Barramundi - Description

The barramundi (Lates calcarifer) is a large predatory fish found in tropical regions of Australia and throughout the Indo-West Pacific. In Australia, its natural distribution extends from the Ashburton River in Western Australia, throughout the Northern Territory, to the Maryborough River in Queensland.

Farming Production

Barramundi aquaculture commenced in Queensland with a hatchery operation initiated by Sea Hatcheries at Mourilyan in north Queensland in 1982 then spread to farm pond operations with fish grown in floating cages within freshwater earthen ponds (Ruello and Associates 2001). Although the bulk of the production still comes from northern Queensland, barramundi is now farmed in all mainland states.

The industry can be broadly divided into three categories of farming: cage culture in purpose built freshwater ponds (including free range fish in ponds), sea cage culture in offshore or estuarine waters, and intensive production in indoor facilities.

Pond culture is the most common and currently accounts for the majority of barramundi production in north Queensland. However, in southeast Queensland and the southern states, intensive farming operations using indoor recirculation systems are used.

In the Northern Territory, of the two larger farms, one is located onshore and uses earthen ponds and free range fish, while the other, more recently established farm, is a marine operation using offshore sea cages. Western Australia�s largest farm, at Lake Argyle, uses freshwater cage culture while the few producers operating in the south of the state use recirculating systems.
The opportunity to establish pond and sea operations is confined to tropical regions, whereas the more intensive, indoor facilities can be established in any climate.

In 2001-02 Queensland produced 840 tonnes (whole fish equivalent) of farmed barramundi.
In 2000-01, the 23 producing farms using pond based systems accounted for 97 per cent of state production, while the five producing farms using recirculating systems accounted for 3 per cent. Total ponded area was 176 hectares. The actual number of ponds stocked was 181, covering 86 hectares.

In 2001-02 the farm gate price per fish (whole fish basis) is estimated to have averaged $7.95 a kilogram, giving the Queensland farmed barramundi industry an estimated gross value of production of $6.7 million in 2001-02.

As the barramundi is a tropical fish not native to New South Wales, juveniles for New South Wales barramundi farms are obtained from hatcheries in Queensland and the Northern Territory. The colder climate and the potential power costs involved with tank culture (all New South Wales farms use recirculation tank systems) had until recently restricted the development of the New South Wales industry. The barramundi is also known to be a potential carrier of the barramundi encephalitis virus (BEV) which has the potential to affect a number of species native to New South Wales. As a result, NSW Fisheries has imposed tight restrictions on the culture of barramundi.
There were five (or less) licensed barramundi farms in New South Wales in 2001-02. Production was 54.9 tonnes valued $588 700 at the farm gate (NSW Fisheries 2003). Farmed barramundi production in New South Wales is expected to continue to expand given recent expansion of some farms and the implementation of nursery technology.

South Australia produced 255 tonnes of farmed barramundi valued at $2.65 million in 2001-02.
Farming commenced in South Australia in the early 1990s, with several farms being established in the Adelaide Hills. Barramundi are now farmed in a variety of locations across the south of the state, including the South East and the Eyre Peninsula. As in New South Wales, the majority of barramundi farms use fully enclosed recirculating systems to maintain and control critical water temperature conditions. One farm operator uses a flow through system of warm artesian bore water. Currently there are around twenty registered barramundi growers in South Australia, including commercial producers as well as training facilities such as schools.

In Western Australia most production comes from the Lake Argyle operation, although, as previously noted, there are also several farms in the south of the state that produce barramundi using recirculating systems. Trials have also been conducted farming barramundi in artesian water in the Gascoyne Region (Department of Fisheries 1999). In 2001-02, Western Australia produced 38 tonnes of barramundi (valued at $420 000), slightly down on tonnage in 2000-01. However, in the first half of 2002-03, production has increased very rapidly.

In the Northern Territory most of the barramundi commercially produced onshore is from one farm, which had sales of 36 tonnes in 2000-01 and 62 tonnes in 2001-02.
There are also two small enterprises catering to the fish-out tourist trade.

A large sea farming operation that applies salmon farming technology to the farming of Barramundi is now being developed by Marine Harvest at Port Hird in the Tiwi Islands. Stage one of the project, lasting two to three years, is planned to produce up to 1000 tonnes of barramundi a year.
In Victoria, barramundi production has commenced in recent years under strict biosecure conditions in intensive recirculation systems (NRE 2002). There are only a few licences at present. Production is small and all sales are being made locally.

Aggregating published and estimated production in Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia and Northern Territory in 2001-02, Australian barramundi production was around 1250 tonnes in 2001-02.

( REF. Australian Aquaculture. Industry profiles for selected species)

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