Sea Dragon Project will produce black tiger prawn, mainly for export.

Australian Govt renews multi-billion prawn aquaculture project support

Project Sea Dragon (PSD), an initiative consisting in prawn farming that expects the investment of thousands of million dollars and the creation of 1,600 jobs in Northern Australia, has been granted a renewal of its Major Project Status.

The firm will produce black tiger prawn, mainly for the Asian export market, and involves five sites in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Project Sea Dragon (PSD) is a proposed, large-scale, integrated, land-based prawn aquaculture project being developed in northern Australia.The project has made significant progress to date, including Commonwealth and Territory environmental approvals of the prawn grow-out facility to be located on Legune Station. As the Project progresses Seafarms maintains strong partnerships with its stakeholders and the local community.(Click on the image to enlarge it)

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the Liberal National Government will renew support for the significant project, being developed by Seafarms Group.

“This project is expected to generate AUD 3 billion (USD 2.1 billion) in export revenue, helping to boost our economy further,” Minister Andrews said.

“Ultimately, the project will involve construction of about 10,000 hectares of ponds with the project to span more than 90 years, and about 15,000 tonnes per annum of prawns will be produced in the project’s first full stage of development,” the minister pointed out.

The project includes a partnership with major international seafood company Nissui, and has strong support from Indigenous stakeholders and local communities who will benefit from jobs, training and protection of sites and the environment.

This Major Project Status renewal comes as the Liberal National Government announced AUD 420,000 in funding to develop a comprehensive plan for the aquaculture industry in Northern Australia.

►Major Project Status recognises the strategic significance of a project to Australia, and provides coordination and facilitation support as well as a single entry point to a coordinated approvals process

Project Sea Dragon is land-based and has five core sites. The Legune Station prawn farm in the Northern Territory will be supported by a wild-caught prawn stocking and quarantine centre at Exmouth, Western Australia; a Core Breeding Centre and Broodstock Maturation Centre at Bynoe Harbour near Darwin; a commercial hatchery at Gunn Point near Darwin and a processing plant at Kununurra, Western Australia.

Over the next 12 months researchers from James Cook University will work with CSIRO, Blueshift Consulting, the Australian Barramundi Farmers Association, Australian Prawn Farmers Association and the Indigenous Land Corporation to develop the plan.

YouTube video: Project Sea Dragon - a large scale, aquaculture project in northern Australia

The minister highlighted that Scott Morrison Government recognises the importance of this project to Northern Australia, and to strengthen Australia’s economy. "That is why we’re renewing support for this, as part of our plan to boost economic growth and to help create 1.25 million new jobs in the next five years," she said.

The Northern Territory and Western Australian Governments are also providing priority support to the project.
 
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