Ocean Grown Abalone, the world’s first abalone farming project launched in 2011, is now looking to expand as Asian demand for abalone grows, reports the West Australian.
Brad Adams, the company’s founder, began breeding abalone on artificial reefs in Augusta’s Flinders bay.
The farm originally had 400,000 abalone on 40 hectares, but expanded to 1.2 million on 80 hectares last year, and production is expected to reach 100 metric tons next year.
Adams said that the project will produce its first harvest in April and that there is an opportunity to develop additional farms, considering Esperance’s Wylie Bay and Port Lincoln in South Australia.
There is a large demand for Australian seafood in China, and as free trade agreements come come into effect, Adams expects the demand to grow.
Abalone is selling for about $140 a kilogram wholesale in China.