About the Australian Barramundi Industry

Since its establishment in the mid 1980s, the Australian farmed Barramundi industry has expanded rapidly and now consists of about 100 licensed farmers.

In 1995-96 an estimated 460 tonnes of Barramundi were produced. The Australian Barramundi Farmers Assocation estimates that over 3600 tonnes was produced in 2004-2005.

Barramundi traditionally has been produced as plate fish for the restaurant trade. Increasingly, it is being sold as portions and fillets and a new market is developing with direct sales to major supermarkets.

Barramundi is grown in every main land state and territory. The value of production is estimated at around $A8 million at farm gate. There is every indication that the industry is poised for continuing expansion over the next year or so with growth coming from existing farms and new entrants to the industry.

Australian Barramundi is farmed in hugely diverse production systems. The majority of production comes from outdoor fresh water pond operations in north Queensland and the Northern Territory. The remainder comes from intensive farming operations, using thermal spring water or indoor recirculation systems, or from cages in estuarine waters.

Recirculation systems are operated mainly in south east Queensland and southern states. A large-scale sea cage operation has been established in the Northern Territory. The size of production units varies greatly from very small operations, usually based on recirculation systems, to large-scale pond or cage systems.