A $5 million grant from the Investment Attraction Fund will see Tassal expand its Yaloon/Cone Bay barramundi production in the Kimberley's Buccaneer Archipelago. In December, Tassal signed a seven-year lease with the state government to use two sites at the Broome Tropical Aquaculture Park, where it plans to build a new nursery facility.
The Investment Attraction Fund, administered by Invest and Trade Western Australia, facilitates businesses to establish and expand their operations in Western Australia, creating local jobs, growing regional economies and supporting diversification of the economy.
Tassal will use the grant to support its investment in modernising the operations at the Cone Bay barramundi farm to increase production and boost supply of the popular seafood brand to domestic markets.
Upgrades will include the installation of new sea cages, wildlife fences, improved walkways and access platforms, a new automated feeding system, and water monitoring and cleaning systems.
Tassal will also work closely with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development on the $2 million redevelopment of the Broome Tropical Aquaculture Park at Gantheaume Point.
Fisheries minister Don Punch said Tassal’s expansion in the Kimberley region would secure more local job opportunities and help drive aquaculture development in northern Western Australia.
"The aquaculture industry has tremendous potential for growth in Western Australia, and I am pleased to welcome Tassal to the Broome Tropical Aquaculture Park, which will undergo a major redevelopment to help realise this potential,” said Punch.
In 2023, Tassal fully acquired MPA Fish Farms Pty Ltd and MPA Marketing Pty Ltd, which operated Australia's only ocean-based barramundi farm at Cone Bay.
