Western Australia's kingfish farm sees hope in harvest

A Western Australian kingfish farm based in Jurien Bay has high hopes to land its first harvest early in the New Year.

Based south of Geraldton, the hatchery says the first spawning are taking place at the moment.

Herb Mitton, general manager, believes the conditions predicted for the coming months look promising for a harvest to take place in March 2009.

He emphasised that farming seafood was making an important contribution to sustainable fish stocks.

Mitton said wild capture numbers are depleting on an annual basis and what is happening in terms of the aquaculture contribution is that in 2006, 47 percent of total seafood consumed was actually farmed.