The establishment of the Broome Tropical Aquaculture Park (BTAP) demonstrates that aquaculture development can be economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. It was constructed to help develop new industry in the area along with related activities including education, training and research; the North Coast Bioregion is home to numerous tropical marine species.
The park was developed in the Port of Broome after studies found that the area provided ready access to high quality seawater and ground saline water, as well as the potential for specific-pathogen-free (SPF) aquaculture operations.
SPF hatchery facilities are widely used around the world to produce high-health seed stocks that are free of clinical disease and also disease resistant. By definition SPF hatcheries are biosecure and can be used to produce mass quantities of juveniles of many species. SPF aquaculture enables cultivation of high-health seed stocks for grow-out in other locations. Seed stock from these hatcheries has better survival and growth rates and food conversion efficiency than stock grown in standard hatcheries, providing improved returns for growers.
The BTAP is managed by the Department of Fisheries. The park is divided into serviced sites leased to aquaculture tenants. In addition to standard facilities such as electricity, each site is supplied with filtered seawater (via a pumping station located on Broome Jetty), and saline bore water for aquaculture purposes. The saline bore water is pumped from a bore approximately 100 metres deep, filtered through sand and has low bacteria and low suspended solids, saving on filtration.
This service reduces the need for tenants to use their own filtration systems. A discharge pump station and pipeline removes wastewater for both domestic and aquaculture effluent from the park.
The BTAP currently houses three tenants, including a a commercial pearl oyster hatchery and the Kimberley Training Institute’s aquaculture skills training and research facilities.
The Kimberley Training Institute has a variety of different projects including the production of marine finfish such as barramundi, bream, and ornamental fish, and teams are working with a number of crustacean species such as mud crabs, prawns, cherabin and marine prawns. In addition to commercially important species, the teams work with molluscs such as the silver and black lip pearl oyster, edible oysters, clams, scallops and a range of abalone species.
There are several opportunities for tenancies at this state-of-the-art aquaculture facility in the tropical north west of Australia. They range from 4,833 to 4,911 square metres and are suitable for establishing low volume, high value operations such as hatcheries, production of tropical ornamental species, and research and development operations.
For further information on leasing a site, contact Broome Tropical Aquaculture Park Manager, Pia Carter:
E: pia.carter@fish.wa.gov.au
T: (+61) 08 9193 8600
Or Department of Fisheries Aquaculture Program Manager, Steve Nel:
E: steve.nel@fish.wa.gov.au
T: (+61) 08 9482 7361