CASE STUDY

BLUE ECONOMY ZONE

Offshore Finfish Aquaculture Research Trial

THE CHALLENGE

Australia’s aquaculture industry faced a critical constraint: limited access to suitable nearshore sites for expansion. With global demand for sustainable seafood growing rapidly and traditional farming areas reaching capacity, the industry needed new frontiers. However, no regulatory framework existed for commercial aquaculture operations beyond state waters (3 nautical miles), effectively blocking access to Australia’s vast 8.2 million square kilometre Commonwealth marine estate. This regulatory gap prevented industry investment in offshore operations, limiting Australia’s ability to capitalise on its enormous marine resources while meeting increasing demand for locally-produced, sustainable protein.

BLUE ECONOMY ZONE

Offshore Finfish Aquaculture Research Trial

THE CHALLENGE

Australia’s aquaculture industry faced a critical constraint: limited access to suitable nearshore sites for expansion. With global demand for sustainable seafood growing rapidly and traditional farming areas reaching capacity, the industry needed new frontiers. However, no regulatory framework existed for commercial aquaculture operations beyond state waters (3 nautical miles), effectively blocking access to Australia’s vast 8.2 million square kilometre Commonwealth marine estate. This regulatory gap prevented industry investment in offshore operations, limiting Australia’s ability to capitalise on its enormous marine resources while meeting increasing demand for locally-produced, sustainable protein.

The solution / outcome

The Blue Economy CRC has pioneered Australia’s first offshore aquaculture research trial in Commonwealth waters through the Bass Strait Blue Economy Zone project. Working with government partners, we established new regulatory pathways enabling a three-year multispecies research trial 12 kilometres offshore from Burnie, Tasmania. This groundbreaking trial is testing high-energy aquaculture systems with 15,000 Atlantic salmon and 15,000 yellowtail kingfish in challenging offshore conditions. The trial seeks to demonstrate the commercial viability and operability of offshore operations while generating critical data on environmental impacts, infrastructure performance, regulatory requirements and community response.

Our comprehensive research approach is addressing technical, environmental, and governance challenges simultaneously, creating a blueprint for sustainable offshore aquaculture development across Australia’s ocean estate. Critically, this project established Australia’s first trans-national collaboration framework for offshore aquaculture governance through partnerships with New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries, creating shared learning pathways that will accelerate regulatory development across both nations.

The Bass Strait Blue Economy Zone represents a watershed moment for Australian aquaculture. We’ve proven that sustainable offshore farming isn’t just possible – it’s the future of the industry. This trial has opened up an ocean of opportunity, literally, giving access to vast new areas while demonstrating the possibility of operations with minimal environmental impact. The collaboration between industry, research, and government through the Blue Economy CRC has been essential to making this breakthrough possible.

Angela Williamson, CEO, Blue Economy CRC

The impact

The Blue Economy Zone trial is transforming Australia’s aquaculture landscape by proving offshore operations are commercially and environmentally viable. At the conclusion of the trial, industry will have access to previously untapped ocean areas, with early results showing successful fish growth and minimal environmental impact in the high-energy waters. The trial is contributing to development of recommendations for precedent-setting regulatory frameworks that will streamline future offshore approvals and reduce investment risk for industry, while ensuring appropriate environmental protections are maintained.

Our research is demonstrating that offshore aquaculture can increase Australia’s seafood production capacity while maintaining strict environmental standards. The trial’s success has attracted international attention, positioning Australia as a global leader in offshore aquaculture innovation. The governance innovations emerging from the ongoing Bass Strait project are informing a formal Trans-Tasman partnership with New Zealand to develop regulatory frameworks for offshore aquaculture across both nations.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Building on the Bass Strait success, the Blue Economy CRC has established the Trans-Tasman Open Ocean Aquaculture Governance Framework in partnership with New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries. This groundbreaking collaboration will create coordinated regional approaches to offshore aquaculture regulation, with both nations jointly developing governance models that could become global benchmarks. The six-month desktop assessment of international offshore aquaculture governance systems will inform streamlined regulatory pathways that could reduce permitting times by 50% and compliance costs by 30–40% across both countries.

We’re also exploring additional Blue Economy Zones for different species and regions, including barramundi trials in northern Australia and shellfish operations off Australia’s eastern seaboard. Regulatory reform to streamline processes for accessing offshore marine estates in both countries could stimulate industry investment in new commercial-scale offshore aquaculture developments across multiple sites, unlocking over $1 billion in private sector investment across the Trans-Tasman region within the next decade.

Our research is informing national policy development for offshore aquaculture governance in both countries, while technical innovations from the trial are being commercialised for broader industry adoption. This Trans-Tasman partnership positions Australia and New Zealand as global leaders in creating integrated, science-based regulatory systems that will serve as templates for emerging blue economy nations worldwide, ultimately creating an estimated 5,000–7,000 new regional jobs while ensuring sustainable ocean stewardship.

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