Private research continues into rock lobster aquaculture

A Western Australian company has plans to continue research on rock lobster aquaculture, after being granted a Ministerial Exemption to collect 15,000 pueruli to trial its collection and growout infrastructure.

Pueruli are usually about 20mm long and previous research has shown hundreds of millions don’t survive through lack of suitable habitat. The puerulus, as it is called, is the very early stage in a rock lobster’s life cycle at which it settles in inshore coastal areas, following its offshore larval life.

Department of Fisheries CEO Peter Millington said the collection of 15,000 pueruli from waters off the West Coast, where the estimated puerulus settlement each year ranges from 57 million to 1200 million pueruli, would not affect the sustainability of the western rock lobster fishery.

"In fact the Ministerial Policy Guideline, dealing with research, allows for up to 300,000 pueruli to be collected for research, however, the Western Kingfish Limited (WKL) proposal is the only private sector project that has been approved, but it has been limited to the collection and growout of only 15,000 pueruli under strict conditions," Mr Millington said.

"The decision to grant WKL access to the pueruli comes with a number of specific conditions regarding the quarantining of the pueruli the company collects. The conditions also cover management of waste water discharges from its facilities to meet Department of Environment and Conservation criteria and the reporting of any disease outbreaks," Mr Millington said.

Principal Fish Pathologist for the Department of Fisheries, Dr Brian Jones said there were no identified diseases associated with aquaculture of rock lobsters in WA, however, protocols had been developed for transporting and growing the pueruli, in order to minimise any potential disease risk.

Mr Millington said the application by the company and the approval also did not require the Western Rock Lobster Puerulus Aquaculture Working Group to have completed its deliberations.

"The Working Group began its deliberations early last year and has an important role in the finalisation of policy around the development of a sustainable western rock lobster puerulus aquaculture industry and supplying advice around how it would impact on the current market," he said.

"In the meantime, Government policy allows for research by the Department of Fisheries or private sector companies into aspects of growing out western rock lobster puerulus."

Mr Millington said research programs, like the Western Kingfish project, would help in further building of a knowledge base to inform both Government and the companies involved about the potential benefits and risks involved.

"WA is taking a careful and considered approach to whether a rock lobster aquaculture industry can be established and it is important any companies that would choose to be involved are able to research, on a small scale, whether growout of pueruli can be conducted in a viable and safe way," he said.