“Quicklook” Assessment of Greater Adelaide's Assets & Challenges ...

• Aquaculture is the fastest growing area of development in the SA seafood
industry – work for environmental sustainability, and develop new species and
technologies, enhance economic returns.
• Have geothermal water in regions of the state that is perhaps not promoted quite
as much as it could be. How to address the aquaculture related issues and
optimise production using this resource is also poorly researched and understood
(ie. dealing with low oxygen, high iron content, water hardness and in some
instances hydrogen sulphide, etc)
• LADS project was used to map waters up to 30m – not being used as it should.
• Need to be working on detail specific reports– e.g. aerial mapping of vegetation,
bringing together and making available to resource engineers. (These 2 dot
points need to be integrated – the key opportunity is 1) bringing together
scattered information into a user friendly GIS based system that can be used by
resource planners and managers, as well as investors, and 2) targeting the gaps
in the information to make ).
• Rock lobster is good potential market for aquaculture but collection of juveniles is
problematic and propagation is unlikely for many years
• Abalone diet development industry in SA and Australia is small at this time; feed
sales will remain low unless targeted overseas – doubtful
• Sea Urchin – looking at manufactured feeds to increase roe (gonad) quality. A
developmental project at this time; if successful may be an opportunity for
propagation later.
• Internationalization of aquaculture is evident. SA is now well placed for supplying
fry overseas
• High growth market, with future for high returns.
• World leadership in environmental concerns.
Threats
• High staff turnover and lack of long term job funding within government, including
SARDI.
• Funding varies year to year, causing uncertainty in the industry particularly where
research and development often takes 3-5 years before pilot scale trials are
feasible.
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• Legislation is outdated, more money and focus to aquaculture should be
allocated.
• How universities are coping with requirements for fishing industry, study results
were poor.
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