June 3, 2004

 

 

North Queensland To Hook Into Aquaculture Role
 

NORTH Queensland aquaculture farms will have a major role to play as Australia increases its domestic and export seafood markets, says Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald.

 

Senator Macdonald said yesterday the farmers should not be too concerned about reports of a Perth company sending 60,000 barramundi fingerlings at a time to the USA for growing out.

 

"Without further investigation I would not be too supportive because the figure mentioned was five or six times the whole of the fingerling production in Australia at this time," Senator Macdonald said.

 

He said the length of flight also made it difficult to keep the fingerlings alive during the 30-hour journey to the east coast of the US.

 

"As Commonwealth Fisheries Minister we are very supportive of aquaculture," he said.

 

"The Budget provided funds to support the aquaculture industry for production and selling of farmed products for domestic and overseas markets."

 

However Senator Macdonald said he would prefer to see Australian aquaculturists growing stock, processing and value adding before the product was shipped out of Australia.

 

"There are 35 people employed at the Barramundi Waters aquaculture project near Innisfail in what was once a cane farm which supported half a person," he said.

 

"Aquaculture is a very significant industry which will thrive as wild catches of fish struggle to maintain the quantity needed to feed the world."

 

Townsville barramundi farm operator Brent Stevenson said he could not see the point of an Australian aquaculture farm exporting fingerlings.

 

"If you have the facilities to grow the fish you are much better off selling them when they have a bit of size about them," he said.