CRC-P: Future proofing salmon
Cooperative Research Centre – Project
Future proofing the salmon farming industry in the face of climate warming.
Salmon farming is Australia’s most valuable food aquaculture industry, worth >$750 million in 2018 and predicted to grow to >$1billion. Tasmanian waters are the world’s warmest for salmon farming with summer temperatures now routinely exceeding 19°C, pushing these cold-water fish to their thermal tolerance limit. This impacts feed intake and nutrient use with knock-on effects in growth, health and welfare that cost >$150 million p.a. and threaten growth. This project employs nutritional physiology to increase the resilience of salmon at high temperature. Field deployment of an innovative new platform for multi-pathogen quantification will measure the impact of dietary intervention at scale during summer, guiding future management.
The project is being led by Australian feed manufacturer Ridley, which has secured a A$3 million grant from the federal government to support the research. With Ridley as the lead applicant in partnership with Deakin University, The University of Queensland, CSIRO, and Genics Pty Ltd., the project aims to increase the resilience of farmed salmon at times of increased temperatures.