Grown and ‘hand-plucked’ from a natural, safe and sustainable habitat.
We have developed the world’s first commercial greenlip abalone sea ranching facility. We build our own artificial abalone reefs (called abitats) on our leases in the pristine waters of Flinders Bay. We place hatchery reared juvenile abalone on them – then let nature (with a little help from our divers) do the rest to produce this marine delicacy. A totally natural, ‘wild-harvest’ product. Because we have some control of the process we can harvest to market demand to whatever size the market requires. We call this aquaculture technique sea ranching.
Harvest
Hatchery reared juvenile greenlip abalone are placed on our custom built reefs in the pristine waters of Flinders Bay. Our leases are situated in areas where wild abalone is in abundance. Nature (with a little help from our divers) does the rest to provide a premium product.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a core function of our business. Our ranch in Flinders Bay is situated in a protected marine park, Ngari Capes Marine Park. There is a very light footprint using our tested sea ranching technique.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a core function of our business. Our ranch in Flinders Bay is situated in a protected marine park, Ngari Capes Marine Park. There is a very light footprint using our tested sea ranching technique.
Green Lip Abalone
Our ranched abalone is a totally natural, 'wild-harvested,' premium product. The abalone is grown in its natural habitat, the ocean. It feeds on seaweed as do wild abalone.
Seafood Source: New film aims to counter bias against farmed seafod
Dongo Films, a Brussels, Belgium-based collective of independent documentary filmmakers, are hoping to raise more than EUR 325,000 (USD 355,700) on public fundraising platform Kickstarter to make a film promoting sustainable aquaculture. Their goal is to reach the ambitious target by 22 March, 2020, which will allow filming to start this summer.
The film, AquaPioneers, is the brainchild of filmmakers Marjolijn Prins and Mathias Ruelle, working with production manager Heleen Bolle. They are being advised by Marjolijn’s brother, sustainable aquaculture expert Tom Prins, a dealflow manager with venture capital firm Aqua-Spark, based in the Netherlands.
Their aim is to tell the personal stories of five "aqua-pioneers," who were chosen following conversations with dozens of fish farmers, ocean entrepreneurs, and environmentalists from around the world.
“When done right, aquaculture has the potential to be a great force of ecological and social good. It can contribute in an extremely positive way to the health and future of our planet,” Marjolijn Prins said.
Video telling OGA's story for the Australasian Abalone Conference Hobart 2019
Watch OGA's video for the Abalone Conference in Hobart August 2019. Lots of underwater footage showing the abalone on the artificial reefs and the marine life living amongst the sea ranches.
Triple MMM: Esperance the next Abalone Hub of Australia?
It may be a couple years in the making but Esperance is taking the first tentative steps towards becoming the abalone hub of Australia. With a community workshop tonight (Wednesday, March 6) at 530 at the Esperance Bay Yacht Club, Esperance residents have an opportunity to provide input and show their support or opposition of the possible new industry.
Ocean Grown Abalone have been researching and investigating prospective locations across the state and have arrived at a 34 hectare parcel of land opposite the current Esperance Waste Management site at Wylie bay ideal for an onshore abalone hatchery.
Ocean Grown can move on with a feasibility study of the spot after securing a 12 month lease off the Shire of Esperance, who own the land.
The industry would provide a huge economic boost to the local community, and the General Manager of Ocean Grown Abalone, Brad Adams, is (fairly) confident the facility’s construction could begin at some stage during 2020.
He spoke to Sean on the Triple M Esperance Breakfast Show.
‘Abalone farming today is very profitable in Australia. I believe we have selected a very suitable location, it’s very close to a town, it’s large enough to scale the business up’
The size of the business in Esperance is significant, and could be the largest operation in Australia, according to Mr. Adams.
‘Stage one we plan to be growing around about 250 tonnes of abalone (per year), plus supplying juvenile seed for our abalone ranches in Augusta and Wylie Bay’
Esperance Express: Ocean Grown Abalone venture hatched
Less than a week after the Esperance Shire Council gave the project in-principle support, Ocean Grown Abalone has begun community consultation over a proposed hatchery at Wylie Bay.
The shire have already begun seeking community feedback to lease 34 hectares of land about 10 kilometres from the town centre for the proposed land-based development following the council decision on February 26.
Subject to the feedback, the company are expected to enter a 12-month lease to carry out a feasibility study to assess the land's development potential.
Dept of fisheries: Diving deeper into exports with new abalone processing facility
Ocean Grown Abalone’s new storage and processing centre opens at Augusta
$3.4 million facility supported with almost $500,000 in McGowan Government grants
A purpose-built storage and processing facility opened today at Augusta Boat Harbour will allow the world’s first commercial greenlip abalone sea ranching business to meet growing international demand for the ocean-grown delicacy.
Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan today officially opened Ocean Grown Abalone’s (OGA) new building, which was supported with a $485,000 contribution from the McGowan Government.
Built to export standards, the facility unlocks growth opportunities for the business by allowing it to process greater amounts of its locally-harvested product.
The old processing facility experienced bottlenecks, restricting the volumes divers could bring back.
Streamlining processes and the utilisation of new technology will result in additional value-added lines for retail and food services in both Australia and export markets being introduced.
In particular, the ability to deliver abalone straight from the ocean to live tanks onsite will unlock opportunities for OGA to increase live abalone for the export market.
The facility includes closed-circuit seawater holding tanks, a holding freezer and chiller room.
The construction of the building was led by South West firm Big Ben Builders, which provided local employment and subcontract opportunities.
The McGowan Government provided funding towards the new facility through its Regional Economic Development Grants, Grants for Asian Market Export, and Value Add Agribusiness Investment Attraction Fund.
ABC: Abalone and other aquaculture industries revitalising WA tourist towns with 'gold rush food'
Western Australia's growing aquaculture industry is revitalising small tourism towns on the state's south coast by providing an alternative to seasonal work.
Key points:
Year-round employment now offered by aquaculture in many WA towns is trumping seasonal and tourism-related industries
The State Government is looking to the sector to help fulfil its promise of 30,000 new regional jobs by 2023-24
One abalone firm is now the largest employer in Augusta
Within a decade, aquaculture has become the biggest employer in the seaside communities of Bremer Bay and Augusta.
Their story reflects the broader aspirations of the industry and the State Government, which is looking to the sector to help fulfil its promise of 30,000 new regional jobs by 2023-24.
Government stimulus has provided the foundation for the industry's growth, but further private investment is needed to help other coastal communities share the benefits.