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Despite Western Australia’s long coastline, our aquaculture industry is small by global standards – but it is growing and diversifying, with exciting opportunities on the horizon.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 21.04.2021

Aquaculture is the breeding, hatching, culturing or harvesting of aquatic organisms. It is similar to agriculture, but involves marine plants and animals instead of land based crops and livestock.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 21.04.2021

Aquaculture may be conducted in coastal ocean waters, freshwater ponds and rivers, and even on land in tanks. Operators range from ‘hobby farmers’ to large, international corporations. It can be categorised according to the type of aquatic environment (eg. fresh, brackish or marine water), the type of production system used (eg. pond, cage, pen, raft, etc.), the level of intensity (extensive, intensive) or the type of organism cultured (eg. fish, crustaceans, molluscs etc.).

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 21.04.2021

Abalone are a family of reef-dwelling marine snails which are the target in Western Australia of a lucrative export commercial fishery and one of the world's shortest recreational fishing seasons.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 26.05.2020

Seagrasses support highly productive and diverse ecosystems. These specialised marine plants are vitally important in the coastal environment because they are a source of food and shelter, oxygenate water, trap sand and recycle nutrients; and provide breeding habitats and nursery areas for many marine organisms.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 17.10.2019

Algae are an extremely diverse group of photosynthetic organisms that are the basis for almost all food chains in the world's oceans.

Resource type: Fact SheetLast updated: 22.08.2019