Hooked On Fish - Part 3

Joining the Dots - or Towards The End of Dotocracy. 

     Australian Aquaculture can best be described as an exciting industry, with a great deal of effort being applied to a wide variety of enterprises and potential enterprises, but without a central strategy to guide its development.  It is like a child's dot drawing - a large number of dots, perhaps a vague impression of what it might look like, but no real effort to join the dots.  Perhaps, because of the large involvement of state and commonwealth governments preparing their own concepts and "protect-our-patch" strategies, it might be called a "Dotocracy".       

     Let's look at just some of the dots forming our Dotocracy:

• the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Forestry (DAFF) has developed their "Best practice framework of regulatory arrangements for aquaculture in Australia". The introduction to this "framework" commences with the following statement "The Aquaculture Industry Action Agenda (AIAA) is a strategic framework between industry and the Australian Government to assist the Australian aquaculture industry achieve its vision of $2.5 billion in sales by 2010. The AIAA contains a set of ten strategic initiatives to work towards this goal. Strategic Initiative 2 is the promotion of a regulatory and business environment that supports aquaculture. This is supported by a National Aquaculture Policy Statement which was developed and agreed to by all States, Territories and the Commonwealth Government in 2003.  Around the same time that implementation of the AIAA commenced, the Productivity Commission initiated a research paper titled 'Assessing Environmental Regulatory Arrangements for Aquaculture'. The purpose of the Commission Research Paper was to assess the planning and environmental regulatory arrangements covering marine and land-based aquaculture production in Australia.".......and so on.  You, perhaps, start to get the idea (wonder how the $2.5 billion/2010 thing is going).  But wait, there's more!

• the NSW Government has their "Strategy to guide the land based aquaculture industry in NSW", together with their strategy of "Developing Commercial Inland Saline Aquaculture in Australia: Part 1 & 2", although you might have to dig for that as the internet link seems to be broken.

• The South Australian Government has their "Landbased aquaculture development guidelines" and their policy for Yellowtail Kingfish production.

• the West Australian Government will present you with their "Site Assessment for Land-based,Temperate Marine Aquaculture, from Shark Bay to South Australian Border, Western Australia".

• the NSW Aquaculture Association Inc have their website and a load of useful information.

• the Australian Aquaculture Portal has their website,

• and, of course, don't forget the National Aquaculture Council and its Strategy, mentioned in Part 1.

     So, there we have it, folks.  The above is just a small sample of what is out there in aquaculture land.  Over the last decade, or so, there has been a large amount of work done, lots of fine words and good intentions, some progress, but not nearly enough!  Most of that progress has been the result of the hard work and risk taken by private entrepreneurs, notwithstanding the growing Dotocracy surrounding them.  Companies large and small, such as Cell Aquaculture, Clean Seas Tuna, Huon Aquaculture and Taylor Made Fish Farms, (whom I must thank for the photographs) to name just a few, have carried the torch.  

     Why is all this important?  Feeding ourselves and others, reducing imports and protecting marine natural resources are just part of it.  There is much more!  But none of it will happen if we don't first join the dots.

                                  

Next.......Part 4.....and finis..

                

Hooked On Fish - Part 2

We Can Do This!  

     In Hooked On Fish - Part 1, attention was drawn to the decline of the Australian total fishery and the failure to replace production from a stabilising marine fishery with production from an aggressive aquaculture fishery.  Part of the reason for that situation is most likely due to a combination of heavy population pressure on Australia's east coast and the creation of marine parks or reserves over many parts of the coastline.  These factors have, perhaps paradoxically, limited the available space for marine aquaculture enterprises.

     This is not to say, however, that marine aquaculture is a dead duck.  Not at all.  There is a significant amount of work being done in most state jurisdictions to both maintain and develop tthe marine aquaculture fishery.  This is particularly evident in Tasmania and South Australia.  Notwithstanding this important work, let's take a look at the prospects for land based aquaculture.


     Many of you may be aware of the plight of rural communities around Australia (of course, this is not a uniquely Australian problem).  You will also be aware of the growing plight of less well off countries where food resources are scarce and feeding the population challenging.  There are many similarities between such countries and our own rural communities in that they suffer from shortages of water, difficulties with communications, challenges to accessing markets, extremes of weather and struggling traditional rural enterprises.  So, in this Part 2, let's explore some of the possibilities.  Sit back and watch.......

Set you thinking?  We can do this!

Next - Part 3 - Joining the Dots - or Towards The End of Dotocracy. 

Hooked on Fish - Part 1

 Its Just Not Good Enough   


     In my article about saving the whales I touched on the concept of Aquaculture - Fish Farming to the uninitiated.  If we look at aquaculture in its global application, it is not a cottage industry.  Yet, in many countries, countries that could benefit enormously from this type of food production, it remains just that.  Indeed, in Australia, it would hardly be described as a mainstream form of food production.  The commercial fishing industry, while well managed these days at, generally, a sustainable level, is really just an anachronism to most of the 22 million people who live here. Its a little like the "family farm", "life in the bush" and Banjo Patterson.   For most of us, the fishing industry is a sunny day, a flat white or cappuccino, an outdoor cafe with a view of the "fleet" as it travels back and forth.  Somehow, those lovely fishies arrive at the supermarket, probably all caught by those brave men in their lovely little boats.  "What's that? Another latte? Don't mind if I do."

     Well, I can't leave it at that, can I?  So I have decided that, having raised the topic, I have a responsibility to explore this fishy tale just a little further.  We in Australia have a great deal of land, a great deal of coastline, a great deal of scientific skill and a great deal of enthusiasm when we find something we believe in.  Many of us in Australia are concerned about how to use scarce resources well, how to best utilise our land, how to manage our coastal responsibilities and how to cope with an increasing population.  Many of us are equally concerned with the huge problem of "feeding the world" and how best to contribute to that.  So, lets get on with it!

    However, before we proceed, some caveats may be appropriate.  Firstly, I am no scientist and have no particular expertise in this area.  I have researched and present this topic with a view to promoting discussion and, perhaps, facilitating change.  Secondly, "climate change" is a factor that must be considered in context with these articles.  For those readers who may be skeptics I simply ask, what is wrong with the precautionary principle?  Do you cross a busy highway without taking the precaution of looking at the flow of traffic or, perhaps, using a crossing?  So, my view will be, put simply and bluntly, that there can be nothing wrong with less crap in the air, less crap in the ocean, less crap in our water supplies and less crap in our food.

     Aquaculture is not a new invention.  According to an ABC "Catalyst" program in 2003, a Victorian Aboriginal tribe, the Gunditjmara people around Lake Condah, some 350ks from Melbourne, may have farmed eels over 8000 years ago.  The Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) describe early Chinese aquaculture going back to around 2000 BC.  The Japanese have cultivated seaweed for centuries and there is evidence of fish cultivation in Roman times.  During the 19th century a great deal of trial and development was carried out in the US and Canada, resulting in seriously operating industries by the close of that century.

     In its Yearbook of Fishery Statistics, the FAO has provided the the following figures for worldwide marine (fish & plant) harvesting during 2006:

WORLDWIDE	FISH, CRUSTACEANS, ETC	MARINE PLANTS
CAPTURE	91,994,321 T	1,143,273 T
AQUACULTURE	51,653,329 T	15,075,612 T
TOTALS	143,647,650 T	16,218,885 T

     The figures for Australia, by comparison, are:

AUSTRALIA	FISH, CRUSTACEANS, ETC	MARINE PLANTS
CAPTURE	192,574 T	15,504T
AQUACULTURE	48,882 T	0 T
TOTALS	241,456 T	15,504 T

     Interestingly, New Zealand, with whom we like to compete on all things from cricket, to rugby, to ownership of movie stars, caught 470,708 T and produced 107,522 T from aquaculture during the same period.  What's going on?  Have we been asleep?

                                                                                                                                                                                             
     Of course, what we do have in Australia, is a cultured pearl industry.  While this is not food production, it must be recognised that it is a vital economic contributor to the Aquaculture industry (around $300m per year) and significantly enhances employment, science and skill development. 

     The cultured pearl industry is also a significant draw card and player in the tourism industry.  The Western Australian town of Broome would not be thriving as it does without pearls and the flow-on effect on the economy of that State cannot be overstated.

     Pearls aside, however, it would not be unreasonable to take a view that the Australian aquaculture industry remains without a national focus and a national strategy.  Now, of course, someone will draw my attention to the National Aquaculture Council and its Strategy circa 2007.  This strategy draws attention to many issues needing attention within the industry.  There are good things here and the strategy should not be sidelined.  Nevertheless, I have to say that it is without the type of gutsy, long range, vision necessary to drive this industry forward with pace and vigor.  It is, in fact, "sleepy", so obviously a bureaucratic document, making all the right noises to gain all the right support for the pittance of funds it asks for.  The strategy focuses heavily on entry to the European Community, arguably one of the more difficult markets to enter.  It makes no attempt to draw on the expertise of the pearling industry as far as marketing is concerned and, most importantly of all, fails to address the easiest market to access.  What is that, I hear you say?  The Australian market!  It has got to be easier to replace the 380,000 tonnes (FAO 2001) of seafood product we import than to develop new markets thousands of kilometers away, at least as a first step in growing this industry.

     The following graphs, courtesy of the FAO, illustrate clearly what is happening to Australian fish production:

This figure illustrates the Australian "caught" production, as in caught in the ocean, not farmed.  It shows what appears to be a decline in recent years, after some 15 years of variability.

This figure illustrates the Australian "farmed" or aquaculture production.  It is showing a steady growth since the late 1980's.  This would coincide, roughly, with the growth of salmonid production in the southern states.

     

This figure illustrates total Australian seafood production.  It will be seen that, in spite of the growth in the aquaculture industry, total production is in decline at approximately the same rate as the decline in "caught" production.   
     
















     The stark fact that these graphs tell us, provided they represent the real situation, is that in a country with vast amounts of land, surrounded by vast amounts of coastline, we are unable, or unwilling, to produce enough fish to meet our own needs.  This nation, rightly or wrongly, found the means to produce rice, cotton, oranges, tomatoes, beef, wool, lamb and wine in what is, virtually, desert.  


     How much fish product could be produced from a 5 hectare land based aquaculture project and how much rice, cotton, beef, etc, could be produced from the same area?  Oh, before you ask, I'll bet pounds to peanuts that, with a little good management and a little bit of recycling, a land based aquaculture project would use a fraction of the water required for any of the other agricultural products.  Not that I have any objection to those type of products, of course.  Quite enjoy a sausage, or a steak, perhaps a tasty lamb shank, even a glass of red.  Mmmm...now that's a thought.



      We manage the marine fishery reasonably well these days and are heading toward a fully sustainable marine environment.  Yet, we have not done well in growing and developing an aggressive and advanced aquaculture industry.  What we do not do well ourselves cannot be taught, given or sold to others.  In spite of some great individual efforts, our national commitment is just not good enough.


     Next - Part 2 - We Can Do This! 

Save The Whales But Don't Forget The Fishies!

     If I ever get to see a live whale, swimming freely in the ocean, it will most likely be while standing on a cliff overlooking some part of the Australian East Coast.  You won't get me in a boat for the very simple reason that I enjoy my tucker and see no point in using it to burley up more fish, of the whale variety or otherwise.

     Yet, I am a strong supporter of the anti-whaling fraternity.  Its probably just sentimentality; after all, we kill and consume plenty of other mammals.  But killing and chasing these magnificent creatures does seem completely pointless, unless, of course, you happen to sell or consume the flesh.

     So, what happens if the slaughter is stopped?  The most obvious is that whale numbers will stabilise and then increase.  We will enjoy, with greater frequency,  the sight of them moving gracefully up and down our coast and marvel at their magic.  Many of us will experience more "up close and personal" moments and the enchantment that brings.  Perhaps, tragically, there will be more beachings and the drama such events bring to effected communities.  There will also be consequences!

     Whales feed very near the bottom of the ocean food chain. Yet, they are not the only specie dependent upon this source.  Put very simply, more whales mean more competition for other species.  Generally, this would not be an issue as nature, if left to work its own magic, will strike a balance.  However, nature is not left alone; we have not left it alone.  The impact of human intervention in our ocean environment is complex and without dispute.  Perhaps it is time to reduce our impact, to allow the big fish and the little fish (and all in between) to sort things out.

     Seafood, as we all know, is an excellent source of protein and essential oils.  Many communities around the world are heavily dependent upon harvesting the oceans as their only means of abundant protein.  Many more, like we in Australia, also depend on an ocean harvest to add variety and nutritional complexity to our diet.  Yet all countries, rich or poor, are finding it much more difficult to source supply.  We are forced to travel further, fish deeper, take more risks to produce the plunder demanded by the market place.  In the process, the food chain shrinks, species become scarce, ocean life gradually dies.

     The answer to efficient seafood production, world wide, lies in the rapid development of aquaculture.  "Fish farming" is a far more efficient and consistent means of producing large amounts of seafood quickly and cheaply.  It has endured the developmental and experimental agonies and is now established as an important link in the human food chain.  A 2002 report, presented by the ABC's Landline program, gives voice to the possibilities of this industry.  There is also a large amount of aquaculture technology now available, allowing fish farming from the micro, back yard level, to large commercial enterprises.  In most respects, it is no longer experimental.

     Humanity demands to be fed. Yet, if we wish to save the whales, we cannot ignore the fact that we must ensure their food chain is viable.  Subspecies must be allowed to survive and prosper.

     Oh, by the way, we have not yet touched on climate change.  The warming and acidification of the ocean may just do the job on the whales, and more, without a harpoon being fired.  But, we will still, more than ever, need the protein seafood can give us.  Everything is connected, after all.........."the shin bone is connected to the knee bone....is connected to the thigh bone......is connected to the hip bone....etc, etc!"

    

    

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