Aquaculture Industry

The Hon. M. EL DANNAWI (14:27): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister update the chamber about the status of the South Australian aquaculture industry and its importance to our state?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:28): I thank the honourable member for her question. It was a pleasure to release the 2022-23 Aquaculture Economic Indicators report during country cabinet last week in Port Lincoln, which of course was a fitting place to do so, given its rich history in aquaculture production. As the fastest growing primary industry at 9 per cent growth per year nationally, aquaculture has presented opportunities for our state to capitalise on our unique advantages, which the sector has done extremely well as it has established itself over the past few decades.

The 2022-23 report compiled by BDO shows an industry that is strong and continues to grow. Across all aquaculture sectors, an 11 per cent increase was recorded in value of production on the previous year, reaching a record $264 million, despite a small drop in overall production. The results were buoyed by a rebound in tuna, whose 2022-23 value of production was $120 million—surpassing the previous year by around $10 million, despite also a small drop in production—as well as kingfish at $59.9 million and oysters at $58.8 million, which recorded strong increases in both value and production.

Breaking down the sector's value by region, Eyre Peninsula and the West Coast came in at around 95 per cent of the state's total value of production—a figure I know that the Attorney-General was particularly interested to hear about because he has such a strong and ongoing interest in this particular matter; he loves his seafood, I believe—$251 million, a phenomenal number, and one that clearly demonstrates the critical importance of the region to the industry and the industry to the region.

Kangaroo Island, the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu, $10 million, and the South-East and Murraylands, $2 million, also have important aquaculture production in their regions, which supports local jobs. The state's aquaculture sector employs 2,481 FTEs directly and indirectly with around 1,900 of those being on Eyre Peninsula and the West Coast, with tuna, oysters and kingfish the key drivers of employment within the industry.

The Malinauskas government understands the importance of the aquaculture sector, particularly to Eyre Peninsula and the West Coast, as such a significant part of the local economy and jobs in the region. Late last year, after consultation with the sector, the government introduced changes to the Lower Eyre Peninsula aquaculture zone policy. Given the enormous opportunities in new and emerging sectors such as seaweed and the potential for further growth in established sectors, the policy allows for more water area for aquaculture production, as well as streamlining the process for the exciting opportunities that exist in aquaculture tourism and hands-on type experiences.

The state government has a strong relationship with the aquaculture sector and, as minister, I look forward to continuing to strengthen the relationship as the sector continues to drive investment and jobs into our state and, very importantly, into our regions.