News release

From: University of the Sunshine Coast

Build it and they will spawn

The outstanding success of a hatchery custom-built by scientists at the University of the Sunshine Coast could make a native prawn species the next big thing in Australian seafood.

With meaty 100g bodies the size of a school ruler, and blue claws popular for decorating soup bowls, the giant freshwater prawn is key to a global industry worth AUD$7billion.

But the Australian species, though plentiful in rivers, lakes and creeks, has not yet been harnessed through aquaculture to create a lucrative Australian market. Until now.

The new hatchery and nursery, established at UniSC’s Sunshine Coast campus over summer by UniSC Associate Professor Tomer Ventura and PhD students, has overcome a major bottleneck.

“Over the past few months, we’ve achieved what’s believed to be the first commercial-scale production of this prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, in Australia,” Dr Ventura said.

“It’s an exciting foundation for this sustainable aquaculture pilot project led by Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland in partnership with CSIRO.”

The Regional University Industry Collaboration (RUIC) project is funded by the Queensland Government and delivered by CSIRO.

The UniSC team tailored breeding methods and technology to the species to enable faster and bigger growth.

“We started with a delivery of 20 or so male and female adult prawns, transported 1900km from near Cooktown by project leader, the Hope Vale Foundation,” Dr Ventura said.

“Our aim was to produce 10,000 post-larvae prawns but we rapidly passed that. I never imagined we would end up with 200,000, and from such a small hatchery footprint.

“That’s enough to stock an entire farm – not just a pond – which significantly exceeds the original goals of this pilot. There is infinite potential from this humble beginning.”

Dr Ventura, who researches crustacean genetics and aquaculture, said the team was able to produce up to 200g a day of live feed (microscopic crustaceans called artemia) for the prawns and was now investigating alternative sustainable feed options.

“In a week or two, the prawns will be big enough to send back to the Hope Vale Foundation to grow to adult size in their ponds.”

The foundation, a First Nations not-for-profit, is spearheading the effort to blend traditional ecological knowledge with cutting-edge aquaculture science.

The project aims to develop a scalable, low-emission, water-efficient model that supports food security, economic empowerment and cultural resilience.

Dr Ventura said the ongoing hatchery also offered fantastic benefits for UniSC postgraduate students to develop their knowledge while gaining industry experience.

“They have learned the whole life cycle of how to produce animals from broodstock to larvae and back to broodstock again,” he said.

UniSC Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation, Professor Ross Young said scientific research was one of Australia’s most effective tools for building new industries.

“This project shows what’s possible when universities, industry, government and communities work together to turn research capability into scalable economic development,” Professor Young said.

“What we’re seeing here is discovery-led innovation creating opportunities, particularly for regional and Indigenous communities, in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way.”

Link: CSIRO report Hope Vale case study