brad adams: the abalone rancher
An abalone farmer creates a new, sustainable sea ranching method that allows the high value food source to self-maintain using an artificial reef system that has no input on its natural environment.
What makes a good reef?
“It’s all about the food, and about the reefs that provide that food,” Ocean Grown Abalone’s (OGA) Managing Director, Brad Adams, claims as he explains how the sustainable abalone reef system works. Adams grew up in remote western Australia along the Great Southern Reef, where he and his family have a deeply rooted relationship with aquaculture and the fishing industry.
Just like a farmer needs to know about the grass, these sea ranchers learn everything they can about the algaes that feed their abitats. Adams emphasises the importance of storms and swell to his business and the food cycle. The abalone feed on kelp and algae, and they most specifically prefer the red algae “There’s over 50 different species of red algae that they are eating, it’s incredible".
During the storms, the algae and kelp breaks up and drifts past the reefs feeding the abalone. The abalone find their preferred spot and stay there, waiting for the food to drift past them. This process is the key component to abalone growth, so ” when there’s a big storm, I sleep soundly, because I know the abalone are getting fed,” Adams claims.
Sustainable sea ranching using artificial reef ‘abitats’
Adams created a new technology and sustainable sea ranching technique where hatchery bred juvenile abalone are placed on specifically designed artificial reef “abitats”. These abitats are then placed in the ocean and left up to nature to thrive and grow for 3 to 4 years until they reach a marketable size. They are closely monitored, but feed and survive in the wild on their own.
With his business being a family one, he hopes to pass these ideals of sustainable fishing and abalone farming and the importance of ocean guardianship on to future generations. “For us to have a business that there’s not any inputs now that we’ve build our reefs other than the abalone we have put in from the hatchery, the seaweed drifting past so it’s a pretty cool setup where it’s a really sustainable business and we’re really lucky”.
“I make my living out of the Southern Ocean and so do a lot of my friends. We want our kids to as well, so we act in a way where we are not having an impact on the ocean. So, you only take what nature will replenish or you only grow in a manner that is sustainable.”
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