarlington and Flinders at the western entrance to Westernport. Lance has a permit to collect spat from either Werribee Spat Collection Permit Zone or Beaumaris Fisheries Reserve. These are socked off in Port Phillip Bay and either grown out there or moved to Flinders where they are free from overspatting and coral worm infestation. Port Phillip Bay mussels socked in December/ January will be ready for harvest by July. Those taken to Flinders will not be ready till after Christmas giving Sea Bounty an extended harvesting period. However, it hasn’t always been plain sailing. By 1987 Lance had moved past the hobby stage and installed new gear on his farm. But that was the year the Victorian industry was hit by the first of several bitter taste algal blooms (AA 13-1). After sending the first load of a bumper crop to Sydney he was staggered to get a

phone call telling him they tasted bitter. He tried some, and sure enough, they were inedible. That was in August. After three years and two crops,what had started out as a spare time venture now had to start returning money. By September he’d cleaned off the old crop and re-seeded with new spat. The next year he had another bumper crop. Many other farmers hadn’t felt confident enough to risk another crop and hadn’t re-socked. With the market under supplied Sea Bounty smartly moved the whole crop – at $1.70/kg. Today the price can be as low as $1.50/kg. With mussels now business mainstay, three hectares was not enough to make a living. Although Fisheries Victoria opened up a new reserve at Clifton Springs and gave growers with stocked farms another lease – making the standard farming area six hectares – two successive algal blooms put more pressure on the industry. Clearly the industry needed an alterative production area away from Port Phillip Bay as. To this end, a fisheries reserve was designated at Flinders. To take advantage of that, Lance needed a business and development plan and had to forfeit 3ha in Port Phillip Bay for every 3ha he took up at Flinders. Given the Port Phillip leases were vital to the operation, he instead purchased a lease from another grower to hand back to Fisheries. Then, having completed the transaction, Fisheries decided that anyone who had stocked leases in Port Phillip would be given water at Flinders on a one for one basis! Fisheries were most keen to accelerate the development of the extra water at Flinders. But for Lance to do that he needed more water in Port Phillip to supply the Westernport leases. Given that many of the leases along the Bellarine Peninsular hadn’t been taken up,

26 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

FARM PROFILE

Fisheries decided to re-issue them to any farmer who could demonstrate their allocated leases were fully stocked. It triggered a goldrush … long lines popped up everywhere, and in the wave of activity, again it was Lance who missed out. He reckons the process should have been more rigorous, with a more thorough examination of which blocks were genuinely being farmed. At the end of the day he had to buy the extra Port Phillip water he needed to make Flinders viable. “It just wasn’t done right,” Lance says. “Fisheries led me to believe the active producers would be encouraged. I’d done all the pioneering work. I’d invested in the infrastructure to support the development of the industry. I had the resources and I had the markets. I was doing Fisheries a favour by opening up the new water at Flinders. If I’d been given the choice of water at Flinders or Port Phillip I would have taken Port Phillip.” The experience left him with a bitter taste in his mouth. Westernport Lance found Westernport a hard place to work. It grew good mussels but while they were free of the fouling that occurred in Port Phillip, the economics were not the same. The exposed position was hard on gear and he found that he was getting 10t/ha/year from the leases against 20t/ha/year in the other bay. He had to get crews around there to work the farm and harvest the crop. Then the crop had to be returned to St Leonard for grading and packing. On top of that, the port facilities were not good. Parks Victoria closed the crane on the pier,and Lance fears that the pier will be allowed to run down until it’s downgraded from a working pier to a jetty for sightseers and recreational seafarers. The Westernport leases are also exposed to the prevailing south easterlies which is hard on gear as well as crews working the site.

On shore storage facilities for the enormous amount of gear that has to be ready for use are an essential part of mussel farming.

will close the farms for two days. Eleven points over 48 hours will close them for another two days. On the Bass Straight coast, squalls of rain coming through can hold up harvesting for days on end. So reliable supply is problematic. Nevertheless, having seen his future as a large scale producer of quality seafood, Lance continued to expand and now farms 18ha in Port Phillip and 60ha at Flinders. Or that’s what the documents say. The reality is not quite as impressive. The original leases were all 3ha blocks with lanes between them. Lance says Fisheries have now amalgamated the 3ha blocks using the outside co-ordinates as the new boundaries so while they may appear bigger on paper – and incur VSQAP charges based on the new larger acreages – the area under cultivation is still the same as the old leases. So of the 60ha he has at Flinders, Lance estimates just 36ha is farmable.

Production cycle Spat settlement usually occurs in late winter to early spring. Lance socks the 3mm to 5mm spat in December/January. In Port Phillip these mussels are usually ready to harvest from July onwards. He likes to get the ropes cleaned off before the next settlement. However, should the growing ropes become over spatted he will over-net them. This holds the crop together but means extra buoys have to be added to the line to compenLooking horizontally along the barrel of a mussel grader. Grading is a crucial part of quality control.

All hands on deck! Mussel farming is one of the biggest single employers after hospitality along the Pearl Bay Coast.

There’s more. The rainfall trigger for the Victorian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program at the Flinders – because the Peninsular is still on septic tanks – is also a lot lower than on the Bellarine Peninsular. A rainfall of 7mm over 24 hours April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 27

FARM PROFILE

Mussels from Port Phillip are harvested at 70mm to 75mm; mussels from Flinders at 75mm to 80mm.

The 150L buoys Lance designed. Note the fouling mark where they sit half in and half out of the water.

sate for the extra weight. Late-socked stock will be given a head start in Port Phillip before being taken across to Flinders. As there is no natural spat fall in Westernport, this stock will hold until the following autumn. Naturally, as in all farming operations, seasons vary and the above criteria are for a perfect world. As a rule of thumb the oceanic water of Flinders gives few hassles but slower growth. They’ll partially spawn around Easter as the autumn weather sets in but unless there’s a major weather event, they’ll hold their condition until as late as August. However, once they spawn completely they will take until Christmas to recover condition. In Port Phillip, the pattern is similar but, The busy packing floor at the Sea Bounty factory.

28 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

Spat collection has been unreliable over the years. Werribee has always been iffy but this season even the dependable Beaumaris reserve failed. Growers instead had to rely more on seeded ropes bought from a local abalone farm: Great Southern Waters. There is a silver lining though: the capacity to seed early in the season immediately after the natural spat fall is completed and to genetically select broodstock from the faster growing mussels. Crops have also been down over the last three seasons. From a peak in 2001/02 of 1,582t, the crop has steadily declined to 1,138t in 2003/04. Although difficult to nail down one particular cause, Lance suggests a combination of late seasons, sporadic spat fall and overstocking. Translocation protocol Over the last 20 years Port Phillip has become infested with several exotic species – notably the North Pacific Seastar (Asterias amurensis), the seaweed Undaria pinnatifida and the worm Sabella spallanzanii. As these species haven’t yet found their way into Westernport, Fisheries Victoria has established a translocation protocol for mussel ropes. At Sea Boun-

ty they bin the ropes, immerse them in freshwater for two hours and dry them overnight before being hung at Flinders. Mussel growers, like all aquaculturists, are conscious of the environment and have no problem complying with the protocol. Nevertheless, he does point out that other stakeholders – boat owners and fisherman for instance – can work their gear in Port Phillip and move around to Westernport without any supervision whatsoever. The buoys Sea Bounty uses are of Lance’s own design. Looking ahead he could see that the use of a mixture of coloured 20L cordial drums would eventually be considered as visual polluting. The new 150L black drums have a couple of advantages. Firstly, they sit deep in the water – which takes a lot of the bounce out of the line in choppy weather – and, being black, they aren’t as visible from the shore. The long lines are 32mm and run for 100m at the surface; the droppers are 14mm x 5m long. Whilst in Port Phillip they are set 35cm apart, because of the tides and the constant swell at Flinders the droppers are set a good 1m apart. Lance has trialed plough anchors with mixed success, although he is testing one now that seems to be able to hold. The standard rig is two 2t to 3t concrete blocks at each end of the long line. The Spry Report After consecutive crop failures due to bitter taste algal bloom at the turn of the decade, local MP Gary Spry called together a committee of industry representatives, marine scientists and Fisheries Victoria officers. The result, known as the Spry Report, made two key recommendations. One was for an alternate species, the other for alternate water. Native flat oysters were considered but disease issues and slow growth ruled them out. Scallops were also considered but not enough was known about their management and growth for them to be regarded as a commercial proposition. And, as Lance pointed out, there were plenty of top quality scallops coming out of Bass Straight, which made it hard to compete against. On top of that, mussel marketing had succeeded in supplanting

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once totally spent at the end of winter, these mussels regain their condition in just three to four weeks. Given this variety of cycles, Sea Bounty can selectively harvest its leases to ensure their clients get the best quality stock available.

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FARM PROFILE

Sea Bounty retail from their punt moored at the popular bay side destination Williamstown.

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scallops on many restaurant menus. When the government decided that Pacific oysters could not be introduced to Victorian waters at this stage, the alternative option was considered: more water. Again it was to Lance who Fisheries Victoria turned. “I took Richard McLoughlin (Fisheries Executive Director at the time) and Anthony Forster (Aquaculture Manager) up in the plane and out in the boat,” he recalls. “I showed them at Pinnace Channel what, in my opinion, was the best bit of water available. It was out of the way and sheltered from the west and the sou’ west. It should be a mixture of the best Port Phillip can offer as well as the benefits of the oceanic water from the heads. “The paper work was done and it was ready to go before the Parliament but was put aside till after the 1999 election. The new government put their own flavour to it and only now is it being made available. It has a huge impact on the industry. We needed the new water to escape the bitter taste algal bloom if we could. We were trying to grow too many mussels in too small an area. There’s no scientific data on it, but when we first started we could grow terrific mussels. Once all the leases became fully stocked they slowed down. We needed more open water to expand our industry. “The other thing is the markets. It didn’t happen overnight. The industry drove that. Food programs, lifestyle programs, samples to executive chefs and restaurants. We had developed an industry and we needed to expand and supply the market, but we didn’t have the product to back it up. Other people are now doing this, people in other states. They’re

FARM PROFILE

Sea Bounty Production Manager Lizzie Franklin setting the traceability data for the tags attached to every consignment of mussels that leaves the works.

“Fisheries have used the local growers to

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doing what we wanted to do. We were promised and promised but nothing happened. The last couple of years have been tough for the local industry. Our interstate competitors have been supported by their governments with water and infrastructure. This has given those industries confidence to invest. They’ve produced the product and they’ve now taken our markets. There’s nothing I can do about it because I can’t produce the product to challenge them.

April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 31

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gather information about the industry. We’ve attended meeting after meeting, all at our own expense, discussing growth rates, gear strength and configuration. All their information couldn’t have been put together without our help and industry experience. And now we find we’re excluded. Fisheries have opened up two sites, each of 27ha for 20 Victorian mussel growers who have made the industry what it is today from nothing. Fisheries have invited offers from Asia, New Zealand and from our interstate competitors. We’re also excluded in the sense that they’re bringing on the new water when our industry is at its weakest.”

Lance beside one of Sea Bounty's many support vehicles. The hanger can be seen in the back ground.

Processing Asked what he considered a critical mass of raw material to support a processing plant, Lance said firstly there would have to be confidence in two things; that the mussels would be available at the right time and secondly that they would have to be available consistently. For a mussel value adding industry to be viable based on the Victorian industry he felt that this would require a crop of 2,000t to 3,000.

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FARM PROFILE

Lance referring to the chart that allows him to trace at a glance where any batch of mussels packed off by Sea Bounty came from, when it was harvested and packed as well as the wholesaler to whom it was sold.

A cornerstone of Sea Bounty’s marketing strategy is its HACCP-rated processing works. Whilst this hasn’t really been tested, it easily coped with a throughput of 1,000 tonne in a year. A cool storage capacity of 10 tonne is available. Since the government’s food safety program was given over to PrimeSafe, everything seems to be duplicated. Sea Bounty has a HACCP audit for their certification, but then PrimeSafe can still send down someone to do spot audits. Ironically, the auditor for both can be the same! Why, Lance asks, should there a duplication of fees once HACCP certification is attained?

aerial inspection of his leases at any time to see how they are faring. Despite all the setbacks, all the knockbacks, Lance remains very positive about the future of the industry. “We have a fantastic product and the public have accepted it. What we need is enough water so we can guarantee a good product all year round.” By John Mosig Lance Wiffen can be contacted by phone on (03) 5257 1343, or by email on

The bitter taste is associated with the winter algal blooms of Rhizosolenia cf chunii. It is so named because it looks very similar to the species Rhizosolenia chunii that is an Antarctic species. It has been identified as far north as Sydney. The cells of the algae are quite large (0.1mm) and can be seen with the naked eye. It is too large for spat to eat but retards the growth of larger shellfish. It occurs naturally from June to September and is generally found at the lower, colder depths where it can find sufficient nutrients and preferred temperatures. The genus Rhizosolenia has many species some of which form cysts and others that do not. Only in 1998 was it discovered that the bitter taste algae do form cysts. Its presence is a normal occurrence and doesn’t cause problems unless it reaches high densities in the water column. These outbreaks are believed by mussel growers to be associated with bottom disturbances such as scallop and channel dredging during the cooler months. Scallop dredging has been suspended, but channel dredging is an on-going process. The Victorian government is considering deepening the shipping channels to accommodate the deeper draft ships that are now commissioned for the international shipping. The original plan suggested that dredging would take place in the winter, presumably so as not to conflict with recreational users during the summer.

sbounty@bigpond.net.au.

Sea Bounty’s mussels are organically rated and every one is traceable – back to the long line they came from. Lance is also conscious of the opportunity to value add when the crop reaches a critical mass sufficient to support a processing industry. A lot of research has been done to develop several products so that he’s ready when the opportunity presents itself. But, again, that depends on the allocation of sufficient new water. The shore based operation also provides shedding for the huge amount of gear and sundry vehicles necessary to run an operation of this scale. An added advantage is the all weather strip at the St Leonard facility. Lance is able to do an April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 37

FARM PROFILE

Single seed key to quality for Shoalhaven Oysters A shift from the traditional stick and rack culture to single seed has seen a significant increase in the quality of Sydney rock oysters being sold by a central coast farm. Direct sales to the public also maximises profits.

rian and Barry Allen, who have been farming Sydney rock oysters (Saccostrea commercialis) for some 36 years, take great pride from their long pedigree of oyster farmers. “Our family has been involved in the industry for over 100 years,” explains Brian. “Our Great Grandfather Bill Smith farmed the Georges River (near Sydney) and the Crookhaven River in the early 1900’s; our Grandfather Ted Allen Senior and father Ted Junior moved to the Crookhaven in 1951. Even now Dad likes to stay involved in things.”

Settlement and nursery The Allens use over 5,500 PVC slats for each crop rotation which might take a little over three years. “We get some winter growth but the majority occurs in the summer when water temperatures are above 18°C. We place the catching slats near the mouth of the estuary where the seed can settle on them. The best time to start is from the last week of January through to the first week of February and they will be left out there until October of the same year.”

Their business Shoalhaven Oyster Service (SOS) presides over 51ha of leases spread around the Crookhaven estuary, two hours south of Sydney. “We have different areas for catching and some for nursery; others can be used for growing and others still for fattening for market.”

By simply flexing the slats, the small oysters fall off onto some matting. “Usually the Sydney rocks are the size of a 10c piece or smaller. Any Pacifics (Crassostrea gigas) are identified and taken out (culled) by the grader. We can catch up to 2,400L of seed which we then need to grade.”

Like everyone else in the industry, the Allens used to grow their oysters on sticks but have now changed over to single seed production. “We needed to do this after several years of mass mortalities of our oysters due to winter mortality (caused by an unknown pathogen).”

Angled screens of different size mesh are used for the grading. quarter inch camm is used to provide the shaking motion on their simple grader which consists of three screens made from plastic mesh.

Barry and Brian opening oysters in their direct sales store

The graded single seed is grown in tumblers – a little like the Stanway Tumblers

Katie Allen with her innovative design.

– attached to ropes fixed below polypipe floats that swing with the wind and tides. The tumblers have either 3mm or 8 mm mesh. Usually around 4L of seed is placed in the smaller mesh tumblers which are brought back into the processing shed for thinning after 7-8 weeks having more than doubled in size. Another 4L seed are placed inside each of the 1,400 tumblers. In a further 8 to 10 weeks the process is repeated tumblers are regraded. Brian says that the tumbler stage ensures that the oyster seed develop a good shape. “The tumblers need to be placed on the lee side of islands or mangroves to give them some shelter from wind and waves; sometimes manmade wooden breakwaters are used. Another site selection criteria is good flow rates to ensure there was plenty of food for the young oysters.” The larger oysters are placed onto trays at around 14 months. Transfer to the trays usually occurs at the end of April or early May when all of the spat has been put through a barrel grader to sort onto 12mm and 20mm oyster trays. “We use some Tooltech Plastic trays which have lids, or some made from timber and Nylex mesh which are usually around 2m long by 1m wide and 50mm high. We staple shade cloth over the top of these wooden tray to stop fish predation. The shade also increases the growth of the oysters.” This nursery stage runs for another 8 to 12 months during which time the oyster grow quickly.

38 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

FARM PROFILE

Basket stage for finishing The final stage of the oysters takes 6-8 months during which time the shells of the oysters are thickened (shelf life increased). Growing occurs in baskets slung with shark clips attached to ropes from Bacoline running between 40mm polypipe uprights 1m apart in lines resembling a picket fence. The basic principles of the concept have been adapted from the highly successful BST Longline System developed in South Australia and now utilised in a number of oyster farming regions around the world. “We couldn’t use that system here because our water flows and tides are different. In S.A. they run the longlines (or fences) across the flows and these can extend for up to 150m in length. Our leases are long and narrow and go along the water flow. We would need way too much infrastructure to do it the S.A. way. So we developed our own system with the polypipes.” Brian says that they nailed normal oyster sticks into the 2.0m to 2.5m long polypipes to give them stability in the mud bottom. “The sticks also stop the pipes from sliding deep into the mud. We have them in lines of 101 pipes which allows us to put in 100 baskets. “When we were trying to decide what design of baskets we would have, we had a good look around at Taree, Port Stephens and other oyster estuaries. We examined what each of the farmers were using and got a few examples of the homemade and the commercial (manufactured) baskets. In the end we decided to develop our own design.”

1. Beautiful Sydney rock oysters from a floating basket.

Photo courtesy of Shoalhaven Oyster Supplies.

2. Barry opening some juicy oysters. 3. A simple yet very effective basket design. Photo courtesy of Shoalhaven Oyster Supplies.

line and opening the end. With a small guillotine, two people can make 100-120 of these baskets in a day. “We started with 1,000 baskets and soon found that all the oysters would wash to one end, where they would begin to stunt. You needed to shake them out to stop them bunching together, this took a lot of time. Then my daughter Katie came up with the idea of putting a float on the top of each basket.” 3

The baskets are 900mm long and 650mm diameter. The tubes are made from special oyster mesh imported from Gale and Pacific Shadecloths from New Zealand. “We have a franchise with them for NSW for the rolls of oyster mesh. It comes in a range of mesh sizes including 6mm, 12mm, 16mm and 20mm. It is black in colour and UV stabilised. The ends are simply folded in parts of the tubes. The Bacoline acts as a sort of ‘lock’ on which the float and the shark clips are attached. The tube is easy to open by pulling out one end of the BacoApril/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 39

FARM PROFILE

Ted ‘Junior’ Allen fixing the floating device to a basket. Photo courtesy of Shoalhaven Oyster Supplies.

Initially Katie tested a number of different materials and finally came up with strip (600mm long, 100mm wide and 50mm thick) of foam made by Thermoplastic Foam Industries Pty Ltd from Somersby near Sydney. According to Katie the Flotation 28 Buoyancy Foam is specially formulated black, closed-cell plastic foam. “We found it was particularly suitable for the flotation method of oyster farming because it is tough and

long lasting,” she says. “It is easily cut-tosize and inexpensive to use. “The float works very well,” explains Brian. “If there is a big wind then the shaking can cause most of the oysters to go to one end. With movement from wind and waves the basket will realign itself within a couple of days.” The Allens have a Patent Approved on their system and are sure that other oyster farmers will be able to utilise their system. “We have already found there is low (no) winter mortality which has allowed us to keep farming.” For her great idea Katie won the September 2005 Light Bulb Category of the NSW Department of State and Regional Development’s Young Business Idol Pitching Competition. “We usually get the last oysters of a batch through by May or June of the third year so we start selling them at 30 to 32 months. This is a good 4 to 6 months

40 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

A special foam float keeps the oyster basket in the surface waters, it also provides some shade from direct sunlight. Photo courtesy of Shoalhaven Oyster Supplies.

faster than when we were using the sticks and the oysters are bigger and of a much better shape.” Brian says that through the introduction of the tumbler to tray to basket system, the shape and quality of their oysters had significantly improved. “Although we have only been doing single seed for just over six years now, we can see great improve-

FARM PROFILE

A low environmental impact method for farming Sydney rock oysters in floating baskets. Photo courtesy of Shoalhaven Oyster Supplies.

A ‘picket fence’ of polypipes with the floating baskets. Photo courtesy of Shoalhaven Oyster Supplies.

ments. In 2005 at the NSW Oyster Farmers Association competition we won the awards for the Best Open, Best Unopened and Best Exhibit categories. We were also awarded Gold Medal at the 2005 and silver at the 2006 Sydney Royal Agricultural Show Fine Foods competitions.” Direct Sales SOS is a smaller producer needs to maintain high prices to stay profitable. “We are selling around 250 bags a year. The number of oysters in a bag varies with their grade – plate oysters are 85 dozen to the bag, bistros, 110 to 115 dozen, and bottles 140 dozen. We produce a seasonal product (no sales between July and September) but our oysters are in excellent condition for the rest of the year.

rants any more. We only sell through our shop (30-32 Greenwell Point Rd Greenwell Point, about 1km from their oyster depot). It is only if we have a few ‘tail ends’ at the end of the year that we might sell some oysters into Sydney.” Most of the sales are opened; the Allens use standard oyster knives. “With these two people can do around 75 dozen oysters in 90 minutes. We pack each dozen with a wedge of lemon and a plastic fork onto a polystyrene tray which is wrapped in Glad Wrap. We also sell the meats bottled in a salt brine. Recently we have added two value-added products – a mornay and a Kilpatrick which are proving to be very popular.”

All product ready for sale is displayed in a glass fronted three-door drink fridge. It is all opened on the day of sale. “We start around 5am to get the oysters ready for sale once the shop opens at 9am. The shop is open three days a week (Friday to Sunday) and we usually close at 5pm. During school holidays we are open seven days a week.” Brian says that the direct sales enable them to get immediate feedback from customers. “They are really happy with the extra flavour of our Sydney rocks and are willing to pay extra for it. Our plates sell for $12/dozen, a party pack of 30 bistros for $20 and $15 for a jar of 36 meats.” Like many other oyster farming areas in

It cost a lot to change from stick and rack culture to the single seed but the Allens just had to do it after losing four crops in five years due to winter mortality – during 2000 and 2005 they lost over 90% of their stock. “We are now cleaning out all the old rails and posts. It is a very time consuming job and the new infrastructure is costly, but it is worth it. We are now putting through the oysters faster than before (30-32 months compared to 36 plus the old way) and we have had very few winter morts.”

The Commercial Yabby Farmer

The Allens have decided to sell their entire product direct to the customer. “We don’t sell to wholesalers or restau-

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FARM PROFILE

Management Metrics Key Management Decisions for Shoalhaven Oyster Service include: • Shift from attached (sticks) to single seed methods. • Direct sales enabled them to get immediately feedback from their customers. • System of tumblers, trays and baskets to provide good shape, growth and shell appearance. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): • Culture System utilised: tumblers, trays and floating baskets. • Growth rate (from stocking to market): 32-36 months (0.5g to 70g) • Survival rate: >95% from first stocking to sale size • Annual harvest: 250 bags = ~25,000 dozen oysters • Productivity: 10,000 dozen oyster per Effective Fulltime Unit (240 days, 48wk x 40hr)

NSW, the Crookhaven oyster leases are working into their Shellfish Quality Assurance Program which is likely to result in higher costs of production. At present all of the oysters need to be depurated for 36 hours in UV-sterilised recirculated water. “We have a 14 bag tank which holds 70 crates – the tank is around 8m long, 2.5m wide and 80-90cm deep. We pump in clean seawater at high tide and run it through a UV light. The whole system operates with a Davey 171 Aqua Pump. However, the depuration stage does add to our production costs with the extra handling and expenses. “The Shellfish Quality Assurance Program is being run by the NSW Food Authority and we should be getting our classification this month (March 2006). Whilst the costs of the monitoring will be higher, we believe that with the SQAP we will be able to offer an even better and healthier product. “We get a lot of day trippers as we are only two hours drive from the south of Sydney. The weekend trade is very good. We find that people know little about the oysters and what is being done to ensure quality.

Barry (left) and Brian (right) are proud of their family’s history in NSW oyster farming. Photo courtesy of Shoalhaven Oyster Supplies.

“For example, many are not aware that it has been legislation since 1983 in the Crookhaven River (and elsewhere in the state) that the oysters must be depurated. The SQA-program will mean that our costs are increased as there are many charges for the monitoring. We tell our customers that oyster farmers are the ‘canary of the waterways’ and we are keeping a watch on other people’s pollution. “We are preparing a brochure to detail the SQAP, the rules for harvesting, the monitoring and our enhanced quality of the product. All of that should mean we can maintain our premium prices.” By Dos O’Sullivan For more information contact Brian and Barry Allen, Shoalhaven Oyster Service, 34 Greenwell Point Rd, Greenwell Point NSW 2540. Tel: 02 4447-1717. Thermoplastic Foam – 0437 266-254, mikegeffen@hotmail.com

42 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

FARM PROFILE

Passion for breeding endangered fish see Mary River cod success A southern Queensland fish hatchery is making a name for themselves in being the first to produce large quantities of fingerlings of various native fish species or local varieties of those species. In the past it has pioneered Australian bass and sea mullet fingerling production, and recently succeeded in breeding the endangered Mary River cod.

reshwater finfish in the Noosa shire in southern Queensland are very lucky because Sunland Fish Hatchery principal Gwen Gilson is watching their back. Driven by a passion to breed endangered indigenous species or local varieties, Gwen – who set-up Sunland in the early 1980s – and son Richard have now spawned Mary River cod in a controlled environment. According to Gwen this is the first time this has been achieved in Australia. The Mary River cod (Maccullochella peelii mariensis) is a smaller version of its famous cousin the Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii),. It’s still a good sized fish, with the largest recorded catch at 23 kilograms and an average size of five kilograms. Sunland was featured in the June-July ’05 issue (Volume 19.3) of AAM. Despite its success with yellowbelly (Macquaria ambigua), silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus), Australian bass (Macquaria novemaculeata) and sea mullet (Mugil cephalus), Gwen is driven to do things that haven’t been done before. “If some-one tells me ‘you can’t breed that fish’, then I want to have a go and do it!” she says. Gwen chose the Mary River cod as some populations were native to her area. “We have tried limited scale spawnings over many years with only limited success in the ponds. Then we thought we would try artificial breeding inside in a controlled environment of tanks. If this was possible then we would have a guarantee of getting eggs and then the chance to produce large numbers of fry.”

Public Hatchery Gwen says that the breeding techniques are similar to the Murray cod. Since 1996 she has been working with the Noosa and District Community Fish Hatchery located on the banks of Lake MacDonald. The facility was established in the 1983 by Gerry Cook, probably the first fish breeder in Queensland. Gerry focused on producing native fish for restocking, including the Mary River cod but was only able to produce limited spawnings. Indeed the first spawning resulted in just 45 fingerlings. Since early 2000 the facility – now run by Vince Collis and funded by council, government and stocking groups – has focussed entirely on the production of Mary River cod. Since Vince took over, the production of fingerlings has increased from just a few thousand per year to an average of 60,000 fingerlings per year. “Usually the hatchery sourced their broodfish from the wild,” explains Gwen. “New breeders are very scarce, and the 1

usual thing is to hold the newly caught fish for over six months before they are deemed suitable. For several years the Lake Macdonald hatchery have had some breeding pairs in 0.5ha of small ponds. However, there has been little success as it is difficult to know when the fish spawn and so when to collect the eggs.” Originally Gwen lent the hatchery two pair of broodfish and a spare male for experimental work in September last year. However, on a whim Gwen retrieved the fish to try and “have a go herself” in her indoor breeding tanks. Vince thought the odds for success were low because the male had no running milt, however, after what Gwen laughingly describes as “a candle-lit supper and some mood music”, the male was coaxed into breeding behaviour and the female spawned five days later in tank. The male continued to do his job and, lo and behold, Gwen had more than 10,000 fertilised eggs. Vince came out and verified the resultant spawning. Thrilled with the fantastic achievement Gwen is doing 1. The automatic weed controller not only removes water lilies and their roots but processes them into fertiliser too.

2. Sunland Casper Gordon All photos by Gwen Gilson

4 3

3. The Mary River cod breeders: Richard holds the 5kg male and Gwen has the 3.1kg female 4. 11kg Mary River cod, 94.5cm is mother of 5kg male.

April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 43

FARM PROFILE

further breeding work but she is keeping the technology under lock and key until she can prove it can be done routinely. Natural spawning in ponds Previously, Gwen tried to emulate their natural environment as closely as possible – using earthen ponds and various climatic conditions to get the fish to spawn naturally. “We think the most important is rising water temperature up to 17-18°C. This happens with winter coming into spring. Maybe light and food levels could be factors; the actual triggers are not known. We have been putting one pair, sometimes two, per pond with log-like plastic drain pipes (around 2m long and 45cm diameter) lined with flywire screen. The male cleans mud and other debris out of the tunnel in order to entice the female to lay her eggs in a neat layer.” Gwen says in the wild the male would look after the eggs until they hatch. “Once the spawning and fertilisation

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have been completed, the egg laden flywire is removed and unrolled in open troughs (2m long x 0.5m wide by 20cm deep). We have one trough for each ‘log’ and have a strong water flow through it until the eggs hatch. The wire is then removed to leave only small fish in the troughs. These fish still have a yolk sac that lasts 4 days.” Then comes another difficult time for the hatchery operators as the fish now require a diet of live feeds everyday. “We use a plankton net with a small glass in the bottom so the collected plankton will never dry out. It’s put into aerated buckets before being taken to the hatching troughs.” This labour-intensive exercise continues for 3-4 months until the fingerlings grow to a length of 4.5cm and weigh around 3-5g. Given Mary River cod’s status as a protected species, Queensland Fisheries regulations means Sunland is unable to sell the its fingerlings for stocking water impoundments and farm dams. So Gwen sells the fish to the aquarium trade. “As the babies can’t be taken from the wild, our fish are unique and scarce; they’ve become quite popular in the aquarium trade. Mary River cod make good pets as they grow to the size of the tank, so in a small aquarium they will stunt and live quite happily there. They are relatively easy to maintain by feeding with Tubifex or other worms, small insects, little fish, shrimp … in fact any small live feeds. As they get bigger they may take prawns

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44 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

and fish pieces from your hand.” Sunland’s aquaculture licence also allows it to sell Mary River cod fingerlings for culture as a food fish. If the aquarium market saturates then Gwen will look into it further. Organic production Prior to starting the fish hatchery, Gwen had accumulated years of experience in veterinary science equipping her with invaluable skills and knowledge for fish breeding . But she’s not adverse to calling in other expert help too. “We have also been utilising the professional services of pathologist Barbara Raymont to add a more scientific approach our fish breeding techniques.” The farm incorporates two sites, Ringtail and Boreen Point, about 12 minutes drive apart; the first has nine ponds for fry growout, while the hatchery sheds are located on the other site, which also has five ponds for holding broodstock. Gwen wants Sunland to be completely organic. The location and shape of the ponds has enabled her to use the sea breeze as a natural aeration system, cutting down on power requirement and equipment in the water. And she has other tricks to replace the use of chemicals “I grow herbs such as lemon grass and citronella grass along the banks and mow these regularly to keep the aquatic insects at bay,” she explains. But Gwen’s most unusual asset in her quest to be organic is her thoroughbred mare ‘Lady Zoom’ who has been ‘weeding’ the ponds. “We have a range of water lilies, weeds and reeds. The water lily is particularly bad as it anchors into the bottom. We can’t easily drag nets through the ponds to catch fish so we used to have to spend a couple of days cleaning them out. Lady Zoom is amazing as she swims into the ponds and she will stick her head under water to eat a lily or other weed.” Gwen noted that Lady Zoom’s daughter ‘Baby Zoom’ was also learning the tricks of the trade. “Of course our ’weed machines’ also make great fertiliser which is used to grow plankton in our ponds to feed the fish larvae.”

FARM PROFILE

Gwen’s operating philosophy is that prevention being better than cure. “We don’t use antibiotics. We use natural sunlight (not chemicals) to sterilize equipment such as nets and buckets. Fish that are destined for transport are given a salt bath (10%) for two hours with strong aeration. They then go into purging tanks before transfer into the 2,000L bulk transporter. “We do as much of our deliveries as possible as it is hard to get a reliable transport company. We also have a few customers who come to the farm to pick up their own fish. For smaller deliveries we pack them into double plastic bags, we can use foam boxes for these if the customer wants it.” Gwen’s next challenges include breeding the local variety of mangrove jack (Lutjanus argentimaculatus) and finding a mate for a blue-eyed canary yellow catfish (Tandanus tandanus) which she recently caught in a large SE Queensland irrigation dam. “We call him ‘Sunland Caspar Gordon’ and he is such a freak of nature. Being 1kg or so makes him three or four years old. Amazing that he has escaped predators for that time. And it must be hard for a bright yellow fish to sneak up

Management Metrics Key Management Decisions for Sunland Fish Hatchery include: • Speciality species provide interest and challenges, they were the first hatchery to successfully spawn the endangered Mary River cod in a controlled environment (Sunland was also the first hatchery in Queensland to breed Australian Bass, the first to spawn and grow the Lake Eyre Yellowbelly, and the first private hatchery in Australia to breed Sea Mullet). • Focus on producing quality 50mm long fingerlings of Silver Perch, Yellowbelly and Australian Bass for stocking farm dams and major water impoundments. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) include: • Culture System utilised: tank-based hatchery with fertilised ponds for fry ongrowing. • Growth rate (from hatching to market): 3-4 months for fingerlings (0.5 to 6cm) • Av. stocking density: 2 adult breeding pair of Mary River cod per 0.2ha pond • Annual harvest: about one million fish (50mm fingerlings).

on prey, unlike its grey-brown coloured relatives.” Gwen has contacted various museums and other experts and no-one had ever heard of or seen such a colour morph in catfish. Still, she’s hoping someone will have another like-coloured one to breed from and see if colour morph appears in the progeny. “Unusual coloured specimens of sooty grunter and barramundi have been recorded. But not it seems like our ‘Casper’ who is doing and eating

very well in his new home. I believe an albino catfish is alive and well in a Melbourne aquarium, but so far I have not been able to confirm that.” By Dos O’Sullivan For more information contact Gwen Gilson, Sunland Fish Hatchery, Gilson Rd, Boreen Point, Qld 4565. Tel (07) 54853144, Fax: (07) 5485-3266. Email: sunland@microed.com.au

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NEWS

Biosecurity critical for hatcheries and farms Mass mortalities of various aquaculture species from a range of diseases caused by infectious 'bugs' (pathogens) has heightened the calls for all aquaculture facilities to develop and implement a well planned biosecurity program. For many, though, a 'biosecurity program' is limited to having footbaths that staff (sometimes) walk through. Whilst a well planned biosecurity program involves much more than this it need not cost ‘an arm and a leg’. In fact, good biosecurity programs are as much about awareness in farm staff as they are about quarantine and disinfection. Here are some ideas and advice on how you can improve biosecurity for your operation.

iosecurity. You’ve no doubt heard about it. It might not be getting as much media attention as “homeland security” but nevertheless people are talking about it. We even have Biosecurity Australia, a special division of the Federal Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry tasked with maintaining our relatively pathogen-free status through a series of quarantine protocols and other mechanisms. For aquaculture, biosecurity is becoming increasingly important as disease events occur on facilities around Australia. A few years ago there was the white-spot syndrome virus (WSSV) outbreaks in 1

farmed prawns; most recently there was a herpes-like virus that caused mortalities on some abalone. In other species (salmon, kingfish, oysters) there are a number of pathogens that need to be managed. And all experts agree that with further expansion of aquaculture, there will be more disease outbreaks. In a nutshell, biosecurity for aquaculture facilities must ensure reductions (total elimination is usually not commercially possible) of: • the number of pathogens (bugs that can cause disease be they viruses, bacteria, fungus or parasites) getting onto the facility; • the movement of pathogens around

the facility, and • the resultant stock losses (or decreased production through slower growth rates). Most well managed aquaculture facilities would already have a selection of mechanisms to ‘control disease’, including vaccinations, chemical treatments, disinfections, alcohol hand sprays, quarantine, health surveillance, appropriate water quality and so on. Is this sufficient? Overseas experience would say no! Biosecurity was a major issue discussed at the recent (2005) World Aquaculture meeting in Bali, particularly issues associated with hatchery production and 1. Filamentous bacteria 2. Other bacteria Leucothrix mucor 3. Vibrios on an agar plate

46 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

(Photos supplied by Stephen Newman, AquaInTech Inc, USA)

NEWS

growout of shrimp (prawns). Most the issues are very similar to those for other culture species. The panel of experts had many words of wisdom that all Australian aquaculturists, not just the prawn farmers, should heed immediately. Importance of whole of farm approach In order to sustain high levels of biosecurity, Dr Julie Delabbio (Bluefield State College, West Virginia) told participants that it was important that management personnel understand the underlying factors that influence biosecurity utilisation. “It has often been assumed that lack of education and/or lack of basic knowledge about biosecurity were the major reasons for inadequate biosecurity utilization. However, our research has shown that onfarm biosecurity is influenced by a number of factors. Some of these are related to the physical and biological characteristics of the farm enterprise; others are related to farm management and ‘social’ characteristics of farm personnel. “Management’s pro-active and continuous support of biosecurity utilization was found to be one of the key factors in creating sustainable biosecurity practice on a site,” she said. Julie was quick to point out that most farm management teams or individuals were well aware of the need for biosecurity; many even had developed some policies and procedures. However, the problem usually one of sporadic attention to biosecurity practices. She said that often there was no system to manage and implement the biosecurity. A common observation was that the program or plan was sitting on the shelf and never seen by the staff. In some circumstance, the biosecurity program was driven by Government and it might not be specific to site (or technology) problems. Thus on the farm or hatchery only the minimum amount of biosecurity was actually undertaken. She said that the problem was that often the biosecurity practices were seen as an ‘act of faith’ – for example egg disinfection and foot baths. “The farmer’s perception of the main risk is usually during the process of moving fish onto site, not

on the systems, feeds and people. Thus biosecurity is not seen as a priority and often only undertaken when the boss is around.” Julie’s message is clear – a lack of knowledge is not the primary reason why a biosecurity program doesn’t work. Often it becomes a priority only after a crisis. Australia industry specialists are quick to confirm Julie’s observations, not only with issues such as biosecurity, but also with OH&S, quality assurance and environmental protection. One such expert is Dr Paul Hardy-Smith, a veterinarian who has worked full time in the field of aquaculture for the last 12 years both in Australia and internationally. Paul was involved in the recently published book Aquaculture Biosecurity – Prevention, Control and Eradication of Aquatic Animal Disease. Published by Blackwell Publishing, this book contains twelve of the thirty presentations given by diverse stakeholders at a three-day special session 'Aquaculture Biosecurity 2004' at the 2004 World Aquaculture Society’s conference in Hawaii. Paul’s article 'Biosecurity at the Farm Level – How to Create a State of Mind' discusses why having biosecurity 'aware' farm managers and farm workers can significantly minimise risk in an aquaculture facility and examines how to develop this 'awareness' at the farm level. The answer, it seems, is primarily one of empowering staff.

importance of peer pressure, she gave the example of travelling in a car where everyone else has put on the safety belt; you would feel you should also. Likewise with certain biosecurity practices such as hand washing in alcohol or keeping equipment sterilised and specific to a certain area of the farm. “Also the personality of an employee, as well as other characteristics of the individual, were identified as factors contributing to the quality of the biosecurity utilised. For example, the type of person (clean, responsible in comparison to someone with poor personal hygiene) will also have an effect as will their own personal beliefs on fish diseases and biosecurity.” The problem of sporadic biosecurity practices is also influenced by the type of employment. For example, a long term experienced person is likely to have a greater opportunity to learn about the importance of biosecurity than a temporary, seasonal or part time employee. On the other hand, long term employees can become fixed in their ways and reluctant to adopt new practices.

So the crux of the problem is obvious: no matter how good strategically a plan or program is, it is useless unless woven into the facility’s ‘fabric’ and ‘owned’ by the staff. “Positive and negative rewards for practicing biosecurity, communication about biosecurity concerns and keeping employees informed of new disease developments in the operation, industry and region were seen as significant steps towards consistent, quality biosecurity use on site,” said Julie. She pointed out that it was important to understand the social factors of the business. “Social factors such as group identity and peer pressure were found to be important influences on biosecurity utilization on a site.” With respect to the April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 47

NEWS

Management needs to create a proactive approach to biosecurity. Rather than just addressing and defining policies, authorities and responsibilities, it’s imperative that the management create a ‘culture (awareness) of biosecurity’. Julie noted that in sectors of the Atlantic salmon industry, quality assurance management systems, such as ISO 9001:2000, were being employed on an experimental basis to enhance biosecurity utilisation and reduce the risk of biosecurity breeches. Training and education are thus a vital component in building a biosecurity quality management system that maintained continual improvement involving

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people at all levels in the business. This is the third step of Paul’s 7-step process which is designed to ensure a high level of awareness in farm staff, irrespective of the size of the farm: 1. Start with the right people. 2. Instil a sense of pride in what farm staff do and in the venture/company. 3. Train farm staff in the skills of fish health (including an understanding of the concept of biosecurity). Importantly, make sure a significant portion of this learning be farm based. 4. Let farm staff improve on what they’ve been taught i.e. give them some ownership of the process. 5. Ensure there is a structure in place that: a) Makes farm staff use skills they have been taught; and b) Is useful to the enterprise. 6. Keep farmers up to date with industry knowledge. 7. Maintain good communication channels. There is no doubt that on most facilities lots of informal education is already occurring as workers learn about biosecurity from senior employees who mentor the juniors on biosecurity. However, there is certainly a need to build on this and several companies are now using the assistance through an experience person / supervisor to push the ideas. “It is critical to explain to staff the principles behind biosecurity in a language they understand,” Paul says. “It is also critical to give staff the opportunity to suggest modifications to any biosecurity practices that are implemented. When they understand why something is being done they will often come up with a better way of doing it because they are doing it all the time.” Specific measures – importance of sanitation Sanitation can be defined as the measures taken before, during and after production runs to maximise health by minimising the impacts of diseases. As part of a biosecurity program this would start with all of the inputs onto the facility, including: • Water • Feeds

48 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

• • • •

Broodstock and/or seedstock Equipment and vehicles People Pests, pets and other animals/organisms.

Dr. Stephen Newman (AquaInTech Inc., Washington) said that the biosecurity program must also encompass the entire range of movement of possible sources of infections throughout the production cycle. “Successful management of all of these areas is vital to lessening the chances of loss of animals due to infectious diseases.” He noted that the prevention of the entry of pathogens into hatchery systems was critical to the successful outcome of the production process in hatcheries and subsequently on the farms that receive these animals. Optimum sanitation should result in both high survival in the hatchery (for example in a prawn hatchery survival should consistently be >90%) and decreased costs of production per animal. Higher survivals in the farm due to decreased pathogen movement is another benefit. Finally, optimised husbandry can result from stronger animals. The success of such an approach is discussed in the Case Study (insert box). He said that proper sanitation began with the design and construction of the facility. Considerations included: • Tank design, configuration and composition • Ease of water exchange, ease of cleaning and disinfection • Source of water, quality and quantity, reservoir holding capacity, expansion capacity. “Using Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) animals as the source of broodstock, or at the very least animals that are free and clean of the ‘worst’ diseases, is an important first step. Animals should be held in clean disease-free environments to keep them pathogen free. Seed need to be kept free of potential pathogens. Typically iodophors and other chemicals (formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde) are used in this process in conjunction with large amounts of clean water.” Moreover, Stephen said that the water needed to be clean and free of pathogens

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to start with. “This is usually the result of Standard Operating Protocols (SOPs) that entail the use of sequential filtration, water quality control monitoring and/or disinfection (UV, ozone) of the water prior to it being used. It is impossible to culture shrimp (prawns) without bacteria being present in the system and every effort needs to be made to ensure that potential pathogenic bacteria loads are kept to a minimum. “Historically many hatcheries have relied on the use of antibiotics to accomplish this which is not a wise practice. The use of bacterial amendments that can outgrow potential pathogenic bacteria is finding wider use and it is quite feasible to lower pathogenic, such as Vibrio, bacterial loads using this approach. Filamentous bacteria often cause problems as the high organic loads in low rate water exchange hatcheries lend themselves to these types of bacteria. Certain ‘tamed’ chlorine compounds (such as Chlorion, a branded high purity Chloramine T product), have been used quite successfully in preventing pathogen problems, and, on occasion, in treating problems. This is a chemical, it is not an antibiotic so it can be added to culture tanks to treat problems.” Stephen also said that Artemia and algal culture can introduce pathogens into the system as can locally prepared feeds that have not been prepared using acceptable methodologies. “Decapsulation of Artemia cysts or the use of Chloramine T will reduce bacteria loads to a negligible level. Bacterial loads in algae tanks are controlled by the proper use of sterile technique and water disinfection protocols.” Stephen concluded that it was possible to produce high quality pathogen free PLs with high survival rates consistently in hatcheries utilizing the aforementioned tools. “Survivals in excess of 90% are readily achievable. We at AquaInTech Inc. work closely with our clients to reach this goal and that once the goal is achieved it can be maintained.” Whilst the case study and the above discussion focus on prawns, they also provide important lessons for other culture sectors.

Prawn case study on whole-of-farm approach This information on a Malaysian black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) hatchery and farm was supplied by George Chamberlain (Mega Prawns, St Louis, Minnesota): • White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) was a major factor limiting production of black tiger prawns in Asia. • Hatchery and farm management technology involved screening of post larvae, fine filtration of water and pond management with zero water exchange. • This was successful in controlling WSSV; however, occasional outbreaks still occurred. • Next step was the development of a SPF line of black tiger prawns to eliminate WSSV as well as other viral diseases which affect growth rates and size uniformity. • This required investment in a PCR diagnostic laboratory as well as primary and secondary quarantine facilities. • This was highly effective in avoiding disease outbreaks and improving yearround productivity of the hatchery and farm. • Third step (now underway) involves use of SPF stocks as foundation populations for a breeding program targeting fast growth as the primary selection criteria. • Additional efforts toward development of high performing feeds (using extruded rather than pelleted diets). • Other management practices include the use of a database to facilitate storage and review of pond data and the use of live harvesting system that improves quality by directly pumping live shrimp into an ice slurry.

Importance of monitoring A successful biosecurity program will produce obvious results with high survival and greater profits. However, the key to this is a regular monitoring that continually checks those critical points in the systems where problems can originate (eg. like the HACCP – Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points – approach for food safety). Stephen said that there were a number of important reasons for doing this: • To ensure that we know when the system fails or begins to fail; • To proactively maintains sanitation, not reactively fix problems, and • For insurance. For this a microbiological laboratory using scientifically valid techniques is necessary. Whilst smaller operations can’t afford such facilities there are an increasing number of government and private laboratories in Australia that can do the work. Thus, in summary, effective and proactive biosecurity plans or programs have a number of requirements. They must: • be custom built to site and/or technology; • involve personnel and management at

• • •

•

all levels (this is co-ordinated by a key person, usually QA manager/officer); take in account variability in the personnel (social factors); incorporate a continual improvement process; be self audited so the evidence is in front of the people who need to be using it, especially through regular audit management meetings, and establish a culture of responsibility amongst the staff.

The implementation of a proactive biosecurity plan or program not only result in a more sustainable and profitable business, it has the wider benefits of demonstrating responsibility with neighbours and the larger community. By Dos O’Sullivan For more information contact • Julie L. Delabbio email: jdelabbio@bscmail.bluefield.wvnet.edu • Stephen G. Newman, email: sgnewm@aqua-in-tech.com • George Chamberlain, email: georgic@integra.prserv.net • Paul Hardy-Smith, email: panaquatic@ozemail.com.au April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 49

NEWS

New investment opportunities in Victorian marine aquaculture A

quaculture in the state of Victoria currently accounts for a small but growing component of Australian production figures. In 2003–04, Victorian marine and freshwater aquaculture was worth $23.8 million, or about 3.3 per cent of Australia’s $732 million production value. That’s all about to change with the Victorian Government’s decision to release a substantial amount of premium offshore marine water to private operators for aquaculture. New aquaculture leases now available Registered long-term Crown leases for aquaculture sites are being allocated in two major protected bays – Port Phillip Bay and Western Port – which are close to a sophisticated service industry, and an integrated road, rail, sea and air transportation network. The clean offshore waters have temperatures suited to growing shellfish such as mussels, abalone, scallops and flat oysters. The leases have become available follow-

ing the recent establishment of nine Aquaculture Fisheries Reserves (AFRs) in the bays (see map). These areas of Crown land (water) are expected to increase the area available for marine aquaculture production by 669 hectares. Port Phillip Bay and Western Port are well-positioned to facilitate growth, with a 20-year history of producing premium quality seafood. The bays are renowned for commercial harvest of blue mussels. There are already a number of successful operations and in 2003–04 the Victorian mussel aquaculture industry produced 1,100 tonnes of mussels, worth over $3.1 million. Victoria is among Australia’s largest producers of blue mussels. Private sector investment in Victorian aquaculture today is estimated at more than $50 million and includes world class examples of offshore aquaculture production facilities, coastal abalone farms and enclosed re-circulation systems. Following the allocation of leases in the AFRs, Victorian aquaculture industry

farm-gate production value is also expected to approach $50 million, and will directly provide up to 500 additional skilled employment opportunities. Interested entities should prepare an expression of interest now Until 12 May 2006, the Victorian Government is seeking expressions of interest for a first stage allocation of 18 leases covering a total of 192 hectares. Allocation will take place in an Australian first for marine aquaculture leases: a competitive online auction. Participants will be able to target single or multiple sites of interest by submitting single or package bids. Interested parties must submit an expression of interest, including a development plan, for assessment (see box below). Qualified applicants are eligible to participate in the online auction. It is expected that a further 477 hectares of Victorian marine waters will be made available for the purposes of aquaculture in the near future.

Register to receive an information package for developing an expression of interest Interested parties must register with the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to receive information which will help in the preparation of an expression of interest. • Write to marine.aquaculture@dpi.vic.gov.au with your name, postal address, phone number (including area code) and an indication of how often you check your emails. For more information • Visit www.dpi.vic.gov.au/aquareserves DPI will regularly update the website with new information, as it becomes available, about the allocation process. • Call DPI on 136 186 (if dialling from outside Australia, please add international code +61)

50 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

NEWS

AQUANET – the Australian Aquaculture Industry Suppliers Network T

he inaugural meeting of AQUANET – the Australian Aquaculture Industry Suppliers Network was held in Canberra on Friday 17th March under the auspices of the National Aquaculture Council. Chaired by Reg Breakwell of Tooltech P/L, who has been the driving force behind the establishment of a suppliers network, the inaugural meeting was attended by members of the NAC and several leading players in the aquaculture supply industry who have embraced the concept wholeheartedly and agreed to join AQUANET as founding members. Australasian suppliers of aquaculturerelated products and supplies, services and consultants are being encouraged to join AQUANET. How does AQUANET work? AQUANET will be administered by the National Aquaculture Council (NAC), who will provide executive support to the network, and dedicate a percentage of FTE to Executive support. It provides basic service offerings to industry as outlined in the benefits and services (see below) through encouraging membership and can also provide discounted services such as websites, advertising and promotions. Membership of AQUANET is set at an economically responsible rate of $550 (GST inclusive) per annum. Membership provides greater access to additional services of benefit to either all of AQUANET, or a group within the network and helps members to identify other members with similar objectives. For example, a group may seek direct assistance in filling out an application for Federal Government Funding or share costs in an international market-evaluation trip.

Benefits/services AQUANET will… • provide a central hub to help customers find Australian suppliers of aquaculture-related products and supplies, services and consultants • list each members’ products and services, alphabetically and categorically, in one easy-to-find on-line directory • focus on attracting industry interest from Australia and Internationally. • network members with regular updates on new members and product/service developments • secure priority bookings of floor space at the Australasian Aquaculture Trade Shows • group together companies wanting to exhibit in international events to lower costs for individual participants • inform members of relevant Federal industry grant schemes, giving plain English interpretation on which department, who to contact and what the grants are about Depending on the membership base that can be acquired, AQUANET will be in a position to do things such as: • progress Promotion of Australian services, products and technologies both domestically and internationally • Apply for grants that will collectively benefit all members (such as Export Market Development Grants, and Commercialising Emerging Technology grants) • Enhance the website to include interactive forums and on-line purchasing Future Opportunities By developing innovative and creative networking methods, AQUANET should be able to attract Government support as there are a range of clear benefits for industry and the Australian economy. Opportunities such as the “Information

Technology On-Line” grants could be accessed to enable members to engage in e-commerce and direct marketing – some areas they may not have been able to access or trial without the network. Prospects for developing technology clusters and marketing consultancy services internationally will also be enhanced. How to be involved in AQUANET AQUANET members join as a category of affiliate membership of NAC. This gives all the benefits of a dedicated association, but solves having to set up a new incorporated body or company, which would then need a Chairman, Secretary and all the other “burdens”. NAC understands that members would simply prefer a service. Existing corporate members of the NAC are entitled to honorary membership of AQUANET. Other network members pay a yearly subscription fee to the NAC as affiliate members through the AQUANET membership application form. The membership fee is $550 per annum (including GST), with an initial aim for a minimum of 50 members, with an ambitious target of 100. Founding members are those who have had their membership fees provided to NAC by Friday 31st March 2006. The Amount of gross revenue from membership fees will have an effect on the amount of executive support available and will also open other doors for helping the collective group achieve much more.

For more information about AQUANET call Simon Bennison at NAC on 0407 776 439, or Reg Breakwell @ 0408 749 883. Applications forms can be obtained by calling National Aquaculture Council @ 02 6281 0383 or emailing: nac@asic.org.au April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 51

NEWS

Prawn and oyster quality the highlight of aquaculture competition T

he 2006 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show wrapped up in February with the judging of the Aquaculture Competition. Judges were more than impressed with the high quality farmed prawn and Sydney rock oyster entries. This year a total of 44 entries delivered seven gold, eight silver and 17 bronze medals. The Competitions have moved forward quite significantly considering the number of points needed to win a gold has been increased. This is reflective of the impartial judging practices that have been continuously improved over the years. “We have seen almost a 50% increase in Aquaculture entries at this year’s Show,” 52 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

said Grahame Latham AM, Chairman of Judges. “We also experienced a dramatic increase in the quality of product presented for judging in both the prawn and oyster classes.” “These results indicate that the real winners of this competition are, not only the producers taking home the medals, but the end consumer, particularly in NSW, who are currently spoilt with the quality of produce available to them.” NSW companies Hazelgrove Oysters and Tathra Oysters took out two gold medals in the Sydney Rock Oyster class. Five gold medals in the farmed prawn class went to Queensland companies Bullock Creek Prawn Farm, Coral Sea Farms Australia, Pacific Reef Fisheries and the

Hinchinbrook Prawn Company which won two medals. Fine Food Committee Chair, Lyndey Milan, said: “The February session of the 2006 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show has been an overwhelming success. All classes, coffee, pasta and aquaculture have delivered fantastic results for their respective industries and highlight the significance of our Show, as one of the premier food events in the country.” Full competition results are available at www.sydneyroyalshows.com.au. Trophy and Champion Award winners will be announced and presented at an Awards Luncheon at the 2006 Sydney Royal Easter Show of Wednesday, April 19.

TECHNOLOGY

Skretting hosts nutrition workshop D

uring March, Skretting hosted a workshop on salmonid nutrition for farm and hatchery managers from Tasmanian Atlantic salmon and trout farming companies, as well as researchers from various institutions. Presentations were made by three of Skretting’s senior nutritionists; Drs Wolfgang Koppe and Martin Rimbach of Skretting’s Aquaculture Research Centre (ARC) in Norway, and Dr Rhys Hauler of Skretting, Australia. The Skretting ARC is a centre of excellence in aquaculture research in Rogaland, Norway, and is at the forefront of nutrition development. Historically Skretting ARC focussed on Atlantic salmon, trout, and marine species such as sea bream, sea bass and turbot. It also has a co-ordinating role in collaborative work as well as research into newer species in aquaculture such as Atlantic cod. Nutritional recommendations made by the ARC are disseminated and utilised by the Skretting network in designing diets that precisely fit our customer’s needs. Every Skretting plant around the world is audited for its nutritional compliance by members of the ARC to ensure that our standards remain high. Mr James Rose, Managing Director of Skretting, Australia, opened the workshop by welcoming all delegates and introduced the speakers. James also reinforced Skretting’s commitment to continue informing Australasian aquaculturalists of developments, topical issues and global trends in aquaculture. Dr Wolfgang Koppe, Nutritional Manager at the ARC, through his presentation ‘Alternative raw materials in salmon feeds: global trends’, provided compelling evidence on the decline in marine ingredient availability driven by strong demand from Asia and the need to identify alternative raw materials. Wolfgang then went on to detail the extensive research undertaken on fish meal and fish oil replacement, research that now underpins modern day dietary formula-

ARC Nutritionists and part of the Management team at Skretting, Australia; (Back, L-R) Dr Wolfgang Koppe, Dr Rhys Hauler and Dr Martin Rimbach. (Front, L-R) Ms Melissa Cheer (Financial Controller), Dr Matthew Bransden (Technical Service Manager), Mr Stuart Fyfe (Quality and Food Safety Manager) and Mr James Rose (Managing Director).

tions of reduced marine product use but comparable fish performance and sensory evaluation by customers. Importantly, Wolfgang described how all nutritional research undertaken at the ARC is benchmarked against ‘all-marine’ diets to ensure that modern day formulations meet or exceed historical formulations. Dr Martin Rimbach, Senior Researcher at the ARC, described the progression from research to implementation of the results within all Skretting Business Units, in his presentation ‘From R&D to feed: formulation of feeds in Skretting.’ Martin illustrated the various methods used to determine nutrient requirements, and how growth was not always the best measure of performance dependent on the nutrient in question. Martin also explained the process of ingredient digestibility determination at the ARC, and how this information is used to assess all raw ingredients instantaneously using near-infrared technology to ensure Skretting feed exceed nutritional requirements. Finally, Martin highlighted the processes that govern all Skretting Business Units to ensure the strictest nutritional guidelines are met. Dr Rhys Hauler, Nutritionist at Skretting, Australia, explored the OptiLine concept used as part of the formulation criteria for salmon in his seminar ‘Optiline:

Atlantic salmon’. Rhys detailed how OptiLine ensures optimal performance at different life stages of growth while flexing to the trends in global raw material prices. Rhys concluded the presentation with some salmon performance data at elevated temperatures, information strongly pertinent to the Tasmanian industry during summer conditions. The day concluded with an open forum, and included discussion around residue monitoring. Mr Stuart Fyfe, Quality and Food Safety Manager, discussed the rigorous testing of raw materials and feeds, and the strict standards set by Skretting globally. Issues of salmon health were raised, and Dr Matthew Bransden, Technical Service Manager, flagged Skretting’s continued commitment to fish health through the launch of the Skretting Fish Health Technical Network. Matthew detailed how the network will oversee the development of health products and supplements while also acting as a resource to customers when dealing with on-farm health issues.

For further information or for a copy of the presentations please contact Rebecca Ridgeway at Skretting (03 6216 1228, Rebecca.Ridgeway@nutreco.com). April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 53

TECHNOLOGY

Introducing a revolution in water quality monitoring A

quasonic is pleased to announce a new partnership with Data Acquisition Networks to bring an exciting new product that will revolutionise the way aquaculture enterprises are monitored and controlled. The DAN AQUACULTURE CARE system can monitor and record parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, salinity, flow, ORP. Should additional requirements be necessary, these can also be added. All data collected is then sent to a website automatically. Easy secure log on allows viewing of the data in real time from any place where internet access is available. No special software to buy or install. And the data can simply be saved for future reference. Availability of data records provides tools for real time data monitoring and for the comparison of yields and batch performance, and/or securing evidence of compliance. The DAN AQUACULTURE CARE web-

54 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

site can also be used to change operating set points and assist with the control of the process. Three output relays can turn equipment on and off based on preset conditions. For example, once dissolved oxygen level drops below a minimum set point, an aerator can be preset to automatically turn on, ensuring the fish do not become stressed and optimization of performance can be achieved. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that simple! It can directly turn any equipment on or off, such as pumps, paddlewheels, blowers, oxygen and or ozone etc. Every input being monitored can each have up to two alarm points. Alarms can be notified to a contact (and up to four others) by SMS and/or by email. This allows anticipation of problems before they occur. Instant readings can also be retrieved through a mobile phone at any time. The exciting part about the new DAN AQUACULTURE CARE product available through Aquasonic, is the ease of set

up and operation. No software to buy or install. Once DAN unit is installed itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a matter of logging onto the web site and answering a few questions. The DAN monitor can be used is a wide variety of applications, from indoor recirculation systems, outdoor on ponds or even for laboratory research. It may well be the first truly economically viable method for monitoring outdoor aquaculture pond facilities as it can be mounted near ponds, powered by solar panels; no wiring back to base is needed or power to the site. Therefore the only wiring is from your sensors to the ponds. Very uncomplicated.

For more details and pricing, please feel free to contact Aquasonic, 14 Commerce St (PO Box 311), Wauchope, NSW, Australia 2446, Phone 02 6586 4933, Fax 02 6586 4944, sales@aquasonic.com.au, Web Site www. aquasonic.com.au

TECHNOLOGY

Dr. Mark Porter Joins Ridley Aqua-Feed D

r. Mark Porter, a lecturer at University of Tasmania, is set to join Ridley Aqua-Feed in May. He will strengthen the support team to provide expert assistance to customers on all matter relating to aquaculture. “We recognise that Ridley Aqua-Feed has progressed leaps and bounds over the last two to three years and we have demonstrated to the aquaculture industry in Australia and New Zealand that we are a serious player in the market” said Warren Mainey, the General Manager at Ridley Aqua-Feed. “However, we cannot be complacent. We need to improve further still and to supply our customers the kind of technical support that they would expect from an industry partner and not just a supplier”. “We have a small but highly dedicated and committed team, but as we have grown, we also need to be seen to continue to offer support to our customers in the way they have begun to expect from us. The appointment of Mark Porter will supply the industry this expertise and take our support to a new level that may not be supplied by any other feed manufacturer”. Mark Porter relocated to Tasmania from the Institute of Aquaculture, Stirling University, Scotland in 2002 where he conducted his PhD and post Doctoral studies understanding how photoperiod and light intensity controls the hormonal

mechanisms in fish that effect growth and maturation. He has 18 years research and commercial experience in aquaculture and has worked with numerous fish species of salmonids and gadoids, also Atlantic halibut and European sea bass through collaborations in Norway, Spain, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Chile, Australia and North America. His recent work involves laboratory studies and industry based commercial scale trials funded through CRC and FRDC aimed at understanding how environmental information and energetic status controls the onset of puberty and somatic growth in Atlantic salmon and barramundi. In addition he is investigating the impact of stress and ways of reducing stress levels in commercial husbandry practices. All these studies have a common goal of increasing commercial production and as such fits with the Ridley Aqua-Feed current research profile. Mark and Ridley Aqua-Feed have been working a number of related projects investigating the effects of photoperiod in Australasian species and the impact on flesh quality. Current services offered to remain Mark and his laboratory offer a unique service in the Southern Hemisphere. The laboratory routinely measures a range of reproductive, growth and stress hormones

in a range of species and offers commercial advice based on these findings. “We recognise the importance of this support that Mark currently offers the Aquaculture industry” said Warren Mainey, “and as such, it would be remiss of us to remove this considerable expertise and resource from the industry”. “In order to allow this support to continue, Mark will be maintaining the laboratory at the University of Tasmania and current CRC research commitments and will be offering his expertise as normal; the industry should not feel they are loosing this technical support”.

Mark or any of the team at Ridley AquaFeed can be contacted on 1800 268 200

New hatchery products from ADSI & Aquafauna Biomarine Aquatic Diagnostic Services International (ADSI) P/L is pleased to announce new AlgaMac products from the USA’s No. 1 hatchery diet manufacturer and supplier, Aquafauna Bio-Marine. Aquafauna Bio-Marine’s range of premium quality hatchery diets has been increased with the introduction of: • Algamac 2500, a spray-dried Crypthecodinium algae in powder form containing high levels of DHA (42% of total fatty acids); • Algamac Enhance, a spray dried Crypthecodinium and Haemaetococcus algae in powder form, high in DHA and natural astaxanthin, and • Algamac ARA which contains a minimum 12% by weight of ARA (arachidonic acid), a unique phospholipid source of arachidonic acid suitable as a component for broodstock/spawner and larval diets also readily ingested by Artemia nauplii. For further information on the products, Algamac 2500, Enhance & ARA and other Aquafuna hatchery products including brine, visit ABM’s website at: www.aquafauna.com and to find out prices and to order, email dhudson@hypermax.net.au or call Dr Darryl Hudson @ ADSI on 0409727853 or fax an order to 07 33526689.

April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 55

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ABALONE DECISION HELD ON ABALONE FARM AT PINDIMAR Great Lakes Council has placed on hold a decision on a proposed land-based abalone farm at Pindimar, referring the application to a number of authorities. If it proceeds the application could lead to a farm producing 60 tonnes annually. Source: Great Lakes Advocate (15/3/2006).

PETITION PRESENTED AGAINST ABALONE FARM A petition protesting against development of an abalone farm off Elliston has been presented to the South Australian Democrats. The document carried the signatures of some 300 people. SA Democrats leader Sandra Kanck has called for the Environment Minister John Hill to protect the waters adjacent to the Investigator Group Islands under the Wilderness Protection Act. Seven years ago the Department of Environment and Conservation recommended nomination of the area for protection. No decision has yet been made. Source: Port Lincoln Times (14/3/2006).

ABALONE CENTRE VANDALISED In February vandals entered the NSW Department of Primary Industries centre near Tomaree Headland, causing damage prejudicing research into abalone cultivation. They turned off 15 air and seawater pumps, stole around 50 abalone and damaged equipment. Their acts have jeopardised four years of work at the centre Source: Port Stephens Examiner (23/2/2006).

APPLICATION FOR ABALONE FARM AT ANXIOUS BAY Australian Bight Infrastructure has applied for a marine abalone aquaculture licence near Elliston. The company proposes a 20-hectare subtidal farm at Anxious Bay adjacent to Waldegrave Island. Permitted farming methods at the site are sea cages and longlines. The deadline for public submissions on the application is 3 March. Source: Port Lincoln Times (23/2/2006)

BARRAMUNDI AFTER THE STORM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MARINE HARVEST BARRA FARM Earlier this year large king tides and strong winds resulted in damage to holding pens at the Marine Harvest barramundi farm at Point Hurd on Bathurst Island, resulting in the loss of fish. Following a visit to the area by Fisheries Officers, Executive Director of Fisheries Bill Flaherty April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 57

FISHENEWS

states it appears most fish were swept out to sea by a storm over Bathurst island. Reports of a fish kill have been greatly exaggerated. While several cages were carried away, they were washed up on a sand-bar approximately 500 metres from the farm site, and have since been secured. Source: Territory News (3/3/2006).

BARRAMUNDI GO TO BOWEN STATE SCHOOL Bowen Family Fishing Classic and Wet Weekend crew members have provided some 200 barramundi fingerlings to the Bowen State School, with the help of the Bowen River Fish Stocking Association. The students will raise the 120mm fingerlings for a year until they are 1000mm, when they’ll be released into the river. Source: Bowen Independent (10/3/2006).

CELL AQUACULTURE MAKES FIRST SHIPMENT TO NETHERLANDS Cell Aquaculture has shipped its first batch of barramundi fingerlings to Tolbert in the Netherlands. The West Australianproduced fish, which arrived with nil mortalities, will be grown out in the company’s joint venture facility, which uses the company’s technology and equipment. Plans are to produce 50 tonnes in the first year. There are hopes to develop more European operations, in Britain and Spain. Cell Aquaculture, which listed last year on the ASX, is also interested in supplying barramundi to the US and Asia. A deal was recently signed with US company Delta Aquaculture Services, securing 50 per cent equity and a seat on the management board. Cell Aquaculture technology provides a controlled sealed environment for aquaculture that can be set up anywhere in the world. Smaller-scale systems have been designed for the Australian market. There are plans for the company to extend from supplying barramundi to include Murray cod and golden perch for the overseas market. Source: AAP Newswire (7/3/2006); Sonia Neufeld in the Courier Mail (8/3/2006); Fleur Mason in the Fremantle Gazette (7/3/2006); Emma Brennan in the Western Suburbs Weekly (7/3/2006).

MARINE PRODUCE’S OPERATIONS AT CONE BAY Marine Produce operates a 165-tonne nursery capable of handling 200,000 fingerlings concurrently, with two sea cages. The facility is located at Cone Bay in the Buccaneer Archipelago near Derby. The company plans to expand the nursery and add 10 new sea cages by mid-2006, providing a total capacity of 1,800 tonnes. There have been several commercially-simulated harvests, but the barramundi has not yet been marketed commercially. Marine Produce also has a prawn project in the Northern Territory. Source: James Moses in Business News (16/3/2006).

CUMMINSCORP ON TO STOCK EXCHANGE The Gold Coast’s Cumminscorp is to list on the stock exchange in March. The company will list with 147 million shares with a par value of $0.20, giving a paper value of $29.4 million. It’s hoped the money raised will help bring the company’s water technology products to commercialisation. There are three divisions, aquaculture, clean-water technology and industrial water 58 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

clean-up. The aquaculture arm reported $2 million in sales in the first 5 months of 2005 – the division started manufacturing its $50,000 18 metre square aquaculture systems while the other divisions were still in research and development. There are now 77 employees. In later news the stock closed at $0.15 with a turnover of 2.35 million shares. Source: Gold Coast Bulletin (15/3/2006); Central Western Daily (17/3/2006).

AUSTRALIS PROGRESS IN THE US After only 18 months Australis Aquaculture has revamped the largest US indoor fish farm, stocked it, developed a national distribution network of 114 wholesalers, and produced a branded sales program for barramundi in the US. Production and sales are rising, now with whole fish weekly sales at 6,500k. It’s expected that within weeks there’ll be an initial large order from a supermarket chain. Expansion of the facility could lead to a production increase reaching 1,000 tonnes annually. One of three Australian hatcheries is contracted to air freight 200,000 barramundi fingerlings to Australis each six weeks. Broodstock barramundi were recently shipped to the Turner’s Falls farm, and some 500,000 hatchlings have been produced. The company’s intent is to arrange a reliable year-round supply of fingerlings to allow future production of 4,000 tonnes of fish annually. Australis listed on the ASX in August 2004. Source: Business News (16/2/2006).

NT BARRA FINGERLINGS TO THE UK The Aquabella Group is growing out fingerlings produced in the Northern Territory in the New Forest area of England in the UK. Aquabella is the second Northern Hemisphere venture established to grow barramundi – the first was Australis in Massachusetts in the US. The fish grown in Britain are sold as ‘New Forest Barramundi’, but consumers are told they originate in Australia, to take advantage of an image of the tropical environment. The British farm will produce 400 tonnes of fish in 2006. Source: Eric Tlozek in the Northern Territory News (13/2/2006).

WEATHER AND TIDE EXTREMES CAUSE FISH LOSSES Large king tides and strong winds have resulted in damage to holding pens at the Marine Harvest barramundi farm at Point Hurd on Bathurst Island, resulting in the loss of $500,000 of fish ready to harvest. It’s the second incident due to strong tides in five months – in September around 100 tonnes of ready-toharvest fish were lost when a steel cage failed during strong tides. The farm was established by Nutreco as a pilot project in 2000. The long-term aim is to produce 10,000 tonnes of barramundi annually. Currently 25 to 30 tonnes is supplied weekly to the national market Source: Paul Jackson in the Northern Territory News (8/2/2006).

100,000 FINGERLINGS SO FAR More than 100,000 barramundi fingerlings have been produced so far this year by the Gladstone Fish Hatchery, and recently more than 3000 200mm specimens went to Rockhampton for release into the Fitzroy River. The hatchery supplies fingerlings

FISHENEWS

all around Central Queensland and to other parts of Australia, though not including the Northern Territory and Tasmania. The fish that went into the Fitzroy were purchased by the Fitzroy River Fish Stocking Association using $5000 donated from the proceeds of recent Rocky Barra Bounty fishing competitions. Source: Gladstone Observer (13/2/2006); Jolee Wakefield in the Morning Bulletin (13/2/2006).

FINGERLINGS RESCUED A $6000 shipment of 10,000 barramundi fingerlings destined for Noela and Geoff Burke’s Craignish fish farm was rescued after the batch was trapped at Sydney airport. High winds delayed the initial flight from Cairns, and the consignment missed the connecting flight out of Sydney to Hervey Bay. Carrier Virgin Blue offered to send the shipment by road, but the Burkes elected to have the fish flown to Brisbane instead, and to pick them up by road. Adding to the drama, the Burkes were delayed by the effects of a road accident, and then discovered the fish had been moved to a warehouse rather than being kept at the Brisbane airport terminal. They estimate 10 per cent of the fish were lost. Source: Jocelyn Watts in the Fraser Coast Chronicle (16/2/2006 & 17/2/2006).

EELS FUNDS FOR EEL FARM STUDIES The Federal Government has provided $90,000 to help fund an eel farm to be operated by the Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation. The farm is to be recreated as a traditional operation – based on 8000-year-old Aboriginal aquaculture technology at the site using weirs and traps. The Natural Resource Innovation Grant will support studies over the next eight months to assess the sustainability of eel farming and harvesting at Lake Condah, in the Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape’s waterways. It’s hoped the work will show that the Gunditjmara people can obtain a commercial eel fishing licence. Source: Liz McKinnon in the Warrnambool Standard (15/2/2006); Shane Fowls in the Portland Observer (10/2/2006); Hamilton Spectator (11/2/2006).

MARKETING FISH NAMES A national committee of experts has come together in Hobart to extend the list of standard fish names and have discussions with taxonomists. The intent is to ensure the committee and observers are kept current on CSIRO work relating to fish species. The committee has congratulated the Sydney Fish Market on its progress in ensuring its auction system uses seafood names from the Australian Fish Names List. Proposed amendments to fish names are to be listed for public comment on the Seafood Services Australia website – www.fishnames.com.au. Source: Open House Food Service (February 2006).

M U R R AY C O D MURRAY COD DNA LIBRARY Scientists in Victoria are using a library of Murray Cod DNA collected over many years to help learn more about the fish. Some DNA evidence is from scales collected more than 50 years ago. The material is helping in development of a selective breeding program for the fish. The work is being conducted at DPI’s Snobs Creek and Atwood Centres, funded via the Our Rural Landscapes Initiative and Fisheries Victoria. Over the last year Fisheries Victoria has released 190,000 cod. Source: Danielle Le Grand in the Weekly Times (15/2/2006); Waranga News (16/2/2006).

O T H E R C R U S TA C E A N S MANGROVE PROTECTION LIMITS MUD CRAB FARM New regulations on mangrove-clearing around Darwin Harbour have required the Kulaluk community to halve the size of its proposed mud crab farm. In 2005 the community signed a shared responsibility agreement with the Federal Government under which economic and employment opportunities would be provided in the commercial venture. The community will receive $450,000, plus infrastructure and training. The application for the farm, to go before NT Planning Minister Chris Burns, has been delayed by the Environment Protection Authority because of plans to double the farm’s size by clearing mangroves. Since then the Gwala Daraniki Association has agreed to only farm on 2.27hs instead of 5.25ha. Although it’s yet to be approved, it’s understood small-scale operations have already commenced Source: Northern Territory News (20/3/2006).

LOBSTERS MOVED FOR RANCHING It’s known that Southern Rock Lobsters, in a fishery extending from southern Western Australia to New Zealand, grow faster around King Island than anywhere else. There’s a research project under way in which lobsters are being moved from less productive areas to King Island waters. It’s a cooperative venture between the Tasmanian Rock Lobster Association and the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. Fisher Wayne Coombe and his sons Wade and Simon volunteered under a special arrangement to catch under-sized lobsters off the west coast of Tasmania where growth rates are slow. These pale, less favoured animals were checked for sex, size and colour, then fitted with a red tag. Some 700 were then released at the Sea Witch Reef west of Currie Harbour. Previous similar experiments have shown animals reaching legal size within ten months of release, as opposed to the three years if the lobsters remained in the original area. Source: King Island Courier (15/3/2006).

SOUTH WEST MARRON INDUSTRY BUILDS In March, Aquatic Resource Management’s (ARM) new Blue Ridge Marron processing facility at Manjimup was opened. The company first began processing and distributing live marron in

April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 59

FISHENEWS

2004, to both domestic and export markets – trading under the name ‘Marron Fresh’. Product comes from 50 licensed suppliers, and there’s an extensive list of customers, including the world’s only seven star hotel in Dubai. Marron are exported to 10 different countries. Annual throughput is now 10 tonnes annually. Worldwide production of marron is less than 100 tonnes – 50-60 tonnes from WA, 10-12 from Kangaroo Island in SA and the remainder from South Africa, South America and China. The new facility can hold and pack as much as 1.5 tonnes of live marron, and comes with development of a new logo and the new trading name ‘Blue Ridge Marron’. There are calls for relaxation of current legislation to allow for new concepts such as multi-water licensing, and reduced licence fees, to support increased production. There are also possibilities for improvement consequent to the release of information on genetic studies into improved growth rates. Much of ARM’s operation is devoted to production of juveniles, with in excess of 2 million marron placed in semi-intensive and extensive growout or sold to other growers. Marron is a prohibited import into Victoria, where it’s classified as a noxious species. A developing industry needs skilled workers, and ARM has the role of managing training in aquaculture at the Manjimup Campus of the South West Regional College of TAFE. Training is given in fin fish and marron aquaculture. Source: Manjimup Bridgetown Times (15/3/2006).

O T H E R F R E S H W AT E R F I S H ANOTHER FISH FARM IN THE WINGS The Isis Shire Council planning and development committee has approved a fish farm proposal on Haylocks Road, Promiseland near Childers. Farmers Caroline and Derek Lamb initially intend installing 16 ponds to breed red claw, but once established, plan to grow fin fish in up to 32 tanks. Source: News Mail (16/3/2006).

AUSYFISH AT CHILDERS Ausyfish was originally set up by Bruce Sambell to supply fingerlings and larvae to be grown out in China. He supplied China with silver perch from his 80ha block, until the Chinese began producing their own. In 2000 he moved on to jade perch which, because of its high Omega-3 levels, is increasingly popular. The domestic market is still the biggest recipient of produce from the Ausyfish hatchery, with supplies of a range of native fish reaching more than 30 commercial fish farms in Australia. There’s a fifty-fifty split between fingerling production and supplies for aquariums. Ausyfish now has 127 ponds and a large number of tanks at the Childers property. Source: Brad Pfeffer in Queensland Country Life (9/2/2006).

KEEPING TROUT AND SALMON COOL Staff at the Buxton Trout and Salmon Farm are attempting to keep their stock alive during extremely high temperatures by churning up their containment water using aerators, and by not feeding the fish. The water reached 24.5 Celsius recently, and 60 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

trout may die in water at 25 Celsius. Air temperatures were 40 Celsius or greater over 21 and 22 January. Source: Lilydale & Yarra Valley Leader (6/2/2006).

OTHER MARINE FISH PORT KEMBLA FISH FARM PROPOSAL STOPPED Although a launch was planned in 2005, the Wollongong Aboriginal Corporation’s Port Kembla cage culture fish farm has been deemed unsustainable and denied funding by the Federal Government. A request for funding of approximately $1 million has been turned down on the basis that the project is too high-risk. One of the concerns is said to be how development of the Port Kembla expansion might affect the aquaculture venture, with suggestions contaminants dredged up during inner harbour excavations could render the fish unsuitable for human consumption. Source: Linton Besser in the Illawarra Mercury (18/3/2006).

KINGFISH SOUGHT BY EUROPEAN MARKETS – AND TUNA BREEDING NEARS Clean Seas Tuna is to increase production of kingfish based on strong demand from European markets. Farm gate prices are ahead of the company’s prospectus forecasts. In response, fingerling production in 2006 is to increase to 600,000 – with a minimum of 400,000 being grown to maturity by the company. Clean Seas listed on the ASX in 2005, and the company experienced a lower first half loss than predicted as a result of having a higher biomass of fish stock than expected. At Arno Bay, the company’s commercial onshore southern bluefin tuna breeding facility is well under way, with the first footings for the 50 metre by 30 metre shed poured. It’s the first step towards the company’s goal of closing the southern bluefin tuna lifecycle. Construction of the facility should be completed in August, with commissioning in September. Source: Port Lincoln Times (2/3/2006); Eyre Peninsula Tribune (16/3/2006).

MULLOWAY ESCAPE Fisheries authorities are investigating the escape of 100,000 young mulloway from the Stehr Group farm at Arno Bay on 8 February. The escape – possibly the largest in the State’s history – has been caused, according to farm staff, by wear and tear on nets. There’s a possibility the company could be prosecuted over the incident. Director Hagen Stehr advises many of the fish, at 0.2 kilos, wouldn’t survive the escape, and he insists that far fewer than 100,00 were involved, pointing out that no-one knows for sure until the remaining fish are counted – which will be at harvest, perhaps as long as two years away. PIRSA data shows that the second largest fish escape in SA on record since 2001 is 40,000 mulloway in February 2005. Source: Chris Pippos in the Sunday Mail (12/3/2007); Port Lincoln Times (14/3/2006).

FISHENEWS

RECREATIONAL FISHERS WANT TIGHTER CONTROLS OVER KINGFISH Hagen Stehr, who operates the Clean Seas kingfish venture at Arno Bay, says claims of losses of thousands of kingfish from the farm are an exaggeration. He notes that if there were so many fish escaping, they would be caught by recreational anglers. Changes to bag limits for yellowtail kingfish taken by recreational anglers were introduced in December 2005, and have now been extended to September 2006. Fish 450-600mm long are subject to a recreational bag limit of 10 and a boat limit of 30. Fish larger than 600mm will have a bag limit of two and a boat limit of six. PIRSA Fisheries aquaculture director Ian Nightingale states recent escapes were in much lower numbers than those of 2001, now in the hundreds. However recreational fishers are noting that if aquaculture ventures cannot guarantee stock can be contained within the open sea environment, the State Government must consider the future of open sea aquaculture in the State. It’s estimated more than 34,000 yellowtail kingfish have escaped from farm cages since 2001. Source: Port Lincoln Times (7/3/2006).

DEVELOPMENTS IN BARRAMUNDI COD FARMING GFB Fisheries at Bowen has made some breakthroughs in barramundi cod culture, though general manager Neil Hallagan observes there are still some issues to resolve. In February the company harvested 60,000 barramundi cod eggs, and is working towards a harvest of a million eggs from a six-day spawning period. A dominant issue is now understanding what the fish larvae eat – currently different algal mixes are being trialled to discover one which will cause the creatures to thrive. While GFB is raising 50,000 fish from each one million eggs, many are deformed as a result of dietary deficiencies and must be culled. The target for commercialisation is to reach a survival rate of 200,000 from a million eggs. The company recently sent 100 kilos of live barramundi cod to Hong Kong. Another 500 kilos will ship in coming weeks. Source: John Anderson in the Townsville Bulletin (21/2/2006).

TUMBULGUM RESIDENTS ENTER THE FRAY Residents from Tumbulgum, a village on the Tweed, have taken a stance against development of the proposed 40ha Moreton Bay bug farm at Chinderah. The Tumbulgum Community Association has voted to oppose the plan on the basis that its development will lead to flooding upstream – which is where Tumbulgum lies. Last year the NSW Government approved development of the farm despite opposition from Tweed Shire councillors. Source: Daily News (9/2/2006).

HOME FOR BUNDABERG PORT SOFTSHELL CRAB PROJECT Coral Coast Mariculture managing director Dr Clive Keenan advises the company has leased the disused Mandarin Trawlers building at Bundaberg Port. The opportunity will most likely save the business some $500,000 and one and a half years of setup time. The building will house office areas, the hatchery, and processing facilities. Given that events progress as planned, the first softshell crab harvest should take place in November this year

ARDYALOON AQUACULTURE PLANS The Ardyaloon community has a long history of reliance on trochus and has been re-seeding the reefs in the area with the species since the middle 1970s. Trochus for re-seeding has been grown in a hatchery since 1999, and trials have been conducted on breeding barramundi, surgeonfish and coral. The hatchery’s commercial limit has now been reached and expansion is required. The community has applied to the Department of Local Government for a $127,360 grant. This would allow construction of a shed and coolroom providing for storage and trochus meat processing. The community would also like to double the hatchery’s output, leading to a larger re-seeding program. Plans are to extend from 24 growout tanks to 96, at an estimated cost of $625,000 including funds for some other improved facilities. The expansion would also allow work on barramundi fingerlings, leading to other developments in the area. One vision is for a barramundi sea cage farm producing 600 tonnes of fish annually. The cost would be around $17 million, half of which would be supplied by the community. The farm would return some $3 million each year. Source: Broome Advertiser (9/2/2006).

OYSTERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS Tasmanian oyster farmer Col Dyke, guest speaker at recent meeting with Seafood Services Australia and the National Aquaculture Council, noted that oyster farming is the best indicator of the health of waterways. He described farmers as ‘guardians of the waterways’ and said when deterioration was observed, concerns should be shared. Mr Dyke believes the industry needs to access government funding, and farmers can get such financial and other support if they indicate they are active enough. The intent of the meeting was to promote the use of environmental management systems, which are methods of increasing profitability and longevity in an environment-friendly manner. Source: Diana Cozadinos in the Bay Post (24/2/2006).

FUNDING POSSIBILITIES FOR WATER QUALITY AT TILLIGERRY CREEK Port Stephens Council is considering generating funds for the monitoring of water quality at Tilligerry Creek by increasing the fees paid by some Port Stephens residents. The Council will discuss a plan to raise some $25,000 by increasing the annual wastewater fee paid by people who own septic tanks, from $5 to $50. The Council has also contributed $5000 from its environmental levy budget for viral monitoring. Septic tanks have been inspected, and notices served on owners whose systems need upgrading. An oyster harvesting zone at Tilligerry Creek has been closed since faecal contamination from septic tanks at Bobs Farm and Salt Ash was discovered in 2005. Source: Jacqui Jones in the Newcastle Herald (13/3/2006).

Source: Lucy Arden in the News Mail (8/2/2006). April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 61

FISHENEWS

MEDALS FOR OYSTERS The Sydney Royal Fine Food Show was held in March, and Tathra Oysters was awarded a gold and two silver medals during the event. Hazlegrove Oysters from Pambula also won gold. This year’s event welcomed a record 23 entries from the NSW coastline. It was the 12th gold medal for Tathra Oysters since the awards extended to include aquaculture in 2001. Source: Bega District News (10/3/2006).

STATE GOVERNMENT CRITICISED OVER WATER QUALITY FUNDING President of the NSW Farmer’s Association Jock Laurie has criticised the State Government for its decision to abolish the $1.5 million annual grant given to oyster growers for the testing of water quality in river catchments. He said the Government risked jeopardising the safety of seafood and must continue funding for essential water testing if oyster farming and tourism were to survive. There are suggestions 17 oyster farmers could be forced out of the industry because they would be unable to pay for testing. Meanwhile NSW farmers have gained the aid of Ian Kiernan, one of Australia’s leading environmentalists, to attempt to stop the water-testing program from being dropped. Mr Kiernan says it makes sense to keep the program, both financially and in terms of the environment. Monitoring provides for checking the water before problems arise rather than having to fix things after they go wrong. Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald has denied claims the Government has scrapped the Shellfish Program, which he says is currently under review. Source: Daily Telegraph (14/3/2006); Damian McGill in the South Coast Register (15/3/2006).

FARMERS COMPLAIN – MOSQUITO SPRAYING CEASES Complaints from oyster farmers have caused the Barunga West District Council to cease aerial spraying for mosquito control. The farmers claimed the chemicals used were detrimental to their oyster crops – although this has not yet been proved. The council is using other measures to control the insect pests. Source: Port Pirie Recorder (7/3/2006).

GRANT FOR OYSTER GRADER VIA SEACC The South East NSW Area Consultative Committee (SEACC), has facilitated an arrangement under which McAsh Oysters have secured a grant to help purchase an oyster grading machine. The $60,500 provided under the Federal Government’s Regional Partnerships Program will support the purchase and installation of a ShellQuip oyster grader valued at more than $100,000. It’s made by a Tasmanian Company and allows the grading of oysters, including seed oysters. Around the same number that can be graded in a day by hand can be sorted in an hour when the machine is used. It’s expected the machine will be delivered in mid-March – it will be available to all growers wishing to use it. Source: Bay Post (10/2/2006).

62 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

PREMIER DENIES NSW GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY During a visit to Newcastle, few moments after describing the Hunter as one of NSW’s most important regions, Premier Morris Iemma said his Government had a responsibility to Sydney’s fishermen – but not their regional counterparts. He said that the Government had a responsibility to meet obligations with respect to the issue of dioxin in Sydney Harbour. However he said pollutants from septic tanks was clearly a local council responsibility. The NSW Government announced a $5.8 million package to buy back commercial licences held by around 40 fishers just weeks after tests showed high levels of dioxin in the harbour. On the other hand, some fourteen Port Stephens oyster farmers have been seeking help for seven months since Tilligerry Creek was shown to be contaminated by human sewage and their operations were closed down. The contamination comes from seeping septic tanks on housing developments in Salt Ash and Bobs Farm. Farmers haven’t ruled out taking legal action against the council and the State Government. A NSW Government spokesman said the priority was to restore the health of Tilligerry Creek, and that eventual compensation has not been ruled out. Source: Justin Vallejo in the Daily Telegraph (10/2/2006); Neil Keene in the Newcastle Herald (10/2/2006).

PRAWNS CURLY PRAWNS MAKES FIRST HARVEST In March the Pottage family made their first harvest from their new prawn farm, Curly Prawns. Last October they placed 300,000 prawn larvae sourced from wild tiger females in Queensland into their ponds. The family is now pulling out around 600 kilos of prawns each week. The farm is operating thanks to an accidental meeting of the family with aquaculturist Stephan Soule. The site had been an eel farm, but the licence indicated prawns as an optional crop. Stephan examined the option – and now the Pottages have the southernmost prawn farm in Australia. Source: Ute Schulenberg in the Coffs Coast Advocate (18/3/2006).

THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TURNED AWAY ON THE DAY More than 650 people attended at Noel Herbst’s Gold Coast Marine Aquaculture Centre – prawn farm – in March, paying $65 each for food and drink. The money raised will go to Cane Quest, organised by the Beenleigh Chamber of Commerce. Some 350 people were turned away from the popular event. Source: Regina King and Peter Flowers in the Gold Coast Bulletin (15/3/2006).

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Features include: As new three bedroom house • 32Ha beautiful coastal / rural environment at Nora Creina (Between Robe & Beachport in South Australia) • Bore with 99,800 kL – Water License at 30 Degrees • Goldfish Ulcer DiseaseFree Certification for Tasmania market • Established national customer base • Priced to sell at $850,000 • Spotters fee available. A more detailed overview of what Limestone Coast Ornamentals has to offer is featured in Austasia Aquaculture’s Oct/Nov 2005 edition (page 15). For more information call Steven Siegmann on Tel/Fax: 08 8735 7235 Mobile 0414094346 • Email steven.siegmann@bigpond.com

April/May 2006 | Austasia Aquaculture 63

FOR SALE Aquaculture areas in Moreton Bay, Queensland Sub-tidal deep water areas – total 25 hectares. Approvals in place for pearl oysters and edible oysters to grow. The only approved deep water areas in the bay. Proven with maximum potential for approved species. Phone: Bob (07) 3829 1799, or Dave on 0418 710 099

C O M P LE TE AC QU AC U LT U R E PACK A GE – FAR M & EQU IPMENT Hesy Recirculation System: • Producing 500 kg of Murray Cod per week or would be ideal for farming eels. Could produce 30 to 40 tonnes a year. This system works & carries 200 kg per cubic metre. • Plus – 1 fully insulated shed & all fish farm equipment. Includes power back up generator, fish tanks, drum filter, upflow & trickle filters, ultraviolet & oxygen reactor, and oxygen generator. • Priced to sell at $220,000 Fish Farm: • 66 HA with 30 acres of irrigation, 2 km Goobang Creek frontage. 1 4BR air-conditioned brick house with 3 bathrooms and 2 separate units. • Plus large shed. 27km from Condobolin on the Parkes Rd. • Plus 2 water licenses to be sold separately • Price $200,000.00.

CONSULTANT REQUIRED Overseas Project – to plan new aquaculture venture. Oakley Shipping (Ship & Lic. Brokers) Geelong, Vic. Ph. 52786222 email: richard@oakleyshipping.com

FISH FARM FOR SALE Prospectus available on request

For more information call Bruce on 0418 278 838 • View: www.forbesforpropertyforbes.com.au

All licences – freshwater Permits – Barramundi, Murray Cod, Sleepy Cod. 100 Acres, 2.5 Ha. under ponds (20) 5 Ha. Dam, 8 Ha. Turf, 5 Working Bores Ozone Water Filter to Fingerling Shed (48) 15 mins from major shopping centre, TSV Ph: 0747 251 334

YABBY TRAPS $4.30 each

Prawn Grading Machines and systems for the prawn farming industry. • • • •

Prawn Grading Machines Prawn Cookers Prawn Washers Single machines as well as complete systems

in lots of 30

$4.10 each in lots of 60

$3.75 each in lots of 90+

Orders of 100+ POA All prices ex tax/ex store Melbourne Prawn grader KM1000

K.M. Fish Machinery A/S Tel: +45 98 86 46 33 Fax: +45 98 86 46 77 Web Page: www.Km-fish.dk Agent in Australia: Terry Gorman & Associates Tel: (02) 9979 7269 Fax: (02) 9997 4203

64 Austasia Aquaculture | April/May 2006

Ph: 03 9817 3043 Aquaculture Services Australia Pty Ltd 30 Cecil Street, Kew 3101

True blue & proud.

Our feed has been developed through the latest research and development in both biological and processing technology. And unlike other brands on the market, Ridley Aqua-Feed is 100% Australian. Call us today on freecall 1800 268 200 to get the best aqua-feed advice.