Aquaculture Development Funds for two projects involving Bremer Bay

17/11/97

Investigations into the suitability of two sites at Bremer Bay for abalone farms and the potential for using sea lettuce to improve the efficiency of these farms are two new projects which have been approved for funding under Fisheries Minister Monty House's Aquaculture Development Fund [ADF].

Mr House said these projects were the latest developments in the rapidly growing and increasingly important aquaculture industry.

He said $20,000 had been granted to South Metropolitan College of TAFE to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of using sea lettuce to improve environmental management of abalone farms and as a feed supplement.

The project had also attracted funding of $50,000 under the Commonwealth Coast and Clean Seas Program.

"The project has the potential to bring widespread benefits to the State's abalone industry which is a major initiative in aquaculture," Mr House said.

"It will examine sea lettuce's potential to cleanse abalone effluent and reduce dependence of on-shore abalone farms on large volumes of ocean water.

"It also has the potential to identify a valuable feed supplement and help reduce the industry's high feed costs."

The Minister said $7,500 had also been granted to Jerramungup Shire Council to assess technical and engineering requirements for land based abalone farms at two sites in Bremer Bay.

He said that if successful, the project would be a further boost to the development of an industry which had significant prospects, particularly for the South-West and Great Southern.

Mr House said the Aquaculture Development Fund aimed to help build aquaculture into a sustainable and high valuable industry. To date about 40 projects had been funded totalling more than $350,000.

The Government had committed $4.5 million to develop the industry in a program which began in 1994. A further $8 million had been committed over the next four years.

Media contact: Nicole Trigwell [08] 9481 2044