❓ A WA parliamentary question explores the potential of hemp and cannabis as fish feed to improve fish husbandry and reduce stress, prompting inquiry into related research and economic value.
AnsweredQoN 880Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FISHERIES — NUTRITION
880. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer the minister to my previous
comments in the chamber on hemp as a food for our fish stocks and to an earlier
study undertaken in 2017 that showed that fish fed on cannabis oil, including
THC, had noticeably lower stress levels and improved feed conversion.
(1) What is fish husbandry worth
annually to the WA economy?
(2) Has DPIRD
undertaken or encouraged any research into hemp or cannabis as a feed stock for
locally farmed fish; and, if not, why not?
(3) Will the
minister, with his joint portfolios of Regional Development and Fisheries,
encourage such research and innovation going forward?
880. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer the minister to my previous
comments in the chamber on hemp as a food for our fish stocks and to an earlier
study undertaken in 2017 that showed that fish fed on cannabis oil, including
THC, had noticeably lower stress levels and improved feed conversion.
(1) What is fish husbandry worth
annually to the WA economy?
(2) Has DPIRD
undertaken or encouraged any research into hemp or cannabis as a feed stock for
locally farmed fish; and, if not, why not?
(3) Will the
minister, with his joint portfolios of Regional Development and Fisheries,
encourage such research and innovation going forward?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the great
question. The following answer has been provided by the Minister for Fisheries.
(1) The value of
finfish aquaculture in Western Australia in 2021–22 was approximately
$17 million.
(2) No. The
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has undertaken, and
continues to undertake, significant research into fish nutrition in
collaboration with industry and university partners. The current focus is on
non-terrestrial protein sources to improve sustainability, which is a key
industry priority.
(3) DPIRD will continue to undertake world-leading
research into fish nutrition in line with priorities identified by
industry.
question. The following answer has been provided by the Minister for Fisheries.
(1) The value of
finfish aquaculture in Western Australia in 2021–22 was approximately
$17 million.
(2) No. The
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has undertaken, and
continues to undertake, significant research into fish nutrition in
collaboration with industry and university partners. The current focus is on
non-terrestrial protein sources to improve sustainability, which is a key
industry priority.
(3) DPIRD will continue to undertake world-leading
research into fish nutrition in line with priorities identified by
industry.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.