The Aquaculture industry in NSW is dominated by oyster farming, the oldest aquaculture industry in the state. Worth around $38 million annually, farming is dominated by the Sydney rock oyster.
In the land-based sector, prawn farming is the most valuable aquaculture industry, worth in excess of $4 million annually, producing approximately 400t of prawns for market.
The main marine species farmed in New South Wales are oysters, prawns and mussels. Mulloway and snapper are also being developed as farmed species.Species farmed in land ponds or in freshwater include silver perch, trout, yabbies, Murray cod and barramundi.
NSW DPI manages aquaculture in this state to ensure the industry develops in a sustainable manner. They have a number of policies and guidelines to ensure all farming practices are environmentally sustainable, and the industry has a healthy future.They also conduct research into aquaculture, and have pioneered the way for the farming of a number of species in this state, including silver perch, snapper, mulloway, pearl oysters, oysters etc.
They are also involved in a number of additional aquaculture related projects, such as aquaculture diet formulation, hatchery techniques and breeding for restocking purposes, and ranching techniques for abalone.
Major marine species farmed in NSW
In NSW, two species, snapper (Pagrus auratus) and mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus) have been extensively studies at the Port Stephens Research Centre (PSRC) as species having the best potential for aquaculture. NSW Fisheries has been conducting research into the breeding of marine fish at PSRC since 1990 with significant advances in farming techniques. Currently, there is a commercial snapper and mulloway farm in Botany Bay, Sydney, using floating mesh cages.
Aquaculture in NSW hasled to the creation of more than 1 500 full and part time jobs, mainly in
regional NSW, with about 3,000 further jobs created by
the flow on effect.
