Marron are freshwater crustaceans that are endemic to Western Australia. They are in fact the third largest crayfish in the world and are highly valued for their sweet, delicate flesh making them a popular target for recreational fishing. However, due to their vulnerabilities to several factors the production levels of marron per annum has seen no growth in 30 years.
At Bangadang, we are trying to understand the ecology of growing marron in dams, their natural habitat, whilst focusing on increasing densities and producing a consistent supply. The focus for 2023 was the development of our infrastructure and water quality, which led us to discovering a dam that was an unsuitable environment for growing marron. Therefore we set about “resetting” this dam. Join us on this journey.
The purpose of the Marron Project at Bangadang Farm is to increase the production of marron across the state through increasing the capacity of dam farming. Our long-term goals include:
- Double the production of Marron sales in WA
- Convert the method of dam-reared Marron to one that encompasses innovative infrastructure and Blue Agri-Tech practices so that the dam environment biomass output is equivalent to that raised in ponds
- Share our findings and successes with other dam owners
- Collaborate with other Marron farmers and create a cooperative opportunity to meet consumer demand both domestically and internationally.
In this episode, we explain what we did over the past year to clean and reshape this dam, to use as the base for the start of our Marron project. In this way we can better understand the life and environment of Marron in farm dams. We also explained some of our thoughts behind this project and the future plans with have with our Marron moving into the future.
Instagram: @bangadangfarm
Website: www.bangadangfarm.com.au
26 мар 2024
