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Abalone are herbivorous gastropods that can best be described as marine snails. In the Southern Hemisphere their diet consists of mostly red and green seaweeds which they graze off reefs. Abalone are prolific spawners releasing large quantities of eggs and sperm into the water column where fertilisation occurs. Although their reproductive capability is great, very few juvenile abalone survive to become adults. Their low survival rate is due to predation and competition. There are over a hundred species of abalone around the world. Most are small and only a few are commercially important. In Victoria the commercial species are the Blacklip (Haliotis rubra) and the Greenlip (Haliotis laevigata). Both of these species have excellent acceptance in Asia and are currently being farmed in small to medium scale operations in Victoria.

Abalone farming can be done at sea on artifical reefs or in cages suspended off the bottom and in land-based farms using tanks. Land-based systems are by far the most popular since they offer a greater degree of control over the growing process.

Australia is currently at the leading edge of land-based abalone farming; having developed sophisticated hatchery, nursery and grow-out systems. A key factor is the development of environmentally friendly pelletised diets which use soymeal as opposed to fishmeat as a protein source. The use of pellets in conjunction with specially designed tanks has led to increased efficiencies. Grow-out systems are continuously being refined seeking to minimise the use of seawater and thus reduce pumping and waste water discharge costs.

There are a number of suitable sites throughout Victoria with access to pristine oceanic quality water. For sea-based abalone farming there are 900ha already set aside for aquaculture purposes in Port Phillip Bay and Western Port, with a strong possibility of a further 1000ha being set aside in the Great Sands area at the southern end of the Bay.

The start up cost for a self sufficient abalone farm producing up to 2 million abalone pieces per annum to a size of 80mm (75gr) will be approximately $3.5 million. This cost would include the purchase of land and all necessary site development and construction as well as running costs for the first two to three years at which time sales of product should commence. Break-even would occur between 4-5 years with an estimated return on investment (IRR) of approximately 35% by the tenth year of operation.

It is expected that farmed abalone will achieve a higher price than wild caught since it will tap into an unserviced live market with year round availability. Farmed product can also be produced to different sizes to meet customer requirements.

The opportunity exists for the establishment of specialised hatcheries producing larvae only; nurseries to produce cocktail size abalone or self sufficient farms integrating hatchery/nursery/grow-out systems. Establishment costs and return will vary according to the type of operation. It is generally agreed the self-sufficient farms offer the best returns. 

Almost all Australian abalone is exported. Recent market studies indicate that the long term prognosis for abalone markets is good with demand continuing to increase. Surveys of seafood retailers in Japan indicate the the smaller 8cm to 10cm abalone is the preferred size range as opposed to wild caught product which must be no smaller than 10 to 12cm.

The average farmgate price of cocktail sized abalone (80mm) is $2.00 ea, which equates to a conservative price of $26/kg. Current beach price of wild abalone is approximately $32/kg. Although the beach price for wild caught abalone fluctuates, the long term trend is of a positive increments in price.

Applicants for a new aquaculture licence should read through the following information. Licence application forms can be obtained from the Fisheries Victoria Aquaculture Unit head office or from regional NRE offices.

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Source: http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/

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DRAFT Victorian Abalone Fishery Management Plan
The DRAFT Management Plan for the Victorian Abalone Fishery was prepared for Fisheries Victoria by consultants engaged in a formal and highly consultative collaboration with stakeholder representatives. The plan deals with each of the fishery components, commercial and recreational harvesting, aquaculture and ranching. It seeks to ensure the fishery is ecologically sustainable, and provides greater flexibility in relation to access to the resource and a broadening of community benefit. Interested parties are now invited to provide comments on the document.

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Source: http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/

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