Western Australia’s growing aquaculture industry is not only tapping into the world’s fast rising demand for seafood, it’s an industry with great potential to attract significant new investment for the State.
Just last month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimated overall aquaculture production for human consumption will grow by more than 30% in this decade.
Now, Western Australia has a draft aquaculture plan to establish realistic and achievable targets and develop stability and growth over ten years, to help attract new investment to expand the industry.
The State Government has already set about establishing the infrastructure needed to support growth and expansion and, since the Premier’s Aquaculture Industry Engagement Consortium in 2017, has taken account of important industry feedback to identify the foundations for future decision-making and bring down barriers impeding industry growth.
In the past three years, the Government has declared and fully allocated the aquaculture zone off the Mid West Coast, supported establishing a South Coast development zone, joined with the Aquaculture Council of WA to build and operate Albany’s Shellfish Hatchery to support industry, invested $7million to construct a Marine Finfish Nursery at Geraldton and carried out upgrades to vital fish health and research services.
Seeking public comment is now the important final step, before the Aquaculture Development Plan can be launched to guide us towards its short, medium and long term targets for WA.
The plan is open for comment for six weeks and available online at: https://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Fishing-and-Aquaculture/Aquaculture/Pages/Aquaculture-Development-Plan-for-Western-Australia.aspx.
The state-of-the-art Albany Shellfish Hatchery is supporting the development of commercial shellfish farming in WA
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Aquaculture Manager Steve Nel has urged Western Australians to have a look at the plan and take the opportunity to provide feedback.
“This new Aquaculture Development Plan consolidates the industry’s long-standing views on removing barriers and provides the foundations to achieve significant growth within WA.
“With that growth, more direct and indirect jobs can be created and regional communities around our coastline will benefit.
“Added pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic also make it more important than ever to build strong foundations and continue to move forward to address key issues in aquaculture.”
Marine finfish farming is part of WA's aquaculture development