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Federal Minister for
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Warren Truss
today opened Australia's first commercial mud crab and
sea cucumber hatchery at Hervey Bay in Queensland.
Mr Truss said the
hatchery owned by Queensland aquaculture business
Bluefin Seafood was one of 36 projects Australia-wide
to receive funding under round three of the Federal
Government's Agriculture Advancing Australia (AAA)
- Farm Innovation Program.
"The hatchery is an
Australia-first and, in fact, the first of its type to
be set up outside of India," Mr Truss said.
"Bluefin Seafood's
years of experience, along with the latest Australian,
Asian and Indian research in the field, and the
collaboration of Queensland DPI Fisheries and Bribie
Island Aquaculture Research Institute has made the
hatchery possible.
"The hatchery meets all
the standards outlined by Environment Australia, and
will provide the local area with an important
employment and tourism boost.
"Bluefin has also
established a regional network of partners linked by a
joint marketing venture, as well as mud crab and sea
cucumber fattening farms.
"Sea cucumber, or
beche-de-mer, are extremely popular in Asia - with
China, Taiwan and Singapore our main customers, while
mud crabs have significant domestic growth potential.
Bluefin will alternate between hatching the two
species four times a year.
"Importantly, the
hatchery will help meet the growing needs of these
markets while at the same time taking the pressure off
both species in the wild.
"As such, it represents
a win-win situation, and an excellent example of the
innovation that has become a hallmark of the
Commonwealth's AAA - Farm Innovation Program.
"Innovation is the key
to Australian companies remaining internationally
competitive. The AAA - Farm Innovation Program
helps our rural business people take advantage of the
latest technologies, products and processes.
"In total, 97 rural
businesses have shared $10.2 million since the
Program's inception, with the successful applicants
representing a good mix of industries including, wool,
horticulture, poultry, forestry, crocodile farming,
aquaculture, wine, beef and dairy."
For further information
on the AAA - Farm Innovation Program, including
detailed project information, please call (02) 6272
5606 or visit the web site at
http://www.affa.gov.au/farminnovation |
