World Aquaculture 2023

May 29 - June 1, 2023

Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

COMMERCIAL VIABILITY OF A MODIFIED PARTITIONED AQUACULTURE SYSTEM (PAS) CULTURING MURRAY COD Maccullochella peelii peelii IN SOUTH WESTERN QUEENSLAND

Mark Oliver*

Condabilla

4412 Kogan Condamine Road

Chinchilla, Qld, 4413

condabillafishfarm@gmail.com

 



The Partitioned Aquaculture System (PAS), developed by Clemson University in 1989 was originally trialled with Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus. In the years since its inception it has been applied to a range of finfish species throughout most regions of the world. However, it does represent only an extremely small portion of total pond-based production. The general principles of a PAS have been applied and modified to a commercial finfish farm culturing Murray Cod Maccullochella peelii peelii in South Western Queensland, Australia. This is the only farm of its kind in the world culturing this species. Stocking densities of over 100 kilograms per cubic metre within the raceways are standard for the facility without the introduction of pure oxygen due to the high water exchange rates in the within the large (6 hectare) ponds of which the fixed concrete raceways are embedded. Production costs are minimised due to the application innovative engineering, automation and modification of existing PAS design. The farm shows commercial viability in its current form when analysing all economic factors and also clearly indicates that the all biological indicators of a heathy pond based aquaculture system can be achieved. This system has potential application to other species cultured within Australia, in particular barramundi Lates calcarifer