The Centre is the foundation of the ‘put and take’ rainbow and brown trout fishery across the southwest WA, supplying 200 000 juvenile trout into river systems across the southwest each year. Without these annual inputs of young trout, there would be no WA trout fishery – which is enjoyed by about 10 000 licensed anglers each year and delivers an estimated $20m annually to the regional economy of the southwest. The Centre also supplies commercial aquaculture ventures with about 55 000 trout fingerlings each year for growing out to commercial size.
Research
Researchers at the Centre have developed a line of temperature-tolerant rainbow trout that has attracted the attention of international research institutions. Other research is breeding genetically improved smooth marron for the local industry and working to conserve the endangered hairy marron, a freshwater crayfish found only in Margaret River, WA.
Facilities
- Trout hatchery and yearling nursery
- Egg incubation and hatching system (heath trays)
- Larval rearing troughs
- Concrete brood-stock and yearling ponds
- Earthen ponds for marron or native fish culture
- Research-scale marron farm built to ‘best practice’ specification
- 20 breeding ponds + 3 grow-out ponds using onsite water treatment and recycling
- 22 poly tank research system
- Marron purging and packing shed
Co-locators
Forest Fresh Marron is a processor located on DPIRD lease land adjacent to the Thomson Flat farm, offering retail sales to Pemberton visitors and wholesale product to restaurants in Perth.
Contact
For more information on the facilities and R&D opportunities available at the Pemberton Freshwater Research Centre please contact:
P: +61 1300 374 731 (1300 DPIRD1)
E: enquiries@dpird.wa.gov.au