Description

The black tiger prawn is a widespread, fast growing tropical to subtropical species suited to warm brackish water that occurs naturally along the northern Australian coast.

The species can tolerate a wide range of salinity, ranging from brackish to 40 ppt (parts per thousand), although it prefers lower salinities and warmer temperatures.

Brown tiger prawn production has also increased over the past five years.

Farming Development

Thirty-two farms in Queensland commercially produced marine (black Tiger, banana or brown tiger) prawns in 2001-02.

The average unit gross value of production in 2001-02 was $15.84 a kilogram (table 2), giving a gross value of production of $51.5 million.

In New South Wales, prawn farming, concentrated on the banks of the Clarence and Richmond Rivers, is the state�s most valuable land based aquaculture sector.

Prawn farmers in New South Wales produced 346 tonnes of Black Tiger Prawns in 2001-02, valued at $5.4 million.

Aquaculture production of black tiger prawns in the Northern Territory reached 39 tonnes in 2000-01. The Northern Territory�s three producing farms had a ponded area of 13 hectares in that year.

The gross value of production at the farm gate was around $950 000 in 2000-01.

A major new prawn farm of around 130 hectares as well as a smaller farm of 15 hectares are currently being constructed at Darwin.

Prawn farming is being developed in Western Australia, with three farms licensed but not yet built.

Although there has been no commercial growout production as yet, hatchery production of prawns has commenced in the Exmouth area. Through the Kimberley Aquaculture Research Project, hatchery technology for the black tiger prawn has also been successfully transferred to the multispecies hatchery in the Broome Tropical Aquaculture Park. An expression of interest is also being developed for prawn farming on the Dampier Peninsula.

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

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