Products and Services:

Services of Aquatech Australia include:

• Site identification and assessments
• Design and Establishment of Marine Facilities
• Marine Farm Feasibility Studies
• Aquaculture Research and Development
• Hatchery Design, Operations, Training and Management
• Planning and Design of Marine Biosecurity and Physical Containment (PC) Facilities
• Financial Reviews and Commercial Viability Analysis
• Lease Applications and Assessments
• Longline and Culture Systems Design
• Independent Reviews of Fishing & Aquaculture operations
• Government Interaction

Products of Aquatech Australia include:

• Longline Rollers
  • designed for scallop culture
  • suitable for the general aquaculture industry
• Pearl Nuclei Dispensers
  • simple longlife design
  • easy to clean and maintain

Background of Aquatech Australia Pty Ltd

Aquatech Australia Pty Ltd is a Fisheries and Aquaculture consultancy company which has been operating in Tasmania since 1988. Derek Cropp, the company’s principal, graduated from the University of Tasmania in 1983 after completing a 4-year Program in Marine Sciences. His subsequent experience, with Government and Private Industry, in commercialising viable Research and Development (R & D), over a range of species, provides a strong background on which to base new R & D projects.

In recent years he has been heavily involved as a Specialist Advisor (Aquaculture) to the Batavia Coast Marine Institute project.  Most recently, as Production Manager at Marinova Pty Ltd, one of Australia’s newest Marine Biotech companies, he has been responsible for the harvest of Undaria seaweed which exceeds 150 t annually.

He was heavily involved in concept development and design development of a state-of-the-art GMP facility for the production of seaweed extracts and various other nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products.  During 2007/2008 he is also consulting as a Specialist Advisor on the Marine Physical Containment (PC2/PC3) facility for the South Australian Government.

He also has extensive experience with the operation, management and review of the Australian Observer Program monitoring Japanese fishing vessels in the Australian Fishing Zone. Independent consolidation reports have been prepared covering a wide range of issues dealt with by the Observer program.

Derek Cropp spent 5 months overseas on a Winston Churchill Fellowship, working on and studying a diverse range of species in many countries.

He has been heavily involved in the hatchery culture and grow out of a wide range of shellfish including both tropical and cool-temperate species. These include a number of scallops, abalone, pearl oysters and edible oysters. This experience has stimulated the innovation and the skills needed to provide guidance on potential culture techniques in Australia.

Aquatech Australia Pty Ltd has been involved in all aspects of the aquaculture industry, including:

• the design and commercialisation of unique Longline Rollers, and Longline Systems
• full financial planning and assessments
• the processing, presentation (and consumption) of specialised aquaculture products.

Longline Rollers are now used in a range of industries across Australia and cultured abalone are produced from a number of farms. Additionally, Aquatech Australia’s involvement in hatchery technology has resulted in mass production of pearl oyster spat and a range of other species from a number of hatcheries.