Changing ocean conditions caused by climate change are often seen as a reason to change existing practices – for example, changing where and when fishing occurs or changing aquaculture production.

The waters around Tasmania are warming rapidly, with parts of the region experiencing warming rates well above the global average. In Bass Strait, sea surface temperatures have been increasing by around 0.25°C per decade, with warming linked in part to changes in the East Australian Current.

The changing conditions are creating challenges for some existing seafood industries, but they may also mean that species that were previously less suited to Tasmanian waters become increasingly viable.

The Blue Economy CRC is exploring what some of these new opportunities could look like through the Blue Economy Zone, a three-year, multi-species aquaculture research program in Commonwealth waters about 12.5 kilometres off the coast of Burnie.

The trial is Australia’s first aquaculture research trial in Commonwealth waters. It is investigating whether aquaculture can be successfully operated in the higher-energy conditions of the open ocean, while also testing different species and systems.

Within the research zone, researchers are now preparing to trial growing yellowtail kingfish.

In September, 15,000 juvenile kingfish arrived in Tasmania from a Western Australian Government hatchery. Each weighing approximately one gram, the fish are being grown in tanks at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS). By December, when they have reached around 100–150 grams, they will be moved offshore to the Blue Economy Zone.

Over approximately 14 months, the fish are expected to grow to around four kilograms.

The trial will provide information about how kingfish perform in Tasmanian offshore waters, including their growth, health and welfare, as well as the environmental conditions and infrastructure needed to grow them in the open ocean.

This could help build the knowledge needed to assess whether kingfish could become a new aquaculture opportunity for Tasmania as ocean conditions change.

Kingfish are already farmed in other parts of Australia, including South Australia, but have not previously been introduced to Tasmanian waters. The trial is therefore not simply about adapting an existing farming system to changing conditions, it is also about exploring whether those conditions could support a different species and a new type of seafood production.

Climate adaptation doesn’t always mean changing the way things are already done. Sometimes, it involves recognising that the environment is changing, investigating what those changes could mean, and finding ways to make the most of new opportunities while understanding and managing the risks.

For aquaculture, that could mean new species, new locations and new ways of producing seafood.

Read the full story on the Blue Economy CRC website:
https://blueeconomycrc.com.au/blue-economy-zone/kingfish/

Check out a video about the trial: