The Northern Territory's largest barramundi farm has officially launched an expansion, which will take production from 600 tonnes of fish per year to over 1,500 tonnes.
Humpty Doo Barramundi, which has been operating at Middle Point for 20 years, has begun building ten new aquaculture ponds and a processing facility.
Dan Richards, general manager says the increase in production will equate to a 150 per cent rise in sales.
"With our most recent expansion we'll be pushing our production to up around thirty tonnes a week which would make us one of the biggest barramundi farms in Australia."
A new model developed by scientists of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) allows the potential presence of bluefin tuna to be tracked through daily updated maps, helping to protect endangered stocks and fight illegal fishing.
The model, based on satellite remote sensing data, provides for the first time an overall view of the preferred bluefin tuna habitats in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as their changes over time. Satellite-based habitat mapping can help identify more precisely areas to be inspected or to be closed for fisheries and it can also help refine estimates of fish stocks, thus contributing to a more effective fisheries management.
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European commissioner for research and innovation said, "This model will help to ensure sustainable management of bluefin tuna, actively contributing to two of the most pressing challenges for the future: food security and protection of the environment. Another good example of how science and research provide support to European Union policies."
The JRC habitat model allows the creation of near real-time maps of feeding and spawning potential bluefin habitats in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as habitat maps over a decade. The novelty of this model is the use of satellite data on the concentration of chlorophyll on the sea surface, as well as temperature, to track specific oceanographic features, which play a key role on the fish distribution.
There is predicted to be a shortfall of between 6,000 and 20,000 tonnes per annum in fish harvest for Solomon Islands by 2030. Therefore the supply of fish through aquaculture will be essential if the country is to meet this shortfall.
Present aquaculture operations in the Solomon Islands produce small quantities of Mozambique tilapia for household consumption, and while some limited yield improvements may be possible, existing farming systems and species are insufficient to meet the challenge of future domestic fish demand.
Farming an indigenous food fish or an improved strain of Nile tilapia will be necessary. The aim of this project is to identify the best mechanisms for the Solomon Islands Government to implement an inland aquaculture program that will contribute significantly to future food and nutritional security.
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| Photo: Dan Richards scoops out a sample of barramundi fingerlings from the breeding ponds. (Photo Credit: Carl Curtain) |
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