Australian research makes a major contribution to a new international compilation of work focused on the opportunities and challenges of inland saline aquaculture.
FRDC research has proved inland saline aquaculture is technically viable in Australia, given the quality of groundwater available and species such as Mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus) or Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) which can be successfully grown.
Despite its potential in Australia, developments have failed to progress, while other countries – such as India – have built new industries for inland regions, often on the back of Australian-led research.
Mulloway grown at the Waikierie Inland Saline Aquaculture Centre
FRDC has been at the forefront of research into inland saline aquaculture in Australia – using saline groundwater to grow marine species in areas far from the sea. While much of this research dates back to the early 2000s, FRDC-funded project 2022-089 has revisited the findings and created a publicly accessible collection of national and international research on the subject.
NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) Deputy Director General Dr Geoff Allan and Senior Research Scientist Dr Stewart Fielder have led the latest FRDC project, collating 587 international research publications focused on inland saline aquaculture.
“Of these 116 – almost 20 per cent – are from Australia,” says Geoff. “Another 157 publications, or 27 per cent, are from India, and many relate to projects funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) in India that involved NSW DPI project leaders.”
Top 5 contributors to inland saline aquaculture research publications by source Source: FRDC
Geoff has been a key researcher on many of these projects for NSW DPI, FRDC and ACIAR. He says the Australian projects focused primarily on growing fish in evaporation basins in southern NSW.
The original research was initiated in response to rising water tables across southern Australia which threatened agricultural productivity. In southern NSW large volumes of saline groundwater were “intercepted” before it reached the surface and pumped into evaporation basins.
Similar schemes operated in South Australia and Victoria. In Western Australia and Queensland, research was conducted using saline groundwater available from shallow aquifers. Research in all states proved it was possible to grow fish in this groundwater, solving issues such as water quality requirements and production processes.
However, Geoff acknowledges commercial development has faltered in Australia mainly due to a critical shortage of water.
“When we were doing the research, we couldn’t have foreseen the impact of the Millenium Drought,” says Geoff. “In the early 2000s, it appeared there would be no shortage of available saline water.”
As the Millenium Drought intensified in the late 2000s, irrigation was greatly reduced, watertables dropped significantly, and the interception schemes began to wind down. Today, Geoff says, long-term access to sufficient volumes of saline groundwater for production is the key limiting factor in Australia, particularly for large-scale production.
“The NSW scheme has ceased operating entirely, and an interception scheme at Waikerie in South Australia is only prepared to guarantee groundwater supply for three years, when investors might need a 30-year commitment,” he explains.
The Waikerie Inland Saline Aquaculture Centre has used groundwater to grow marine fish species. Photo: SARDI
As part of the current project, FRDC hosted a special session at the 2023 World Aquaculture Society Conference in Darwin, which brought together Australian and international experts to consider progress, commercial developments, challenges and future opportunities.
Presentations identified that many species had been successfully cultured in India, and several are being produced commercially, including White Leg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). He notes much of this production followed from the earlier ACIAR projects.
Israel also has substantial commercial inland saline aquaculture production with Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), Carp (Cyprinus carpio), and Mullet (Mugil cephalus), as the main species.
Commercial culture in the Middle East and USA is also progressing. A large Australian Barramundi farming company has purchased facilities in Arizona to farm Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) in saline groundwater on a farm previously used to commercially farm white leg shrimp.
Aquaculture production in Australia using groundwater is currently limited to two operators. A barramundi producer in Victoria uses groundwater with salinity levels (2-3 ppt) and a Murray Cod (Maccullochella peelii) producer in Queensland uses groundwater (3-5 ppt) to reduce pathogen load in fingerlings and purge fish going to market. An operation in South Australia is seeking investors to produce Yellowtail Kingfish using a recirculating system.
The conference session highlighted opportunities to take advantage of the comparatively biosecure and pathogen-free nature of groundwater and using saline groundwater in specific parts of the production process, such as hatchery, nursery or purging phases.
FRDC Research Portfolio Manager Wayne Hutchinson says given the extensive investment in research by FRDC and others, most of the technical or production challenges in inland saline aquaculture in Australia, have already been solved.
“That’s already a huge benefit for potential operators, and we’ve brought these research findings together in one place to ensure they’re easier to access.
“If inland saline aquaculture is going to develop in Australia it is now up to investors to decide if there’s an appropriate business model and the right location with long-term access to water,” says Wayne.
Related FRDC Project
2022-089: Inland saline aquaculture - past progress, new opportunities and a synthesis of available knowledge
