Moving North?, page-3

Fish growth does tend to be positively related to temperature, but only over a limited range of values. The overall relationship would be parabolic. Growth rate would increase up to some optimal temperature, then decrease (see below), and this would presumably be the same for many other environmental variables. Not sure how much of this would be known for yellowtail kingfish since aquaculture for this species is relatively limited, but I'm sure the scientists and technicians at CSS would measure this and have as much information on it as anyone. Kingfish are mainly a temperate/subtropical species, so guessing somewhere like the NT would be too warm for them.

It is an interesting point though. Ranching of tuna by fishermen began in Port Lincoln as a way of improving yield from a diminishing stock, and it expanded to kingfish from there. Not sure if there would be a slightly more northerly or southerly location on the east or west coast that would be preferable. WA has a couple of areas zoned for aquaculture, including one in the Abrolhos Islands.

Predators would be an issue for any aquaculture operation at any latitude, be they seals, crocs, sharks etc. I know offshore barramundi farms have issues with crocs across northern Australia.


Fig 5. http://www.fao.org/docrep/field/007/af011e/AF011E08.HTM