Potential for saline aquaculture

A high level of interest was shown by the 24 participants at the recent Wagin Development Association seminar on local saline water and the potential for fish farming using this resource.

Association president Ian Menzies introduced the two hour session by oulining the two proposals being submitted for funding from the Royalties for Regions grant scheme.

These two proposals were instigated by Ian Pederick, vice president of the Association who has spent considerable time and energy researching Wagin's drainage and groundwater and the potential for inland saline aquaculture.

A $20,000 grant is being applied for to assist the Shire to improve the drainage from north of the Wagin Recreation Complex so that the current watering program for the complex, the proposed Recreational Vehicle (RV) dump point, together with the Wagin Historical Village, no longer have to source its water supply from the Harris River Dam near Collie.

Reduced rainfall in the South West is cause for concern and as such Wagin can no longer afford to utilise portable water from the Harris River Dam for its town watering program.

Mark Pridham from the Department of Agriculture & Food, who has been working with the Wagin Shire for almost ten years in its de-watering program, outlined the performance of the three bores that are currently in operation and their success in reducing the subsoil saline water levels within the Wagin townsite and the potential for saline aquaculture.

The second speaker, Dr Gavin Partridge of Challenger TAFE, regarded not only as Australia's but possibly the world's leading authority on saline inland aquaculture, outlined current research and efforts underway elsewhere to farm fish utilising subsoil saline water.

Dr Partridge endorsed Mr Pederick's initial research that indicated that local subsoil saline water could provide stable thermal characteristics to support saline aquaculture through a variety of heat transfer mechanism regardless of seasonal temperature variations.

The Wagin Development Association is seeking grant funding of $125,000 to instigate a one year pilot project for open pond saline aquaculture using the earth's natural thermal energy to maintain water temperatures that do not vary more than three degrees celsius all year round.

The pilot project will be supervised by Mr Pederick with advice and research support from Dr Partridge.

Possible sites exist in Wagin or on nearby local farming properties that have natural aquifers that could be sourced to provide suitable saline water.