Marron - Description

Marron (Cherax tenuimanus) is a very large freshwater crayfish native to the main permanent rivers in the forested, high rainfall areas in the south west of Western Australia (Lawrence 1995). In Western Australia, introduction into farm dams has extended its distribution as far east as Esperance and as far north as the Hutt River north of Geraldton. However, the bulk of farms are concentrated in the higher rainfall south west coastal areas.

International interest in farming marron has led to its introduction into South Africa, Zimbabwe, Japan, the United States, China and the Caribbean, as well as into South Australia.

In the early 1980s juvenile marron were imported from Western Australia to southern Queensland, but the high mortality suffered suggested this species was not suitable for Queensland.

Farming Development

Marron production is largely based in its natural habitat in southwest Western Australia, but there is an expanding base of production in South Australia, especially on Kangaroo Island.

In Western Australia, attempts have been made to culture Marron in farm dams (extensive farming), in purpose built earthen ponds (semi-intensive farming), and in tanks and battery culture systems (intensive farming). The success of battery and tank cultures has been limited by the absence of a suitable, nutritionally complete diet and poor growth at high densities. Most production takes place in purpose built semi-intensive ponds.

A Fisheries WA survey found that many growers achieved a yield of less than 600 kilograms per hectare a year of growout ponds, with 3 hectares of growout ponds requiring around one hectare of broodstock and nursery ponds. However, a yield of around 2 tonnes per hectare a year of salable product has been achieved by some growers.

Drought resulted in reduced marron farmed production in 2001-02 (table 5). Of the total 58 tonnes produced (valued at $1.4 million at the farm gate), Western Australia produced 47 tonnes and South Australia 11 tonnes. The average Australian unit value of production at the farm gate was around $23.80 a kilogram.

( REF. Australian Aquaculture. Industry profiles for selected species)

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