Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly today declared Western Australia’s newest Aquaculture Development Zone is now open for business.
Investment in the Mid West Aquaculture Development Zone is expected to create up to 1,400 jobs when all the fish farms are established.
The zone is made up of two areas – a 2,200-hectare northern section, now open to investors, and an 800-hectare southern section, which is subject to an existing aquaculture licence.
Fully developed, the aquaculture zone has the potential to produce up to 48,000 tonnes of temperate marine finfish annually, from species that occur naturally in the Mid-West region such as the popular yellowtail kingfish.
Details on how investors can apply to be part of the zone will be available from Monday, September 18 on the Fisheries website and assessment of applications will begin in eight weeks.
The development zone areas will still be accessible to commercial and recreational fishing on the Abrolhos Islands.
For more information, visit http://www.fish.wa.gov.au