Summary

Rising saline groundwater and salinity problems are the biggest environmental problem in Australia and currently affect over 2.5 million ha of land. It is estimated that within the next 30-40 years, the affected area will increase more than fourfold. There is a potential to use saline affected land and saline groundwater for aquaculture, thereby creating a 'business-opportunity' in degraded areas. The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) funded NSW Fisheries to compile a national resource inventory of saline groundwater and to develop a R&D Plan to commercialise saline groundwater aquaculture. This is the final report for that project.

The R&D Plan identified the grow-out of marine species in saline groundwater from shallow aquifers as currently having the highest commercial prospect, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin. Several other prospects for commercial aquaculture across Australia were identified. These included: aquaculture using deep saline artesian water (pond or tank culture), winter culture of salmonids, like trout using shallow aquifers, culturing brine shrimp in existing salt-evaporation ponds and using saline groundwater to supply a 'pathogen-free' marine hatchery (e.g. for prawns). The need to develop environmental guidelines for inland saline aquaculture was identified and several 'principals' were recommended. Most importantly, inland saline aquaculture should not increase problems with salinity. Finally, the R&D plan identified the need for research and extension coordination to help ensure appropriate research was done, environmental guidelines were followed and rapid commercialisation was facilitated.

A detailed resource inventory was also prepared. Some of the resources identified as having the most potential included: saline groundwater interception schemes, natural saline lakes (permanent and ephemeral) and saline and brackish groundwaters from sedimentary basins and fractured rock aquifers (these exist in all states except Tasmania). In the Murray-Darling Basin alone, 11 large-scale saline groundwater interception schemes with potential for aquaculture were identified. These were built at a cost of over $108 million and cost more than $3 million per year to operate. There are another 8 schemes being constructed or in advanced planning stages. In addition, 46 towns in Australia were identified as being threatened by salinity, including 21 in NSW, and construction of saline groundwater schemes with evaporation ponds is being considered in many of these. Assessment criteria to evaluate the potential use of resources for aquaculture were developed and these are described.