Sustainability the Key to $2M Aquaculture Research
Submitted by SARFAC Wednesday, 5th February 2003

From: mccnsa@senet.com.au
To: Recipient list suppressed
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 11:23 AM
Subject: SA - Aquaculture Media Release

SUSTAINABILITY THE KEY TO $2M AQUACULTURE RESEARCH
Reference : SA Departmental Website
Media Release - Hon PAUL HOLLOWAY MLC
Tuesday, 4 February 2003

The Rann Government and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation have joined forces to develop a study which will underpin the future sustainable development of aquaculture in South Australia.

The three year, $2 million project was announced today by Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Minister, Paul Holloway.

Mr Holloway said the research from this project would be critical to the future development of the industry in SA and could have applications nationally.

“The aquaculture industry has the potential to be a significant economic driver in South Australia, but it’s facing a number of important challenges which need to be addressed to allow it to continue to grow and prosper,” he said.

The research project will have four key strategies:

• Health of fish and their ecosystems
• Legislative, institutional, compliance and policy arrangements and their impacts
• Fisheries and ecosystems management methods and
• Effects of non-fishing activities, pests, pollution on fish and their ecosystems.

Mr Holloway said research would address key issues including the interaction between wild and farmed yellowtail kingfish and between aquaculture and marine mammal populations.

“The key outcomes will include an environmental audit of representative locations for each aquaculture sector of the state through specific monitoring programs.”

He said the project had the support of industry and would be coordinated by Aquaculture SA with scientific input from the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and other specialist institutions

Aquaculture has grown from an industry worth $2.5 million in 1991/2 to more than $300 million in 2000/01.

The industry generates 38% of the value of Australian aquaculture and 58% of the value of the state’s seafood production. Aquaculture directly employs 1200 people in SA and a further 1500 people in downstream or allied industries.