Tasmania is an established location for aquaculture research and has a strong commitment to manufacturing and technological innovation, and continuous improvement.
Continuous Improvement
The Tasmanian Government is committed to a process of continuous improvement and adaptive management, focusing on iterative decision making, monitoring and assessment.
The Aquaculture Branch will continue to work closely with Tasmanian industry and research partners to develop outcome-based solutions for the evolving opportunities and challenges within the industry.
This includes encouraging public and private investments in innovation to advance production and farming technology, reduce environmental impacts, decarbonise operations, reduce emissions, develop new vaccines, realise circular economy and promote climate adaptation.
Research Collaborations
The Aquaculture Branch works in partnership with several research organisations and programs to inform the development of contemporary aquaculture policy, environmental management and statutory planning for the industry.
Key research collaborations include:
Sustainable Marine Research Collaboration Agreement
The Aquaculture Branch collaborates with the University of Tasmania and the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) to ensure Tasmania’s marine resources and industries are sustainably developed and managed.
As partners in the Sustainable Marine Research Collaboration Agreement (SMRCA), the Tasmanian Government invests in leading, world-class research to support the effective and sustainable management of Tasmanian marine resources.
Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre
The Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre brings the aquaculture, marine renewable energy and offshore marine engineering sectors together to address the challenges of offshore food and energy production, and deliver innovate solutions.
Projects pave the way for new aquaculture practices along with the development of environmental guidelines, policies and frameworks to provide confidence that aquaculture operations take place to the highest environmental standards.
Marine Bioproducts Cooperative Research Centre
The Marine Bioproducts Cooperative Research Centre focuses on supporting the development of new sources of marine biomass, such as seaweeds, marine micro-algae, and filter-feeding animals. This includes the use of advanced manufacturing technologies to produce novel bioproducts leading to new markets in health, nutrition, agriculture, aquaculture and biomaterials.
Marine Bioproducts brings together more than 70 partners from academia and industry with the aim to establish Australia as a global player in the growing industry of marine biotech.
Centre for Aquatic Animal Health and Vaccines
The Centre for Aquatic Animal Health and Vaccines is a diagnostics and disease research facility that plays a key role in promoting aquatic animal health and managing disease risk, with a focus on Tasmania’s aquaculture industries. From hatch to harvest, the centre is involved in disease surveillance and diagnosis, vaccine development and responsive fish health.
The Centre for Aquatic Animal Health and Vaccines is operated by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania with support from industry and research partners.