Barramundi
The Fish
Barramundi has a national and international reputation as a splendid sporting fish with premium eating qualities.
Belonging to the perch family of fishes, barramundi (Lates calcarifer) prefers slow-moving or still water in rivers, creeks, and estuaries. However, they are adaptable and can also be found around near-shore islands and reefs.
The name "barramundi" has an interesting story, click here for more information.
Fishery & Management
Northern Australia's barramundi resource supports a multi-million dollar commercial inshore gillnet fishery. Queensland's limited-entry gillnet fisheries, in the Gulf of Carpentaria and on the east coast, annually gross about $6 million. The Queensland recreational angling and sport fishing industry centred on the species, is conservatively valued at $8 million.
The Queensland Fisheries Management Authority administers the regulatory and control measures for the state's fisheries. Commercial fishermen's activities are governed by seasonal and area fishing-closures, gear restrictions and stringent licensing provisions. A closed fishing season on barramundi operates from November through January each year, with the exception of Lake Tinaroo on the Atherton Tableland, near Cairns in Queensland.
Stocks of the fish support important commercial fishing, tourist and aquaculture industries in Queensland.
Australian Farmed Barramundi Industry
The Australian farmed barramundi industry started in the mid 1980s. Today it consists of about 100 licensed farmers. In 2003/04 the industry produced over 2,700 tonnes of product, in 2008/09 ABFA estimates production will exceed 6,000 tonnes, growing to over 7,000 tonnes in the next two years.
Barramundi is farmed in all states of Australia except Tasmania. It has an estimated value of production at around $8 million at farm gate. There is every indication the industry will continue to expand, with growth coming from existing farms and new entrants to the industry.
Australian barramundi is farmed in diverse production systems. The majority of production comes from outdoor fresh water pond operations, in North Queensland and the Northern Territory. A significant amount is also grown in salt water ponds.
Sea cages are potentially a major production approach, with cages in Queensland and Western Australia; they have also been trialled in the Northern Territory. The remainder comes from recirculation systems using thermal spring water or fresh water. Recirculation systems are operated mainly in South-East Queensland and southern states. The size of production units varies greatly from very small operations, usually based on recirculation systems, to large-scale pond or cage systems.
Barramundi was traditionally produced as plate fish for the restaurant trade, but the majority is now being sold as fillets, with a new market developing around direct sales to the major supermarkets.
For more information please e-mail ABFA on info@abfa.org.au or contact Executive Officer Graham Dalton on phone (07) 3890 8089.
Pictures Courtesy of Good Fortune Bay Fisheries.
