Environmental and product quality in finfish aquaculture development: an example from inland Western Australia

Doupé, R.G., Alder, J. and Lymbery, A.J. (1999) Environmental and product quality in finfish aquaculture development: an example from inland Western Australia. Aquaculture Research, 30 (8). pp. 595-602.

Abstract

Aquaculture in Western Australian began with the cultivation of trout in the 1930s, although commercial status was not achieved until the cultured pearl industry was established in Broome in the 1950s. Aquaculture, especially in rural Western Australia, remains a relatively new but expanding industry. Aquaculture development in the agricultural areas of Western Australia represents a potential diversification in large tracts of land where salinization has reduced the economic and ecological sustainability of rural industries. The utilization of saline groundwaters for aquaculture presents a major opportunity for economic expansion. The industry is very small and based around finfish species with wide salinity tolerances. The development of an economically and ecologically sustainable industry requires the application of appropriate environmental management procedures, which provide a high-quality product, minimize the impact of the industry on the surrounding environment and provide a long-term competitive advantage.