Australian Aquaculture – Benefits, Cons & Processes

Aquaculture – A Sustainable Alternative To Overfishing

Aquaculture answers an issue that has come with the increasing demand for seafood – ‘With more people to feed, where do we source the product from?’. Like farms for livestock, Aquaculture allows various species of fish, shellfish and plants to be raised in ponds, open water cages or tank systems.

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Aquaculture allows Australians to produce and farm marine animals and plants in an ecologically sustainable manner instead of catching wild fish and potentially damaging their natural habitats.

This practice is a fast-growing industry with the power to revolutionise the way humans obtain their seafood. While it has had a dip in growth during the COVID-19 period, it is predicted to rise as demand for international seafood increases steadily.

Australia And The Fishing Industry

The amount of seafood (edible and non-edible) produced in Australia averages at about 230,000 tonnes each year at a value of $2.4 billion per annum. Aquaculture contributes about a third of this.

Growing global populations has put strain on farmers to improve their annual yield to meet high production demands; all while managing new environmental laws and restrictions. Aquaculture can still be classified as a fledgling industry, though one with more sustainability than commercial fishing.

How Aquaculture Can Correct The Damages Of Over Fishing

Commercial fishing has become a giant industry and one that has repercussions on the environment. Excessive fishing combined with growing global demand has pushed wild fish stocks to unsustainable levels. Now, it is believed that 40% of popular fish species are being caught at unsustainable rates. Meaning they are being caught at a faster rate than they have to reproduce and replenish. Aquaculture offers a solution to establish a supply of seafood that can more easily match national and global growth.

Modern marine farming allows fish farmers to breed and raise livestock in confined areas, while still providing them with the necessary conditions and nutrients to thrive. While the economic benefits are great, aquaculture also has high environmental merit. By increasing the supply of sustainable fish, shellfish and plants, the numbers naturally existing in the wild are under less pressure by fisheries. At the base, humans aren’t the only group that need fish as a food source. Whole ecosystems are reliant on a balance of native species. Aquaculture prevents excessive fishing and allows natural stock to level out.

Farmed species in aquaculture centres will level out buyer prices as there will be less fluctuation in availability. Meaning seafood prices are less likely to drop and spike because aquaculture stock is more consistent than fishing from the oceans or rivers.

Aquaculture Recovery Prediction

While aquaculture was one of the fastest-growing primary industries in Australia, it suffered a substantial decline in the COVID-19 timeline. The value of fisheries and aquaculture production in 2020-21 is expected to drop to $2,94 billion, down 6% from the 2019-20 period. This fall was largely caused by disruptions to domestic and international market conditions, measures to address the spread of COVID-19 and changing consumer demands.

Still, the decline has reached its worst and is forecast to recover gradually over the coming few years. By the years 2025-26, aquaculture is forecast to become the primary source of harvesting seafood – accounting for 55% of the gross value of production, with the remaining 45% coming from wild-caught fish. For those years, the gross value of production is predicted to be $3.21 billion.

Pros And Cons Of Aquaculture
Pros:

  • Protects local fish species and natural habitats
  • Supports the economy
  • Has potential for significant growth
  • Stable supply of food
  • Jobs for local workers
  • Lower prices for fish
  • Manageable way to meet growing food demands

Cons

  • When done incorrectly can harm the environment
  • Increased harvesting of smaller fish for farm feed
  • Damaging to the commercial fishing industry
  • Ecosystem changes if fish escape into the surrounding water system

Areas Aquafarmers Must Be Cautious Of

Though aquaculture seems to be glowing with potential, there are downsides and concerns tied to the industry. Aquaculture centres in open waters or coastal areas can transfer disease and parasites to migrating fish. Also, fecal matter can pollute water systems because of the highly concentrated amounts of fish.

Raising farmed fish takes a lot of resources. The husbandry of predatory fish depends on high-nutrient feed. For example, salmon are fed pellets made from other fish such as sardines. In some cases, wild fish are being caught to feed farmed fish, which does not correct the issue it set out to do.

Get Your Aquaculture System Right With Global

Global’s roto-moulded aquaculture tanks are perfect for any kind of agricultural work. They’re made from UV resistant, durable, non-reactive polyethylene plastic; so they don’t break down and release harmful byproducts into the environment.

We supply a range of circular tanks in 2000 litre, 3000 litre and 5000 litres, which are suitable for fish, chemicals and fertigation. Our circular polyethylene aquaculture tanks are used in flow-through hatchery systems which help re-circulate clean water through the aquaculture tanks. This means you maintain higher oxygen levels for improved fish health and growth rates. To top it off, the smooth, fish-friendly surface reduces fin and scale damage and infections. Want to do aquaculture right? Contact us today.

Local Farmers Feel Stung by John Deer Using Their Data

John Deer has advised Australian farmers to take advantage of the metrics they have available. Now that digital agriculture has become more prevalent in Australia, the agriculture machinery giant has given a tip for farmers to become ‘smarter’ when it comes to using their data.

Already this kind of technology has been used to massive success in the United States. American agriculture experts have taken a data-driven approach to crop management that assists in maximising crop yields and optimises their supply management systems while reducing food, water, and chemical waste.

With the push for improved yields from existing farms to feed a steadily growing population, Australian farmers can streamline their processes with the help of modern agricultural technology. Now everything from tractors to harvesters, irrigation systems and feeders can collect, upload relevant data and put it at the farmer’s disposal. This technology can track trends, collect real-time data, and fine-tune existing processes, adding elements of automation to the farming process.

It is expected that this technology will help increase the yield from existing farmlands, use pesticides ethically, optimise farm equipment, manage supply chain issues and more. These abilities are particularly important, with food production in Australia expected to increase significantly by 2050 to feed a predicted population of 35.9 Million in 2050.

Using Data Effectively

John Deere Australia’s precision agriculture manager Benji Blevin spoke about the importance of collecting data, and acting based on the results. Mr Blevin said farmers should not “collect data for data’s sake” without beneficial systems in place.

While many Australian farmers have data-gathering measures available, they have not optimised their processes accordingly. Mr Blevin made the comparison that a farmer would never use a machine that hadn’t been set up correctly, so the same should go with machines not yet set up for the “digital ecosystem”.

“It is important to take the time to set up your digital assets so you are collecting the right information for your needs,” Mr Blevin said.

“Setting up boundaries, guidance lines, chemicals, varieties and any other key inputs before heading into the paddock will save time and enable more accurate collection of data which in turn means it’s usable and actionable.”

Mr Blevins said a robust data-collection system can be automated to give farmers access to real-time, valuable information at their fingertips.

“With automation, you remove and simplify the touchpoints required to collect and transfer data from the machine (in Deere’s case, to its Operations Center),” he said.

“Your data is updated to the Cloud every 30 seconds while you focus on the work in the paddock.”

Once those data systems are set up and automated correctly, Mr Blevin added that the next step is actually understanding the data and using it to make productive changes on the farm.

“The next step is understanding that data, using it to drive decisions and applying these on-farm to achieve efficiency and profitability gains,” he said.

“If you can identify that a field has 20 per cent yield variability, you know that there’s money to be made there, and you can focus on it.”

“Another way to extract even more value is to bring in a specialised skill set, such as your agronomist, farm advisor, or financial advisor, and allow them to access and analyse information such as crop records to make strategic recommendations.”

Aussie Farmers Not Completly Sold On ‘The New’ Way Of Things

Several Australian farmers were dubious of releasing their personal analytics and opted to steer clear of the technology when it was first introduced. However, Mr Blevin said John Deere had utilised in-depth cybersecurity systems to ensure all data is protected.

“To us, it is critical customers control their own data and make the decisions about who can access it,” he said.

The global Argricultural Machinery giant is still repairing its relationship with consumers after incidents regarding the ‘right to repair’. Until earlier this year, John Deere was caught in a protest with farmers globally for their rigid repair process which saw even minor repairs needing to be done by a “registered” John Deere mechanic. Failure to do so would cause a system lockdown to stop farmers from fixing their machinery on their own.

Several farmers risked voiding their warranty by hacking the program with torrent software to work around these forced machine shutdowns. In February 2021, John Deere Australia responded by providing farmers with the right to repair the company’s range of tractors and machinery but drew the line at modification.

John Deere’s Australian/New Zealand managing director, Luke Chandler clarified that the company was glad to allow home repairs, but could not condone unregulated tinkering.

“We continue to support our customers’ right to service and maintain their equipment. Not only do we support that right, we make a lot of tools, videos and support for them to do that if that is the choice they make,” he said.

“The misunderstanding is around modification. What we don’t support is access to and modifying embedded codes within the machines.”

Most recently (June, 24) Deere released that their reasoning behind this decision was the safety of agricultural workers. Mr Chandler said that most repairs could be done without a software update, allowing farmers to have broad, but not total access to self-repairs.

“On average, less than 2 per cent of all repairs require a software update, so the majority of repairs a farmer can make, can be made easily,” he said.

“We build high-quality equipment customers can depend on and have a network of highly trained technicians to support them if they choose – and the tools, parts and repair information available to customers if they chose to repair or maintain their own machine.”

This process is yet to meet its conclusion, with several farmers still not happy with the new restrictions placed on their machinery.

Fire Ant Biosecurity Zones Have Been Updated

Australia has been swarmed with pest issues over the last 12 months. Feral pigs, the fall armyworm and the infamous mouse plague, have wreaked havoc across Australia in recent times. One pest that we’ve become very familiar with since the early 2000s is the Fire Ant.

The first two incursions of fire ants were discovered in 2001 in Queensland, in the Port of Brisbane and the southwestern suburbs of Brisbane. The third and fourth fire ant incursions were detected in Yarwun, Central Queensland, in 2006 and 2013. The most recent incursion was detected in Brisbane Airport in 2015. Fire ants detected in the Port of Brisbane, Yarwun and Brisbane Airport were successfully eradicated. The initial infestation in Brisbane has spread to other areas within the greater Brisbane area, including Ipswich, Logan and Redlands.

Fire ants can spread without human interference, to an extent. This is through mating flights and budding. A queen, or mated female, can fly up to 5km. When this newly mated female finds an appropriate nesting site, she will shed her wings and start her new colony.

When it comes to human interference, we can spread fire ants by shipping infested nursery stock, shipping containers and other materials located in fire ant biosecurity zones and with machinery that has had contact with soil.

Originally, fire ants came from South America. They are native to the floodplains of the Paraguay River in Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. They infested the southern United States during the 1930s, likely in soil used as ship ballast. Fire ant colonies have since continued their spread throughout the United States ever since.

When it comes to Queensland’s fire ant infestation, fire ants would have been unknowingly imported into Brisbane. While it is unknown how exactly they entered, it was possible via a shipping container from the US.

To prevent (and stop) the spread of fire ants, the Queensland government has put movement controls into place across certain parts of Queensland – these are referred to as fire ant biosecurity zones.

These fire ant biosecurity zones were recently updated in Queensland.

Fire ant biosecurity zone updates

The recent fire ant biosecurity zone updates came into effect on June 7, 2021. It now includes ten new suburbs which are in close proximity to affected areas to zone two. These suburbs include Fernvale, Fairney View, Josephville, Cryna, Kerry, Nindooinbah, Biddaddaba, Benobble, Canungra and Witheren.

It will also add 20 new or shifted suburbs which have been affected to zone one. These 20 new or shifted suburbs include Clarendon, Rifle Range, Lowood, Glamorgan Vale, Lark Hill, Marburg, Haigslea, Tallegalla, The Bluff, Ashwell, Lanefield, Rosewood, Thagoona, Ebenezer, Willowbank, Purga, Goolman, Lyons, South Ripley and Undullah.

How will these biosecurity zones limit the spread of fire ants?

Legal movement restrictions are in place in these biosecurity zones. These restrictions limit the spread of fire ants. Such movement can include movement of soil, straw or baled hay, mulch and animal manure. Any storage or movement of these materials needs to comply with the regulations outlined in the Biosecurity Regulation 2016.

To hinder the risk of fire ants spreading, any on-ground storage of these materials in fire ant zones must be on either bitumen or concrete (without any cracks) or a barrier that is impenetrable by fire ants on chemically treated compacted ground (not sand). When it comes to off-ground storage, straw and hay must be effectively covered with a barrier that ultimately deters all ants – including the flying queens.

What if you can’t comply with the procedures?

If you are unable to comply with the procedures, a biosecurity instrument permit (a type of movement permit) may be required.

If you need any more information regarding the recent movement restrictions and regulations, permits, guides and the chemical treatment of compacted ground or perimeters, refer to these websites:

If you see fire ants, you must notify the National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program on 13 25 23. Alternatively, complete the online fire ant notification form. At Global Rotomoulding, we understand there are countless responsibilities farmers need to keep up with. We stock several high-quality agricultural products that maximise functionality and productivity. If you have any questions about our range, be sure to contact our helpful team today.