Lobster farming a step closer thanks to Tasmanian research team
Lobster may soon be a more affordable choice on the menu thanks to groundbreaking research being conducted in Tasmania.
Rock lobster juvenile bred by the Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies. (ABC News : Greg Salmon)
Scientists from the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) are embarking on a project to mass produce rock lobsters in captivity.
With $5 million in funding from the Australian Research Council and backing from US restaurant company the Darden Group, the project aims to restock local fisheries and pave the way for lobster farming overseas.
The research began back in 1998 when the success of salmon farming spurred an effort to create a similar industry for lobster.
Sixteen years on, IMAS scientists have managed to grow lobsters from eggs to adults in captivity.
This "closing of the life cycle" is the key to establishing an aquaculture industry of a species.
To get to this point, the project needed more than an understanding of rock lobster biology, and the technology to build and run enclosed systems had to be developed.
It can take years for tiny larvae to grow into adults.
Their slow and complex life cycle is one of the reasons lobster is a rare and expensive item on restaurant menus.
"In order for us to have more lobsters for people to eat, we can't take any more from the wild, because the wild stocks are fully exported," said project leader, Associate Professor Stephen Batteglene.
"In many places in the world lobsters are in decline."
IMAS scientists have grown lobsters from eggs to adults in captivity. ABC News: Gregor Salmon
US food giant attracted by UTAS success
Head of Darden Aquafarm Bill Herzig said the lobster population came under pressure 15 years ago which had only intensified since, which is why his company began seeking out sustainable solutions.
"We knew that was not going to end well unless we did something," he said.
He said he had been involved with sustainability initiatives in Brazil, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Bahamas, Maine in the US and Canada.
The success of the IMAS team drew his company to Tasmania in 2009.
"Closing the life cycle is the foundation of an aquaculture industry," he said.
"This is the third animal that the University of Tasmania has closed the life cycle on - that's what led us here.
"The only thing I can say is that we're very happy that we found this place."
Associate Professor Batteglene said the next challenge for the project was to increase capacity.
"We're currently breeding thousands of rock lobsters, but in order to commercialise it, we're going to have to produce millions," he said.
The Darden Group, which owns more than 1,500 restaurants and franchises, has invested millions of dollars in the lobster farming research project.
The company plans to use the seed stock, equipment and technology developed in Tasmania to establish a caged farming trial in Malaysia, where lobsters grow faster in warmer tropical waters.
Adult rock lobster bred from spawn by the IMAS team. ABC News:Gregor Salmon
Cheaper lobster on future menus
Closer to home, there are plans to release seed stock into the wild to boost the harvest for commercial fisherman.
The animals will be monitored to determine how many survive to adulthood, and their potential to boost the $80 million local industry.
Associate Professor Batteglene hoped it would be good news for diners.
"With mass production of lobsters in aquaculture, lobster prices should come down," he said.
As the commercial opportunities begin to be realised, the details of the specially designed larval rearing system was being kept under wraps.
The researchers hope the first release of seed stock into the wild will take place in the next year or two, at the aptly named Crayfish Point.
Mr Herzig, 66, described his involvement in the project as the hallmark of his career.
"What we started with was the goal of doing something to make lobsters sustainable," he said.
"We can see that as a completely achievable goal now. This is what keeps me going.
"This is easily the most exciting, the most enjoyable and, frankly, the most meaningful work I've ever done in my career."
Source : ABC News Rosemary Bolger and Gregor Salmon 12th November, 2014
