Funds towards development of on-farm technologies for Albany abalone aquaculture

11/10/99

Albany's emerging abalone industry will reap the benefits of new research designed to improve the success of abalone farming in the region.
Fisheries Minister Monty House announced today that Great Southern Marine Hatcheries had been awarded $39,965 in Aquaculture Development Funding (ADF) to develop new on-farm technologies for abalone aquaculture.
The ADF provides grants to further develop the industry's potential and growth in the State.
Mr House said the project had the potential to make a significant contribution to the region's aquaculture industry.
"Three existing licences in the Albany area are establishing mussel and abalone farms, and four new licences for abalone culture are in the final stages of application," he said.
An experimental hatchery and nursery system for the genetics trials is scheduled to start early next month and a grow-out trial with Roe's and greenlip abalone is expected to be completed by the middle of next year.
The funds will pay for a technician to maintain land and sea-based growout trials at Albany and procedures will be implemented to relocate the abalone stock.
The hatchery already stocks Roe's and greenlip abalone, and more greenlip arrived from South Australia two weeks ago after receiving disease clearance.
The abalone study is one of six projects which received a total of $185,090 in funding this month. A further $25,000 has been made available to high schools to develop aquaculture facilities and associated studies at their schools.
The Aquaculture Development Fund was established in 1994 by the State Government and is administered by the Aquaculture Development Council. Since that time, $871,874 has been granted to 61 projects aimed at building aquaculture into a sustainable and valuable industry.
Media contact: Julie Cole [08] 9481 2044