Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Marron farming and environmental sustainability: Western Australia’s case

  • Published:
The Environmentalist Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite aquaculture’s contribution providing an additional food source or employment in rural areas, this industry is often presented in a controversial way, including its impact on the environment. However, an argument can also be made in favour of aquaculture operators and their efforts to follow environmentally sound practices. Along these lines, the present study investigates operators’ stance on environmental sustainability from a group of 26 Western Australian marron growers. Overall, the findings demonstrate growers’ commitment to grow marron environmentally, for instance, without the use of fertilisers or feeding. Furthermore, respondents are in agreement with the potential effects of environmentally unfriendly practices, especially as in many cases marron growing is a complement to rural activities such as horticulture and cattle farming. At the other end, some operators voice concerns on a different environmental issue, namely, the challenge that increasing droughts and lack of sufficient rain is posing to their industry.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aquaculture Council of Western Australia (n.d.) A guide to marron aquaculture. http://www.aquaculturecouncilwa.com/marron/guide_to_marron_farming_. Accessed 30 July 2008

  • Aqua Info (2008) Estimated Western Australian aquaculture production for 2006/2007. http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/aq/aq028/Aqua%20Info%2028.pdf. Accessed 30 Aug 2008

  • Aquaculture PIRSA (2007) Freshwater crayfish. http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/aquaculture/aquaculture_industry/freshwater_crayfish. Accessed 20 Aug 2008

  • Cassell G, Lawrence C (2007) The use of hide harvesting as an indicator of marron growth and condition in commercial ponds. Fisheries Research Contract Report No. 17, 2007. http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/frr/frcr017/frcr017.pdf. Accessed 21 Aug 2008

  • Cholik F (1999) Review of mud crab culture research in Indonesia. In: Keenan CP and Blackshaw A (eds) Mud crab aquaculture and biology, Proceedings of an international scientific forum held in Darwin, Australia, 21–24 April, 1997. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Canberra, pp 14–20

  • Costa-Pierce BA (2002) Ecological aquaculture—the evolution of the blue revolution. Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Davenport J, Black K, Burnell G, Cross T, Culloty S, Ekaratne S, Furness B, Mulcahy M, Thetmeyer H (2003) Aquaculture—the ecological issues. British Ecological Society, Malden

    Google Scholar 

  • de Monbrison D (2004) Mediterranean marine aquaculture and environment—identification of issues. Center for Mediterranean Cooperation, IUCN The World Conservation Union

  • Department of Fisheries (2004) Identifying freshwater crayfish in south west WA. http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/pub/IdCrayfish/IdCrayfishPage02.php?0304. Accessed 21 Aug 2008

  • Department of Fisheries (2005a) Farming marron—introduction. http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/aqwa/Marron/index.php?0308. Accessed 21 Aug 2008

  • Department of Fisheries (2005b) A quality future for the recreational marron fishery—a five-year draft strategy to ensure the long-term sustainability of the marron fishery. http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/mp/mp198/fmp198.pdf. Accessed 21 Aug 2008

  • Department of Fisheries (2006) Aqua Info—estimated Western Australian aquaculture production for 2005/2006. http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/aq/aq028/Aqua%20Info%2028.pdf. Accessed 14 July 2008

  • Dierberg FE, Kiattisimkul W (1996) Issues, impacts, and implications of shrimp aquaculture in Thailand. Environ Manag 20(5):649–666. doi:10.1007/BF01204137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doupé RG, Alder J, Lymbery AJ (1999) Environmental and product quality in finfish aquaculture development: an example from inland Western Australia. Aquacult Res 30(8):595–602. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2109.1999.00371.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans E, Smith PT (1999) The Australian shrimp industry—research issues for sustainability. In: Smith PT (ed) Towards sustainable shrimp culture in Thailand and the region. Proceedings of a workshop held at Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand, 28 October–1 November 1996. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Canberra, pp 34–37

  • FAO (2001) Fisheries statistics: aquaculture production, vol 88/2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Fortes RD (1999) Mud crab research and development in the Philippines: An overview. In: Keenan CP, Blackshaw A (eds) Mud crab aquaculture and biology. Proceedings of an international scientific forum held in Darwin, Australia, 21–24 April, 1997. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Canberra, pp 27–32

  • Frankic A, Hershner C (2003) Sustainable aquaculture: developing the promise of aquaculture. Aquacult Int 11:517–530. doi:10.1023/B:AQUI.0000013264.38692.91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goulletquer P, Le Moine O (2002) Shellfish farming and coastal zone management (CZM) development in the Marennes-Oléron Bay and Charentais Sounds (Charente Maritime, France): a review of recent developments

  • Inglis J (2006) Marron season open. ABC south west WA. http://www.abc.net.au/southwestwa/stories/s1554393.htm. Accessed 30 Aug 2008

  • Jenkins S, Smith PT, Tookwinas S, Phillips MJ (1999) An assessment of the status of the shrimp farming industry in Thailand. In: Smith PT (ed) Coastal shrimp aquaculture in Thailand: key issues for research. Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR), Canberra, pp 14–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Kautsky N, Berg H, Folke C, Larsson J, Troell M (1997) Ecological footprint for assessment of resource use and development limitations in shrimp and tilapia aquaculture. Aquacult Res 28:753–766. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2109.1997.tb01000.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landau M (1992) Introduction to aquaculture. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence C (1995) Marron Cherax tenuimanus. Aquaculture WA, Brochure No. 2, Fisheries Department of Western Australia, p 4

  • Lawrence CS (1998) Marron. In: Hyde K (ed) The new rural industries—a handbook for farmers and investors. Rural industries Research and Development Corporation, Canberra, pp 114–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence C (2007) Improved performance of marron using genetic and pond management Strategies. Fisheries Research Contract Report No. 17, 2007. http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/frr/frcr017/frcr017.pdf. Accessed 25 July 2008

  • Lawrence CS, Morrissy NM, Penn J, Jacoby K (1995) Marron (Cherax tenuimanus). Aquacult WA 2:4

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucas J (2003) Introduction. In: Lucas JS, Southgate PC (eds) Aquaculture—farming aquatic animals and plants. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Machin D, Dearden M, Lacey P (2003) Marron aquaculture strategic extension campaign—an interim report. http://www.regional.org.au/au/apen/2003/non_refereed/080machind.htm. Accessed 25 July 2008

  • Mente E, Pantazis P, Neofitou C, Aifanti S, Santos MB, Oxouzi E, Bagiatis V, Papapanagiotou E, Kourkouta V, Soutsas K (2007) Socioeconomic interactions of fisheries and aquaculture in Greece: a case study of South Evoikos Gulf. Aquacult Econ Manag 11:313–334. doi:10.1080/13657300701530357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrissy NM (1976a) Aquaculture of marron, Cherax tenuimanus (Smith) Part 1: site selection and the potential of marron for aquaculture. Fisheries Research Bulletin No. 17

  • Morrissy NM (1976b) Aquaculture of marron, Cherax tenuimanus (Smith) Part 2: breeding and early rearing. Fisheries Research Bulletin No. 17

  • Morrissy NM (1990) Optimum and favourable temperatures for growth of Cherax tenuimanus (Smith) (Decapoda: Parastacidae). Aust J Mar Freshw Res 41(6):735–746. doi:10.1071/MF9900735

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrissy NM (1992) An introduction to marron and other freshwater crayfish farming in Western Australia. Fisheries Department of Western Australia, Western Australia, p 36

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrissy NM, Walker P, Moore W (1995) Predictive equations for managing semi-intensive growout of a freshwater crayfish, Cherax tenuimanus, on a commercial farm. Aquacult Res 26:71–80. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2109.1995.tb00862.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mosig J, Fallu R (2004) Australian fish farmer, 2nd edn. Landlinks Press, Victoria

    Google Scholar 

  • Muir JF (1996) A systems approach to aquaculture and environmental management. In: Baird DJ, Beveridge MCM, Kelly LA, Muir JF (eds) Aquaculture and water resource management. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 19–49

    Google Scholar 

  • PerthNow (2008) Fishers warned of new rules as marron season starts. http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23107183-2761,00.html. Accessed 30 Aug 2008

  • Pillay TVR (1992) Aquaculture and the environment. Fishing New Books, an imprint of Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Pillay TVR (2004) Aquaculture and the environment. Blackwell, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Primary Industries and Resources S.A. (2004) Marron farming in South Australia. http://govdocs.aquake.org/cgi/reprint/2004/802/8020460.pdf. Accessed 14 July 2008

  • Preston N, Brennan D, Clayton H (2003) An overview of the project research. In: Preston N, Clayton H (eds) Rice-shrimp farming in the Mekong delta: biophysical and socioeconomic issues. Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR), Canberra, pp 7–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Romanowski N (1998) Farming in ponds and dams: an introduction to freshwater aquaculture in Australia. Thomas C. Lothian Pty Ltd, Victoria

    Google Scholar 

  • Shang YC, Tisdell CA (1997) Economic decision making in sustainable aquacultural development. In: Bardach JE (ed) Sustainable aquaculture. Wiley, New York, pp 127–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Stead SM, Burnell G, Goulletquer P (2002) Aquaculture and its role in integrated coastal zone management. Aquacult Int 10:447–468. doi:10.1023/A:1023926421723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tisdell C (2003) Economics and marketing. In: Lucas JS, Southgate PC (eds) Aquaculture—farming aquatic animals and plants. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 237–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Tookwinas S (1999) Shrimp culture in Thailand—present status and future directions for research. In: Smith PT (ed) Towards sustainable shrimp culture in Thailand and the region. Proceedings of a workshop held at Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand, 28 October–1 November 1996. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Canberra, pp 10–15

  • Treadwell R, McKelvie L, Maguire GB (1992) Potential for Australian aquaculture—ABARE Research Report 92.2, Commonwealth of Australia

  • White H, Glenn H (2006) Environmental impact mitigation and bi-culture: a comparative legal analysis of flexibility within European legal regimes-biofilter deployment. Aquacult Int 14:297–317. doi:10.1007/s10499-005-9035-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia

    Abel Duarte Alonso

Authors
  1. Abel Duarte Alonso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abel Duarte Alonso.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Duarte Alonso, A. Marron farming and environmental sustainability: Western Australia’s case. Environmentalist 29, 388–397 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-008-9211-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-008-9211-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation