May 28, 2024

Queensland, Australia aquaculture production rises 17%

Aquaculture production in Queensland, Australia, experienced a 17% increase in value in the 2022/23 financial year, largely driven by shrimp farming, Fish Farmer reported.

The annual Ross Lobegeiger report, released by the Queensland Government, indicated that aquaculture production in the north-eastern state reached AUD 263.2 million (US$175 million) in 2022/23, up from AUD 224.7 million (US$149 million) in 2021/22. Over the long term, the industry has seen an average annual growth rate of 7.1%.

Production volume increased by 3.9%, reaching 13,528 tonnes in 2022/23. However, employment in the aquaculture sector slightly declined from 889 to 855 workers.

The primary contributors to the industry are prawn (shrimp) and barramundi, also known as Asian sea bass. Prawn production accounted for just over 80% of the industry's value, while barramundi contributed around 14%. Other freshwater fish, including silver perch, jade perch, and Murray cod represented less than 2% of the total production value.

Regionally, the largest share of production is concentrated around Mackay, which contributed AUD 161 million (US$107 million). Cairns and the Gold Coast followed with AUD 51 million (US$33.9 million) and AUD 23 million (US$15.3 million) respectively. The prawn sector saw a 12.6% increase in production during 2022/23.

-      Fish Farmer