| Abalone and Sea Farming |
Greenlip abalone (Haliotis Laevigata) is an ocean snail that feeds on natural algae. It clings to rocks using a large muscular foot which is the principal source of meat. Greenlip abalone is one of the two species fished commercially in South Australian waters and is considered a delicacy among many diners, particularly in China, Japan and South East Asia. In its wild state greenlip abalone can live for about 15 years and grow to about one kilogram in weight. Because of continuing pressures on the wild abalone stocks there is an increasing world demand for high-quality naturally farmed abalone. ABA’s unique ocean farming method produces premium quality abalone that is among the highest standard of abalone in the world. We call our product “Elliston Ocean Grown”. By comparison, farmed product grown in tanks using artificial feed sources tends to be discoloured reducing the value in the fresh chilled, live and IQF markets. The ocean grown product also has a number of other supply, size and quality advantages. Although the initial grow out years have produced excellent quality and size abalone, significant teething difficulties were experienced with the feed availability modeling for the cage biomass being grown, leading to slower growth and much higher mortalities. Subsequent adjustments to the biomass concentrations and particularly to available natural feed have produced much improved results. It is anticipated that the flow on results of the company’s increased knowledge and experience will provide significant further benefits. |