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Fingerling cages growing out barramundi before their release in the open ponds The hatchery at Pejo team. Like most fi sh farms it's a round-the-clock operation. They spend one day a week packing off and the nursery takes constant monitoring and management. "On a big day they earn their keep," says Marty. FEEDING Initially the larvae are reared on enriched rotifers. Enriched artemia are introduced around day 10 and they're weaned onto dry food at day 20. They are acclimatised to fresh water around the same time. The company uses both Skretting and Aquafeed, delivered in 1.5 tonne bulker bags and blown across the ponds. However, the freight difference between Hobart and Brisbane is now about A$150 per tonne, which adds up to quite a bit over the year. The fi ngerlings are fed a starter ration in the cages until they are 200-300mm long. They are fed to satiation with fl oating pellets. Their appetite drops as the water cools and they feed 50 percent less in the depth of winter. They are adding about one percent of their body weight daily when really on the tooth. Food conversion effi ciency averages out at 1.4:1. Mart says they were able to get better fi gures, but losses played havoc with the FCRs when jabarus, crocodiles or health issues take fi sh out of the system. Marty inoculates against streptococcus as a precaution. "We don't suffer huge losses, but it just seems to pop its head up now and again. It's the inconvenience. Anything that reduces the level of antibiotic use is positive for the industry. Consumers seem concerned about it." Marketing also suffers from any break in continuity. "We really go out of our way to maintain continuity of supply. It's a big issue, and is probably one of the strongest points of farmed product versus wild-caught." Marty is trialling the use of molasses in the ponds to create a bacterial fl ock, which reduces the nitrogen levels and minimises the need for water exchange. The Environment Protection Agency regularly monitors their TDS, TAN and phosphorous levels. The limits are strict – TDS 25ppm, TAN 0.8ppm and P 0.08ppm – but they have no problem keeping below them. They use a 70m x 4m knotless net to crowd the barramundi to one end of the pond when they are ready for harvesting. The depth of the net allows for a good belly and the fi sh are not stressed when milling in front of the haul. Once they have congregated, a dip net lifts the fi sh out of the pond into an ice slurry. They can harvest fi ve tonnes of fi sh in two to three hours if everything goes right. MARKETS The barramundi are sold through wholesalers in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with a small amount to Canberra. "We take a long-term view. We don't jump around from agent to agent and we like to build up a relationship." The farm makes its own ice and the whole fi sh are packed overnight in 1000 litre Nylex bins surrounded by crushed ice SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 ■ and then in 18-20 kilo poly boxes the next day for airfreighting to the markets. Prices have taken a belting over the last two years. "At $8 per kilo we're not totally happy with the price. It's down two dollars on what it was a couple of years ago. That's a 20 percent drop when everything else is going up. We're barely making money at that level. "The high Australian dollar is making imports cheaper. It's one of the reasons why we're pushing for country-of-origin labelling. Barramundi is an Australian icon and tourists feel cheated if they're passed off a piece of frozen Nile perch or Asian seabass. They can get that back home." Marty's words resonate for the entire barramundi farming sector in Far North Queensland and, if they only knew it, the Australian consumer. "We need a fair price to justify the risk we take and the money we've got invested." Contact Marty Phillips by phone on (07) 4 063-2344, or by email on marlinka@bigpond.com.au VIP.AC31 NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 7