The Australian barramundi farming sector is a small and growing industry, with the opportunity to sell high quality product at premium prices.

Although many aquaculture ventures across Australia have licences to grow barramundi, the industry comprises only 25 ventures that produce barramundi on sufficient scale to regarded as full time enterprises. These businesses have little or no capacity to coordinate investment in, and manage industry development. There is great difficulty in providing a whole of industry perspective on R&D and hence difficulty in capturing the benefits of scale arising from investment in innovation. Collective action on R&D will help capture the benefits of R&D and will deliver future growth.

The ABFA is now established and well positioned with the CRC to implement its strategic plan and to integrate R&D work across all stakeholders under its leadership. CRC staff have participated in several planning meetings, the proposed projects have been decided.

There is now a need for the ABFA to appoint one of our members to act as a liasion point with the CRC, to ensure barramundi farmers are involved in the R&D and contribute their resources when required. This person will also faciltate effective communication and coordination with all stakeholders, particularly at the start of projects and coomunication of results.