Mandee Theil1, Kaine Jakaitis1, Kate Rodda1, Matt Hoare1, Matt Bansemer1, Shane Roberts1
1 Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) Fisheries and Aquaculture, GPO Box 1625, Adelaide, South Australia 5001
South Australia’s aquaculture industry generates 50% of the State’s seafood economic output, worth $200 million in 2020/21. A rapidly emerging sector likely to expand the industry is seaweed farming. The State’s legislative framework provides a one-stop-approach to the development, regulation and licensing of seaweed aquaculture. A fundamental feature is the capacity to establish dedicated aquaculture zones in State waters to promote the ecological sustainable development of the industry. These zones represent a unique marine spatial planning approach for access to a shared resource. Twelve aquaculture zone policies are prescribed in South Australia, nine of which currently permit seaweed farming. Case studies will outline the review of aquaculture zone policies to permit seaweed farming and foster the interest of local Aboriginal communities in aquaculture activities. The first seaweed aquaculture licence in South Australia was issued to the Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation.
Currently, South Australia has 50 aquaculture licences (marine and land-based) permitted to farm seaweed. The sector’s full potential is yet to be realised and the risks associated with disease, inadvertently moving pests and causing genetic contamination of local populations, primarily through stock translocations, are not yet understood. South Australia has implemented Macroalgae Management Areas, with the aim to protect aquatic ecosystems and genetic diversity across the State’s coastline – home to >1100 species of seaweed (many of which are endemic). Based on historical surveys, the management areas broadly represent key habitat distributions and therefore provide a suitable foundation for managing activities relating to seaweed aquaculture.