Marine Produce Australia has lodged plans for a $300 million expansion of its West Kimberley barramundi farm in a bid to lift output and make the operation more commercially viable.
The Perth-based agribusiness has taken to the Environmental Protection Authority seeking permission to expand its farm operations to 13 sites spanning 1,213 hectares of the Buccaneer Archipelago, shifting the operations further offshore.
MPA has held leases in Cone Bay for almost two decades, operating 32 cages within the Kimberley Aquaculture Development Zone and producing up to 15,000 tonnes of barramundi annually.
But the company claims the limitations within the lease area mean the operation is now making a loss and an expansion is necessary to keep it commercially viable and meet rising demand in the state and national market.
According to documents lodged with the EPA, the expansion would take place over a decade, with each stage involving the construction of one nursery site and four to five ocean-based lease areas with 12 sea-cages each.
The company claims the expansion would allow annual production to increase by 30,000 tonnes annually once fully operational, with a projected life of 42 years.
The expansion has also been touted as a major job-creating project, with the company flagging the need to recruit as many as 450 employees to support operations and more than 100 direct positions during construction.
The proposal and supporting environmental documents have been released for seven days of public consultation, after which time the EPA is expected to decide what, if any, level of environmental assessment is required.
MPA was a public unlisted company, before being acquired by Singapore-based Barramundi Asia as part of an $18.5 million deal back in 2018.
Barramundi Group chief executive Andreas von Scholten said the company had been working for several years to develop a strategy to sustainably grow production in the region.
“The learnings from our current operation have given us the confidence that we can grow in harmony with local flora and fauna, enhance biosecurity and provide even more jobs and opportunities for local communities in this remote part of Australia,” he said.
“We are consulting with our stakeholders in the Kimberley region, including the Traditional Owners who have native title over this area.
“As barramundi producers, we are always searching for ways to continuously improve and have processes within our business to support adaptive management and third-party certifications.”
