The last month has seen us make steady progress on a number of fronts. An agreement signed on a second pilot site off Bruny Island, the non-profit Foundation creation is underway, we are getting involved in education programs at the secondary college level and interest is arriving from a lot further afield than we would have ever expected.
Perhaps our biggest challenge at the moment is securing funding to keep the ball rolling and get more lines in the water. This newsletter puts out a call for persons to get involved and help with the fund raising effort.
Please don't be backward in coming forward to get involved.
The Bruny Island Seafarms Team
Seafarming Australia — Foundation Underway
We're pleased to share that the establishment of Seafarming Australia, our not-for-profit foundation, is now underway. The Foundation looks after the restoration, advocacy, research and education side of our work. That's the part of what we do that goes beyond commercial aquaculture and delivers real environmental and community benefit.
Ashurst Lawyers are assisting with the setup and with gaining Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. This will allow donors and philanthropic funders to make tax-deductible contributions.
The Foundation website has had a soft launch and can be viewed at seafarmingaustralia.au.
Great Bay Pilot Site Agreement
Further exciting news with the signing of a Heads of Agreement on a lease in Great Bay, Bruny Island. This marks a significant step forward for our second pilot site and brings the vision of a multi-site operation closer.
A special thanks to Joe Bennett for facilitating this and to Abbie and Jeremy Muir for getting on board and sharing the vision.
International Enquiries
Word is spreading a good deal further than Bruny Island. We've received unsolicited enquiries from organisations in Thailand, Vietnam and, of all places, Cape Verde. All of them interested in regenerative aquaculture. One came from a major Thai consumer products company and one of the world's leading seaweed snack producers, asking about long-term seaweed supply.
We're a long way from being able to take on supply commitments like that. But building these relationships now is a deliberate strategy. The aim is to have demand ready and waiting by the time production capacity arrives.
Species Development — Sea Cucumber
A species that gets very little attention in Australian aquaculture has quietly made its way onto our list. The sea cucumber, Australostichopus mollis, is native to Tasmanian waters and in its dried form commands extraordinary prices in Asian export markets.
It's also a good fit for the IMTA model we're working towards. As deposit feeders, sea cucumbers consume the organic material falling from the shellfish and seaweed above them. In other words, they clean up after the rest of the farm while generating their own revenue stream.
Southern Tasmanian waters sit in the optimal temperature range for the species, which is a real advantage over the warmer mainland states. It's early days but the potential from an environmental and economic perspective is promising.
Seaweed Seedlines
Seaweed is the component that turns a shellfish farm into an integrated one. Sourcing native seedline is a central challenge for the months ahead and species selection is still very much an open question.
This is where our involvement in the Tasmanian Seaweed Working Group makes life a lot easier. The group is made up of about 30 people from all sectors of the industry, including researchers from CSIRO, IMAS and UTAS. There's not much the collective doesn't know about seaweed cultivation in Tasmania and it's a great resource to be able to turn to for information and advice.
Fund Raising and Grant Coordinator
Perhaps our biggest challenge at the moment is securing funding to keep the ball rolling and get more lines in the water. It's no secret nothing happens without funds.
Are you in a position to put some time in to help with funding and grant applications? The good news is we have a well documented funding path to follow plus all the documentation required for virtually any application ready to go. Support from government departments and interested organisations is universal which makes the task easier.
If you are interested in helping with this vital task, please email me directly at
Government Engagement
The Treasurer, Eric Abetz, visited our Birchs Bay pilot farm in July and government interest in the project continues to grow. A meeting with the Minister for Primary Industries and Water has been requested and is being scheduled.
Skills and Supporter Register
Since this work began we've had a steady stream of offers of help. From people who live locally, from those with trades, tickets and time to give. From researchers and industry specialists. We take every one of those offers seriously and we want to be organised about it rather than ad hoc.
So the Foundation has opened a Skills and Supporter Register. It takes a few minutes to fill in and joining commits you to nothing. It just means that when an opportunity or task comes up that suits your knowledge, experience or enthusiasm, we know who to call.
Add your name at the Skills and Supporters Register
Summary
There's still plenty happening behind the scenes. As always, we'll share more as things develop. Another update will follow next month.
If you'd like to stay connected, subscribe for updates using the link in the footer of the homepage. To get involved or find out more, add your name to the Skills and Supporter Register above, or contact us through the website.
