The marron, Cherax tenuimanus, is native to the south-western region of Western Australia. Marron were introduced to Kangaroo Island during the 1960s and now inhabit a number of waterways throughout the island.
In South Australia marron farming commenced during the early 1990s . There are now close to 200 registered growers and this figure is rising.
However only a modest number of marron growers are producing on a commercial scale and at this stage no grower in South Australia is making a full-time living from marron farming.
Marron have many biological, economic and marketing attributes that make them a promising candidate species for aquaculture. Some of these include their large size, good feed conversion efficiency and their direct life cycle.
Marron farms are also relatively inexpensive to construct compared to other forms of farming with some people utilising existing farm dams to produce marron.
As marron farming is practised on privately-owned land, it is an industry that is readily accessible to the majority of South Australian primary producers.
Marron farming is practiced throughout the State with approximately 95% of production from Kangaroo Island. Other areas of marron production include Eyre Peninsula, Fleurieu Peninsula and the South-East.
To be able to establish a successful marron aquaculture venture, a number of issues must be considered.
- An adequate supply of good quality water
- Climate suitable for marron growth
- Availability of transport to markets
- A good level of commitment to management of the marron farm
Before someone can venture into marron farming an aquaculture permit must be obtained through the Aquaculture SA within Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA).
This permit will record the applicant as a registered fish farmer and therefore enable them to stock ponds or dams with marron and sell their produce. Before a permit may be granted by the Aquaculture SA for a landbased applications it may be required that approval be sought by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs (DEH), the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and local councils.
Anatomy and Morphology:
The opposite figure gives the morphology of Marron.
Information Sourced From:
