MainStream Aquaculture is happy to announce an addition to our ever-growing fingerlings export market. Our customers in Tahiti have received their healthy Barramundi fingerlings successfully.

Really, we are very satisfied with our order and I thank you for your professionalism!! 

Juliette Fremery, Tahiti fingerling customer

Mainstream fish grow faster, demonstrate lower deformity rates, are more robust, have lower size variation, and have higher fillet yields – resulting in our customers being the most profitable in the industry. MainStream operates an advanced selective breeding program and remains focused on continued stock improvement. Our selective breeding goals include enhancing growth rates with improved feed conversion ratios, reducing growth distribution, increasing fillet yield, improving disease resistance, optimising omega-3 and improved colouration.

MainStream Aquaculture remains the largest supplier of Barramundi fingerlings in the world and proudly distributes high quality fingerlings to Barramundi producers in 28 countries across 5 continents.

MainStream Aquaculture’s beautiful Golden Barramundi have been featured as part of David Jones’ 2022 Spring Flower Show. Crafted by environmental activist and floral artist, Joost Bakker, the show includes all forms of nature, with hundreds of different species on display, all coming from suppliers, growers, and producers around Melbourne.

This included oyster mushrooms in candy hues, mycelium blocks, snails, a tank of MainStream’s rare Golden Barramundi, crickets and other insects, all housed under canopies of tulips, golden elm branches, yellow forsythia, apple and pear blossom. “I want to get people excited about the beauty that surrounds us,” Bakker said, “to understand and feel like they’re immersed in an ecosystem where every single element is connected.”

The existence of Golden Barramundi in the wild is extremely rare, with the chance of one being born one-in-ten million. MainStream’s dedicated Golden Barramundi breeding program, first commenced in 2008, nurtures a population of these exquisite fish, which are a popular addition to the most discerning aquarists. For more information about our Golden Barramundi breeding program please click here

MainStream Aquaculture was featured in the beloved Southern Farmer Newspaper. Our very own Dr. Paul Harrison gives up the company “secrets” and how our Barra are turning chef heads. Click here to read the full issue.

MainStream Aquaculture’s beautiful Golden Barramundi have been featured as part of David Jones’ 2022 Spring Flower Show. Crafted by environmental activist and floral artist, Joost Bakker, the show includes all forms of nature, with hundreds of different species on display, all coming from suppliers, growers, and producers within kilometres of Bakker’s farm.

This includes oyster mushrooms in candy hues, mycelium blocks, snails, a tank of MainStream’s rare Golden Barramundi, crickets and other insects, all housed under canopies of tulips, golden elm branches, yellow forsythia, apple and pear blossom.

“I want to get people excited about the beauty that surrounds us,” Bakker said, “to understand and feel like they’re immersed in an ecosystem where every single element is connected.

“I believe we need to transition into a world where we generate no waste and I think the David Jones Flower Show will be a great example of how future floral installations can be designed.”

The exclusivity of Bakker’s installation cannot be understated as the the existence of Golden Barramundi in the wild is extremely rare, with the chance of one being born one-in-ten million. MainStream’s dedicated Golden Barramundi breeding program, first commenced in 2008, nurtures a population of these exquisite fish, which are a popular addition to the most discerning aquarists.

The installation is available for viewing at David Jones’ Flagship Melbourne Bourke Street Store until October 23, 2022. Paying homage to Australia’s incredible array of native fauna and flora, MainStream’s Golden Barramundi are proudly gracing this installation for the public’s enjoyment.

MainStream Aquaculture has purchased a 1,100 acre fish farm in Arizona, USA. This transformational acquisition will see one of the world’s largest producers and suppliers of Barramundi expand its growing portfolio of assets to now include domestic production in the USA market.

MainStream’s rapidly growing aquaculture business in Australia provides a template for a successful USA business that can be scaled to meet domestic market demand. The Arizona farm is MainStream’s first international acquisition and a major step forward in its core long-term objective to globalise its sustainable seafood business model. MainStream’s business includes:

• Three world class hatcheries, which supply the global Barramundi industry with improved fingerlings from its class leading selective breeding program. The business exports into 27 countries across 5 continents.
• Two state of the art urban farms based in Melbourne, Australia, which deploy unique and proprietary closed containment aquaculture technology, raising Barramundi in pristine spring water. Infinity Blue Wyndham Barramundi are highly regarded for their delicate clean taste, sparkling silver colour and light flesh.
• Three Queensland based saltwater pond farming sites. Two Innisfail farms are nestled between the world heritage Wooroonooran Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef, along with a Port Douglas farm located in close proximity to the world’s oldest rainforest, the Daintree. Infinity Blue Etty Bay Barramundi are renowned for their award winning fine textured flesh and a succulent, buttery finish with excellent natural fat content.
• Contract Barramundi growing operations and an aquaculture consulting division.
• The new farming site in Arizona. A desert oasis with pristine natural water sources which will become a central hub for Barramundi production in the USA.

The USA business will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of the MainStream Aquaculture Group.

Boris Musa, MainStream Aquaculture Group MD and CEO, commented on the acquisition: “Barramundi is a delicious, nutritious, and sustainable fish ideal for aquaculture. We are immensely proud to expand our
operations in the USA after several years market testing the product and operating a pilot scale Barramundi farm in Arizona.”

“By applying the capabilities we have developed over 20 years in Australia, we are confident the venture will establish Barramundi as a premium, sustainable, ethically produced and widely appealing white fish in the USA.”

MainStream Aquaculture and Opal welcome the Australian Government’s announcement of a $30
million grant for the Latrobe Valley Aquaculture project.

Opal and MainStream Aquaculture, which is a global leader in barramundi aquaculture, are proposing
to develop the world’s largest indoor bio-secure aquaculture facility for growing and processing
sustainable Australian barramundi, in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria.

The cutting-edge $125 million aquaculture project would create a new industry sector for the region,
supporting high value, skilled jobs and opportunities for sustainable growth into the future.
Co-located at Opal Australian Paper’s Maryvale Mill, MainStream Aquaculture would design and
operate the state-of-the-art facility, which would grow and process more than 3,700 tonnes of
premium barramundi for the Australian market annually.

The barramundi would be processed into high value and nutritious products delivered fresh across
Australia. These products would meet growing demand and replace imports, enhancing Australian
competitiveness in the seafood supply chain.

The collaborative partnership with MainStream Aquaculture provides the project with a significant
competitive advantage. Locating the proposed Aquaculture facility adjacent to the Maryvale Mill,
means leveraging complementary resources and infrastructure, providing direct access to a wide
range of services such as heating, water treatment, energy and transport infrastructure.
The confirmation of government funding support is a major step forward for the Aquaculture project.
Opal and MainStream Aquaculture will now move into the final development pathway including
detailed facility design, regulatory and Board approvals.

Mr. Boris Musa, MainStream Aquaculture’s CEO, commented, “We welcome the opportunity to
participate in an innovative business initiative in such a critical industry. Using efficient and
sustainable technology for primary food production has significant merit. In addition to its world class
environmental credentials, barramundi aquaculture has potential to transform socially and financially
the local community by developing a new aquaculture precinct in the region.”

Mr. Craig Bosch, Aquaculture Project Lead Opal, says the announcement of the Federal Government
funding is an important milestone for this innovative project.

“The Latrobe Valley Aquaculture project showcases how leveraging complementary capabilities can
support opportunities for transformation in the Latrobe Valley.

“Thank you to the Australian Government for today’s announcement which is a major step forward for
our project. We continue to appreciate Darren Chester’s long-standing support for this important
project and for Opal’s Maryvale site, which is one of the largest employers in the Latrobe Valley”, said
Mr. Bosch.

The project would deliver significant positive economic and employment opportunities to the Latrobe
Valley. During construction, it would create 364 Victorian jobs and once operational, the facility would
support 263 direct and flow on jobs.

MainStream Aquaculture’s table fish brand Infinity Blue has begun 2022 with a subtle, yet significant change in branding. In celebrating the provenance of each farm location, Mainstream can more effectively communication the taste attributes, sustainability and product freshness to market.

To kick start the new year, Infinity Blue Barramundi has made some small, yet significant changes to the branding of our fish. The changes are a subtle brand evolution rather than a rebrand, and allow us to tell a deeper provenance-based story to  customers, whilst still reinforcing the Infinity Blue ethos and quality stamp:

Infinity Blue Barramundi comes from the best farms across Australia. Combining the purest waters, best feed, fish care, science and speed to market, this fish is of the highest quality. In this regard, nothing has changed, nor will change.

Etty Bay is adjacent to the Tropical North Queensland farm. Rated top 10 in Australia’s most beautiful secret beaches, it is a peaceful and idyllic hideaway and a favourite with locals to swim and relax. Here in this most beautiful of environments, Infinity Blue Barramundi are grown where the pristine waters from the ancient Wooroonooran National Park trickle down to meet the crystal-clear salt from the Great Barrier Reef.

The high salinity waters infuse these magnificent fish with award winning flavour, creating the finest dining experience. Etty Bay produces premium fillet sized saltwater Barramundi. This fish has a firm, moist texture and large, meaty flakes once cooked. The pristine water source produces an amazingly clean and crisp flavour.

The Wyndham farm is located in a historic agricultural food bowl that has supplied Victoria with fresh food for generations. Wyndham Barramundi are grown in geothermally heated spring waters which are drawn from the ancient aquifer that links Hepburn Springs and the Peninsula Hot Springs. This ancient water source is free of all industrial or biological pollutants, achieving an amazingly mild and gentle flavour.

This environment allows the Barramundi to develop a layer of natural fat, and are consistently plate-sized, sweet-flavoured and tender. Wyndham baby Barramundi is the freshest to market, sashimi-grade fish which allows for ultimate flexibility in dish choice. The soft, delicate texture and mild, sweet eating qualities are simply exceptional.

Watch the video below to learn more about these recent changes!

MainStream Aquaculture has joined Seafood Industry Australia (SIA), the national peak-body representing the Australian seafood industry as a whole.

In joining SIA, MainStream is committed to protecting, promoting and developing the Australian seafood industry domestically and overseas.

In an intevriew with SIA CEO Veronica Papacosta, CEO Boris Musa sheds light on MainStream’s current operations and discusses the future direction of the company.

Watch the full interview below.

Mainstream Aquaculture CEO, Boris Musa, has been appointed as a director of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) Board in recognition of his dedication and excellence in the field of aquaculture.

As the MD & CEO of Mainstream Aquaculture, Boris is responsible for strategic management of a large scale vertically integrated producer and supplier of Barramundi. 

Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud has appointed seven non-executive directors to the FRDC for a three-year term from 1 September 2021.

“I congratulate these five new non-executive directors and two returning non-executive directors on their appointment,” Minister Littleproud said.

“They come from across Australia and bring deep and varied experience across industry, academia and business.

The directors will help to lead the FRDC’s ambitious plan to drive new ways to take fishing and aquaculture into the future.

“This plan aligns with key national targets and global commitments, such as the shared industry and Australian Government target of building agriculture to $100 billion by 2030, and the United Nations Sustainable development goals.”

The FRDC plays a pivotal role in fisheries research and development activities.

Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries Jonno Duniam said the FRDC invests in research, development and extension for the profitability and sustainability of the fishing industry and to benefit the wider community.

“The appointment of the next FRDC non-executive directors is necessary for the corporation to properly continue carrying out its functions and operations,” Assistant Minister Duniam said.

“The FRDC mission is to act as a national thought leader, facilitating knowledge creation, collaboration and innovation to shape the future of fishing and aquaculture in Australia for the benefit of the Australian people.

“Research and innovation will play a key role as the sector looks to new opportunities and continues to recover from the impacts of the pandemic.”

Source: https://www.miragenews.com/fisheries-research-and-development-corporation-623764/ , viewed 2 September, 2021.

Using a design-led mindset and practices, MainStream Aquaculture has achieved extraordinary growth in recent years.

This Case Study unpacks how they did it and the results achieved.

Their journey, as told by their Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Boris Musa in an interview, has been mapped against a generic Design Process model.

View full case study here.

Melbourne, Australia (Monday 31 May, 2021) – MainStream Aquaculture today announced that they have entered into an asset acquisition agreement with Gold Coast Marine Aquaculture to purchase the company’s operations in the greater Port Douglas area. Gold Coast Marine Aquaculture is amongst Australia’s foundational prawn aquaculture businesses with the Port Douglas site one of Australia’s preeminent aquaculture sites.

MainStream Aquaculture is a proudly Australian global leader in the supply of Barramundi and is the world’s largest integrated producer of the species. The addition of the Port Douglas asset to MainStream’s portfolio adds an additional 60 hectares of production ponds holding 1 billion litres of water with production capacity exceeding 2,500 tonnes per annum.

MainStream’s CEO Boris Musa commented, “This acquisition is a key part of our Far North Queensland expansion strategy. The purchase will result in considerable investment in the region and create a large number of jobs for the local community. When combined with MainStream’s existing farms in Far North Queensland, our operations in the State will produce over 5,000 tonne of premium Australian Barramundi every year. We are committed to leading the way in feeding Australia with premium Barramundi, produced using class leading aquaculture technology while demonstrating best practice sustainability credentials.”

MainStream Aquaculture will be working with the existing personnel on site to ensure a seamless integration strategy as the site transitions from a prawn to barramundi farming operation.

ENDS

Click here to read the full press release.

MainStream Aquaculture is working closely with James Cook University to discover the secrets to breeding the elusive golden barramundi.

Researchers at James Cook University in Townsville want to create a pure breeding line of the fish, which is in high demand for its clean taste and white flesh.

Click here to read the full article.

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