Australian aquaculture industries are expanding, and the South Australian aquaculture industry aims to double production by 2020. Increased aquaculture production will rely on new species and products and intensification of existing industries. Australia has high production costs and new products need to be high value to remain competitive.
The Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeri) and beluga (Huso huso), which produce caviar and meat were added to the live import list for commercial aquaculture in 2015. These species are long lived and late maturing presenting an extended period between introduction and production of caviar. There is a consequent need to assess the commercial potential of sturgeon aquaculture in Australia, to drive processes to obtain regulatory consent and to establish links to facilitate technology transfer and RD&E.
This project will assess the feasibility of sturgeon aquaculture in Australia, including identification of the most appropriate and expedient way to bring sturgeon to Australia, identify appropriate sources for stock, develop standards for import and holding of stock, and link Australia to a network of world sturgeon farming knowledge.
This project will utilise expertise from PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture, SARDI Aquatic Sciences, the Australian aquaculture industry and relevant international experts to meet information requirements for regulatory approvals, to identify and develop methods to manage risk and provide a sound basis for industry development.
Final report
This project examined the feasibility of farming sturgeons in Australia. These large fish in the family Acipenseridae are the source of caviar, one of the world’s highest value luxury goods. Australian aquaculture has goals to expand and one way to achieve this is to farm high-value products that require technology and high quality environments in which Australia can deliver a competitive edge. Sturgeons are not native to Australia and the project aimed to collate information to assess if sturgeon farming in Australia is biologically and technically feasible; and if so, to gather material that could support the import of sturgeons.
A major component of the project was ongoing dialogue with the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE), the regulatory authority for importing biological commodities into Australia. The information aimed to provide input to processes, including Biosecurity Risk Analysis, that are used by DAWE to inform development of import conditions.
Project staff engaged with local and overseas experts and industry and developed networks that will be useful if an industry develops. Sources of stock were identified for eventual establishment of an Australian industry.
We assessed the business feasibility of an Australian sturgeon industry by developing a business case including a projected cost-profit model. This assessment concluded that farming sturgeons in Australia is biologically and technically feasible and has a 10 year lifecycle to profit if developed as a mixed sturgeon-trout farm. Caviar demand and sales are increasing but there are substantial threats to an Australian caviar industry. There is extensive caviar production in China which is likely to continue to grow, and world caviar prices have fallen substantially since 2010, although wholesale prices in Australia have remained high and stable over the same period.
The project team was unable to develop and negotiate approaches to overcome the regulatory barriers to importing sturgeons. Although clear pathways are identified, import consent remains a difficult goal. Alternative arrangements were rejected as an approach by DAWE in August 2020. For sturgeon import to Australia to occur, DAWE needs to commence and complete a Biosecurity Import Risk Assessment (BIRA), but DAWE lacks available resources to commence that assessment. Substantial data have been collated by this project to contribute to a BIRA. Continued effort from industry will be required if sturgeon import is going to occur, but it is also possible that the perceived benefits do not justify the work required.
