Redclaw crayfish farming still remains a small cottage industry which started in the 1990’s. Demand for crayfish continues to grow and currently is outstripping supply. The current Australian Redclaw market is less than 50 tonnes per annum and there seems plenty of room for more farmers. New opportunities and knowledge from the results of years of scientific Selective Breeding Programs, Feed and Nutrition Projects have injected a series of boosts into the industry over the last five years. The industry’s informative website – www.queenslandredclaw.org – and the book “Redclaw Farming – Getting Started” were launched in 2013 and provide a great deal of literature about getting started in the redclaw industry.
Redclaw are a physically robust species with a broad geographic potential, have a simple life-cycle, require lower oxygen levels and a low protein diet. The labor to stock a pond is negligible, water use and the energy to pump it is reduced. Current farmers I’ve met, many of whom have been farming successfully since the inception of the industry, are enjoying redclaw prosperity through profitable sales opportunities. Demand for the redclaw product is strong and product quality is excellent. I’m told that there was a mass of problems in the early years yet they have now been overcome with the acceptance of the fact that redclaw farming is a business like any other.
At Barron River Barramundi farm, we are just getting started with redclaw after trailing them in Aquaponics for the past few years. We are aiming to grow 2 tonnes of redclaw per annum in earthen ponds to increase local supply, learn and evaluate the crayfish industry further.
Growing barramundi, red claw and other native fish is beneficial to Australia’s food security. This also aligns with the Australian and Queensland governments’ policies to grow our domestic aquaculture industry. The future for the redclaw industry looks bright.