Farming the sea

Within an encouraging prognosis of substantial increases in world aquaculture, conepts and practices of mariculture and factors affecting potentials are reviewed briefly. Australian food-oriented mariculture centres principally on intertidal cultivation of the Sydney rock oyster in New South Wales. Experiments are underway with the raft cultivation of mussels, hatchery and pond rearing of prawns and oysters, midwater culture of oysters and laboratory rearing of scallops. The introduced Pacific oyster supports a. viable industry in Tasmania and production has risen from 9,500 dozens in 1968 to 185,000 dozens in 1973. The overall potential of mariculture, particularly oyster farming is considerable in Tasmania although a major constraint is seen in the conflict of interests for proposed lease areas.