THOUSANDS OF FINGERLINGS DESTINED FOR A MILLION-DOLLAR EXPORT
Published Wednesday, 10 January, 2007 at 08:10 AM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
The recent release of 3500 gold spot grouper fingerlings and 3000 juveniles into Queensland aquaculture ponds was a move that put a new industry well on its way to accessing an export market worth a potential $350 million dollars, Acting Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries John Mickel said today.
Mr Mickel said the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries was working closely with industry to develop a tropical marine fin fish industry that would supply both domestic and export markets, particularly south-east Asia where grouper was extremely popular.
“The demand for tropical fin fish is so high in southern China and Hong Kong that there is trouble meeting the demand,” Mr Mickel said.
“This gap provides Queensland hatcheries with an ideal opportunity to supply these markets and, at the same time, help the prawn industry diversify.”
DPI&F delivered 3500 6cm fingerlings to Aussea Holdings’ hatchery at Mission Beach and 3000 juvenile gold spot grouper fingerlings to aquaculture farms at Cardwell recently.
DPI&F fisheries biologist Adam Reynolds said the fingerlings released at Aussea Holdings’ would be the subject of ongoing departmental research.
“Gold spot grouper are ideal for pond production because they are estuary fish,” Mr Reynolds said.
“Our aim is to learn more about the husbandry and to develop the skills and knowledge to breed them so they can grow them in their own hatcheries.”
The gold spot grouper can grow to 15-20kg, but commercially the preferred size being plate size, 0.5 to 1kg fish.
The DPI&F-funded project was established through adapting technologies developed in south-east Asia to the large and more intensive aquaculture operations in Queensland.
“Gold spot grouper has a nice white flesh fillet and we hope barramundi farms will start to look at breeding the species as well,” Mr Reynolds said.
“Exporting is looking like a viable opportunity for the future of the industry, however another key challenge is the development of strategies to tap into domestic markets as well.”
DPI&F contact: David Anthony, Senior Media Officer (07) 4044 1676 or Caroline Dalton 323 93120
Ministerial contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349
10 January, 2007
Mr Mickel said the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries was working closely with industry to develop a tropical marine fin fish industry that would supply both domestic and export markets, particularly south-east Asia where grouper was extremely popular.
“The demand for tropical fin fish is so high in southern China and Hong Kong that there is trouble meeting the demand,” Mr Mickel said.
“This gap provides Queensland hatcheries with an ideal opportunity to supply these markets and, at the same time, help the prawn industry diversify.”
DPI&F delivered 3500 6cm fingerlings to Aussea Holdings’ hatchery at Mission Beach and 3000 juvenile gold spot grouper fingerlings to aquaculture farms at Cardwell recently.
DPI&F fisheries biologist Adam Reynolds said the fingerlings released at Aussea Holdings’ would be the subject of ongoing departmental research.
“Gold spot grouper are ideal for pond production because they are estuary fish,” Mr Reynolds said.
“Our aim is to learn more about the husbandry and to develop the skills and knowledge to breed them so they can grow them in their own hatcheries.”
The gold spot grouper can grow to 15-20kg, but commercially the preferred size being plate size, 0.5 to 1kg fish.
The DPI&F-funded project was established through adapting technologies developed in south-east Asia to the large and more intensive aquaculture operations in Queensland.
“Gold spot grouper has a nice white flesh fillet and we hope barramundi farms will start to look at breeding the species as well,” Mr Reynolds said.
“Exporting is looking like a viable opportunity for the future of the industry, however another key challenge is the development of strategies to tap into domestic markets as well.”
DPI&F contact: David Anthony, Senior Media Officer (07) 4044 1676 or Caroline Dalton 323 93120
Ministerial contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349
10 January, 2007