Growing a profitable, innovative and collaborative Australian yellowtail kingfish aquaculture industry: Bringing white fish to the market - RnD4Profit-14-01-027
Yellowtail kingfish (YTK) farming is identified nationally as the greatest opportunity for new aquaculture development in the next few decades through substantial increases in farmed area and product, and use of aquafeeds, resulting in growth in regional economies and employment. Within 10 years, YTK production is expected to increase by 34,000 tonnes, worth $440 million, and using 68,000 tonnes of aquafeed worth $136 million. The key challenge to achieving this growth is for industry to diversify its focus from supplying only the relatively small volume, high price sashimi market to the larger volume, lower price Australian "white fish market", while enhancing farm productivity and reducing operating costs to maintain profitability. This project will enable industry to grow its position by developing more cost effective, sustainable feeds and feeding strategies to enhance YTK growth and health; the industry's highest common R&D priorities as feed and feeding strategies comprise 60% of operating costs. It will also network two key Australian YTK aquaculture companies and their aligned research institutions (SA and NSW). A third producer (WA) and aquafeed companies are likely to invest in subsequent years. As such, this project will meet the designated 'Rural Research & Development for Profit Programme' objectives:
1. Generating knowledge, technologies, products or processes that benefit primary producers,
2. Establishing and fostering industry and research collaborations that form the basis for ongoing innovation and growth of Australian agriculture.
The key Activities wil address the YTK industry's common R&D priorities through three components/themes:
1. Economically sustainable feeds and improved diet formulation (NUTRITION);
2. Improved FEEDING STRATEGIES to increase profit; and
3. Improving nutritional HEALTH to boost productivity.
Once the project is initiated the Steering Committee will develop an agreed approach to engage with aquafeed companies to maximise participation in and contribution to the project.
Final report
2) Determining the digestibility of priority ingredients by YTK
3) Refining factorial models for YTK by determining the effect of dietary and abiotic factors on model parameters.
4) Optimise feeding strategies for YTK by determining the effect of feeding frequency, diet composition and abiotic factors on growth, FCR and health.
5) Understanding how diet types affect the reproductive health and output of YTK broodstock with a view to developing tools that can rapidly screen the quality of eggs and larvae.
Outputs of research conducted in NSW are reported within the final report that includes outputs from all research conducted through the RnD4Profit funded project "Growing a profitable, innovative and collaborative Australian yellowtail kingfish aquaculture industry: Bringing white fish to the market".
Enabling land-based production of juvenile Yellowtail Kingfish in NSW
This application addresses the NSW FRAB and FRDC Subprogram Priority 2 INDUSTRY 25 – Developing Marine Finfish Aquaculture in NSW.
NSW imports approximately 85% of its seafood and needs a substantial increase in investment and production, most notably, new marine based aquaculture development is required. However, marine aquaculture development is fundamentally constrained by the lack of background biological and economic information. To develop marine finfish production, the NSW government has invested significantly in establishing a 20 ha Marine Aquaculture Research Lease (MARL) off Port Stephens with approval to produce up to 998 t fish/annum. Yellowtail Kingfish (YTK) is the primary species of interest. This interest in YTK is in part driven by a shortfall of Kingfish and Barramundi from aquaculture in local markets – of the order of 460 t at the Sydney Fish Market alone in 2013.
This project will complement the DoA project "Growing a profitable, innovative and collaborative Australian YTK aquaculture industry: bringing ‘white’ fish to the market - RnD4Profit-14-01-027". The end users are the Public, Regulators and Industry. Research will address short term needs to develop marine fish farming in eastern Australia and to provide a platform for ongoing research.
Industry need: YTK production within Australia has been challenging and further research is needed, particularly when entering new farming environments. It is essential to identify supply chains from broodstock to market. In particular, culture of the largest juveniles possible on land before transfer to seacages is essential to optimise survival and production. Land-based techniques need to be developed for viable production of advanced juvenile YTK.
Public need: Extensive public consultation identified key concerns with respect to the sustainable operation of the MARL. Keys concerns related to viable operation of marine fish farming and need to be investigated.
Regulatory need: There is a need for NSW DPI to develop a Marine Waters Sustainable Aquaculture Strategy for NSW (MWSAS) to streamline investment pathways and promote sustainable seafood production. Data from this project will be an essential component of the MWSAS.
Final report
Seafood CRC: Promoting Marine Finfish Aquaculture in NSW
NSW currently imports over 85% of its seafood and needs a substantial increase in investment and production, most notably, major new marine based aquaculture development.(Bond University, 2012). However, marine aquaculture development is fundamentally constrained by the lack of background biological and economic information. To promote marine finfish production, the NSW government has invested significantly in establishing, through the normal application pathway (EIS, REF, public consultation, DA), a 20 ha Marine Aquaculture Research Lease (MARL) off Port Stephens with approval to produce up to 300 t fish/annum. The MARL is a vehicle to streamline approvals process, foster the social licence required for finfish production expansion in NSW, and to provide the fundamental information needed to encourage investment.
There are three key end users for MARL research: Industry, Public and Regulators. The research proposed on the lease will address short term needs central to the development of fish farming in subtropical waters of the Australian east coast and develop a platform for ongoing research.
DPI has begun dialogue with potential commercial partners to operate the MARL. These discussions have established that yellowtail kingfish (YTK) is the primary species of interest (although tuna is a candidate and is specifically approved for the MARL). This interest in YTK is in part is driven by a shortfall of Kingfish and Barramundi from aquaculture in local markets – of the order of 460 t at the Sydney Fish Market alone last financial year.
Industry need: YTK production within Australia has not been without its challenges and further research is essential, particularly when entering new farming environments. Previous CRC research (SFCRC 2008/903) has developed models showing rapid growth for YTK in warmer waters (18 months to 4.5 kg), but these models need validation. Further, there is a need to investigate health challenges and potential management options in a new offshore environment.
Public need: In gaining approval for the MARL, extensive public consultation was undertaken that identified key concerns with respect to the sustainable operation of the MARL. Traditional concerns over nutrient enrichment arose but were overshadowed by issues related to potential impacts on species of sharks and cetaceans. There is a need to investigate the MARL interaction with these species, and Port Stephens is uniquely well placed for this to occur. Port Stephens has the most intensive cetacean watch industry in the world and is the focus of a juvenile white shark and grey nurse shark monitoring program.
Regulatory need: DPI is funding development of a Marine Waters Sustainable Aquaculture Strategy for NSW (MWSAS), under State Environmental Planning Policy 62 – Sustainable Aquaculture (SEPP62) to streamline investment pathways and promoting sustainable seafood production. A MWSAS will describe the approvals process, best practice system design and operation, and identify areas suitable for future development. MARL research will inform a MWSAS in key areas of sustainability
Final report
Huon Aquaculture and NSW DPI are working together to establish NSW’s first Yellowtail Kingfish (YTK) farm. Using a recently approved Marine Aquaculture Research Lease (MARL) and an existing farm site off Port Stephens, NSW, we have begun to establish NSW largest fish production facility, with the capacity to hold up to 2000 tonnes standing stock of YTK. To prepare for farming operations Huon and DPI have worked collaboratively with the University of the Sunshine Coast to better understand and protect the genetics of local kingfish stocks while developing the necessary genetic resources to establish a broodstock population with sufficient diversity to meet production and breeding needs and develop a selective breeding plan for YTK.