It's Not All Fishy Business

An Emerging Future

Aquaculture is a new and emerging activity in Western Australia. Aquaculture farmers cultivate marine and freshwater animals and plants in both natural and artificial environments. Fish, shellfish or plants are raised for our consumption, to replace stocks that have been 'fished out' and for pharmaceuticals and jewellery.


'In Western Australia, we are still at the stage of determining the optimum conditions for cultivating species that are unique to our part of the world,' says local aquaculture farmer, Scott Bellerby.

A Comprehensive Business

Aquaculture farmers are involved in all aspects of the planning, design and operation of hatcheries where breeding takes place and grow out ponds and floating fish cages where fish are raised. They are also involved in the marketing of their product and the management of the overall business and its finances.

Professional Career

Aquaculture technicians usually work under the supervision of a qualified aquaculture farmer. They undertake the many detailed tasks and processes involved in the cultivation of freshwater and marine life and the care of their environment. In many cases, particularly on small farms, aquaculture farmers also perform these duties.

On a typical aquaculture farm, there's a grow-out facility, as well as brood stock (adult breeding fish) ponds and a hatchery. Because female fish in captivity don't usually spawn naturally, eggs that are laid are often fertilised artificially to produce fish larvae.

The technician anaesthetises the fish, separates the males and females and then injects the females with hormones to induce spawning. In some cases the aquaculture technician is required to manually extract eggs from female fish and mix them with sperm for fertilisation.

In addition to raising the eggs, technicians are responsible for feeding the stock, preparing algal cultures, which are essential to the feeding process and ensuring that the environment is in optimum condition. They also collect and record growth, production, and water quality data, check stock for disease and treat them when necessary.

The harvesting of fish is also undertaken by aquaculture technicians using a variety of techniques. To maintain the freshness of the fish, technicians bag and box them live for transportation to a processing plant, to the fish markets or for release into the wild.