The long haul

LAST May we published a cover story about the Federal Government's plan to create vast marine reserves covering a third of Australia's waters.

aquaculture

LAST May we published a cover story about the Federal Government's plan to create vast marine reserves covering one third of Australia's waters.

In some areas, fishing grounds will be closed to commercial fishermen; in others there will be tight restrictions on what is taken. Which left many readers, who wrote to us in response to the story, wondering what this means for consumers who enjoy a weekly feed of fish. Could aquaculture fill the void?

This week, The Australian's environment editor Graham Lloyd attempts to answer that question. We went into this story expecting to find a burgeoning industry. The truth is that while there are some amazing success stories, we still have a long way to go. Fish can be surprisingly fickle things to farm.