Albertus Hanekom

Nuffield Australia 2020 Scholarship winner

From Kununurra, Western Australia, Albertus Hanekom receives a Nuffield Scholarship with support from the Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC) to research pathways for the aquaculture and Barramundi industries to grow more seafood and better manage stock levels.

With the Australian Atlantic Salmon industry more effectively using on-land nurseries to grow stock before transferring to sea cages, Albertus will use his research to explore the viability of replicating some of their practices in the Barramundi industry.

“Seed stock security is vital for every aquaculture industry, and a better understanding of the methods of on-land nursery rearing of Barramundi fingerlings, will allow us to better control stock, be able to time nursery stock transfers and monitor performance more effectively,” Albertus said.

“At present, Barramundi farmers avoid producing fingerlings at certain times due to poor performance in colder months, which creates a gap in production for large volume producers. If we can more effectively use on-land nurseries as seed banks, we will unlock better surety of supply and grow more fish in a shorter time frame.”

Exploring on-farm nursery systems in Tasmanian and South American Atlantic Salmon farms, and Barramundi farms in the Middle East, Albertus will observe methods of growing larger stock on-land and gather insights on best management practices and associated technology uses.