Development of Yellowtail Kingfish aquaculture in Western Australia: Removal of barriers to profitable production

Publication Date

4-2014

Series Number

Project No. 2011/754

Publisher

The Seafood CRC Company Ltd, the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Challenger Institute of Technology, Flinders University, Nofima.

City

Bedford Park

ISBN

978-0-9871696-0-0

Abstract

This project aimed to remove some key barriers and optimise some key inputs to yellowtail kingfish (YTK) production and improving the commercial viability of the development of a larger scale industry in Western Australia.

Objectives of Sub-Project 1 - Genetics:

1. To analyse genetic variation and pedigrees in existing broodstock, investigate options and make recommendations for how to best capture, maintain and effectively utilise genetic variation among cultured YTK in WA.

2. To undertake a more detailed population genetics study of Western Australian stock and existing captive broodstock.

Objectives of Sub-Project 2 – Larviculture:

3. To compare the differences between continuous and pulse feeding strategies on the cost of production and performance of YTK larvae.

4. To compare the performance of those YTK larvae reared on live food enriched on current best-practice enrichment products with those reared on an experimental diet that has been demonstrated through laboratory analyses to have superior fatty acid profiles and concentrations of other essential nutrients.

5. To compare the effect of new bacterial management approaches within larval rearing tanks in reducing malformation rates.

6. To exchange larviculture techniques between WA, NSW and SA.

All project objectives were achieved with the exception of 2 and 6. Whilst many samples of wild caught YTK were collected from the Perth and Mid-West regions of WA, an insufficient number from the south coast were collected in order to complete Objective 2 and the funds allocated to this objective were subsequently invested into expanding and improving the genetic database. Objective 6 could not be achieved as no suitable time could be found for all parties to conduct the proposed staff exchanges. A milestone variation was therefore approved in which ACAAR utilised the allocated funds to conduct an additional taurine dose-response trial and a larval rearing trial comparing the effect of rotifers enriched with different taurine concentrations.

Number of Pages

153

Keywords

Yellowtail Kingfish, Aquaculture, Profitable production, Western Australia, Commercial viability, Genetics

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Bacteriology | Behavior and Ethology | Genetics | Laboratory and Basic Science Research | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Marine Biology | Natural Resource Economics | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Nutrition | Operations and Supply Chain Management | Population Biology

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