From THE MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR FISHERIES

Tuesday, 17 November, 2009

500 TONNES NEXT SEASON AS HATCHERY FLEXES ITS MUSSEL

A $1.7 million mussel hatchery in Queenscliff is on track to produce more than 500 tonnes of mussels from next season as the Brumby Labor Government continues to secure the future of Victoria’s mussel industry.

Minister Responsible for Fisheries Joe Helper said the early signs from the Queenscliff facility -  jointly funded by Government and industry - were pointing to a bumper harvest next year.

"The Brumby Labor Government understands the importance of securing the future of Victoria’s mussel industry and that is why in June last year we announced a $1.7 million collaborative research effort for a five-year program to boost mussel spat production,” Mr Helper said.

"The program was not without its early teething problems, but research partners successfully produced spat at the Queenscliff hatchery this year and are now looking to increase towards a commercial scale operation.

"A result of a 500-tonne harvest commencing in June next year would be fantastic, considering at its peak the whole industry produced around 1500 tonnes a year.”

Mr Helper said drought, exotic marine species and other environmental factors had combined to create a shortage of wild spat in Port Philip Bay.

"It was important we took action when we did by announcing the formation of the research project last year,” he said.

"To protect our mussel industry, once worth $3.5 million a year to Victoria’s economy, we needed to invest in a mussel hatchery to replace the once abundant wild-spat supply, which had dropped by up to two-thirds.

"The work that has been produced so far has been a step in the right direction in securing the industry, securing Victorian jobs and keeping Victoria at the forefront of aquaculture research.”

Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville said the success of the hatchery had many ongoing benefits for Victoria’s coastal communities.

"The Victorian mussel industry is a significant employer generating economic benefits for many coastal communities and work out of the Queenscliff hatchery has the potential to create hundreds of Victorian jobs and get the sector thriving once more,” Ms Neville said.

"It also places Queenscliff, Portarlington and the Bellarine Peninsula at the heart of aquaculture research in this state which further boosts local jobs.”

The hatchery is jointly funded through industry and the Brumby Labor Government’s $205 million Future Farming Strategy.