Jewfish farming trials a first at Humpty Doo Barramundi
Black Jewfish, or Protonibea diacanthus are being farmed for the first time in the NT in a trial by Humpty Doo Barramundi and Darwin Aquaculture Centre
Humpty Doo Barramundi are trialling Black jewfish farming in a world first for aquaculture.
As Australia's biggest Barramundi farm, Humpty Doo Barramundi is well placed to trial new species of fish for farming, and we are working with Darwin Aquaculture Centre to develop farming practices for jewfish.
Also known as 'Mulloway' or 'Black spotted croaker' in other regions, jewfish are prized by NT locals for catching and eating. And their swim bladders are highly-sought after in Asian food markets where they can reach approximately $1000 kg.
The jewfish at Humpty Doo Barramundi are spawned at Darwin Aquaculture Centre in a project managed by Andrea Taylor since 2018. When they are large enough, they are transported to the Barra farm for extra care in our nurseries before being placed in their own cages in grow out ponds.
The 'jewies' are now about 300g in weight, are growing well, and are expected to reach harvest weight in about 2 years.
Can we expect to find farmed jewfish on our plates in the near future? Well, not too soon.
As the species has never been farmed before, there is a lot to learn about how the fish like to eat, grow and live before they can be farmed in any quantity.
ABC Landline covered the story after World Aquaculture Centre here.
So, what's in the feed?
The food is designed to mimic our Barra's natural diet needs as much as possible while easing pressure on wild fish stocks by incorporating a range of proteins from vegetables and grains, as well as proteins from places that manufacture food for human consumption, including chicken, beef and fish. Instead of being discarded, these proteins are heat treated and dried, allowing what would normally be wasted to be converted into sustainable barramundi food and form part of a circular economy.
Barramundi can digest a wide range of proteins to optimise their health and growth. In the wild, they will eat other fish, birds, frogs, prawns, crabs, tadpoles, insects etc - if it's in the water, and it fits in their mouths, they'll eat it!
By incorporating proteins that would otherwise be discarded, we can grow a premium Australian product sustainably, while reducing pressure on our oceans and reducing food waste.
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