Aquaculture company Tassal Group Limited has completed the acquisition of MPA Fish Farms Pty Ltd and MPA Marketing Pty Ltd, which operate Australia’s only ocean-based barramundi farm at Cone Bay, Western Australia.
Cooke Inc-owned Tassal, which is Australia’s largest vertically-integrated seafood grower, processor, marketer and seller, said the purchase secures the future of more than 50 local jobs in the Kimberley region.
Tassal Managing Director and CEO Mark Ryan said he looks forward to adding Australian ocean-farmed barramundi to the business.
“Tassal has turned around both the salmon and prawn industries in Australia before and has the skills and capabilities to apply the same learnings and intellectual capital to do this for the MPA companies and the wider barramundi industry in Australia.
“We are excited to bring world-class engineering, technology, innovative equipment, and 36 years’ experience in aquaculture to operating this barramundi farm,” said Ryan.
Tassal said it will have a “head-start” by leveraging excellent existing relationships with retailers across Australia to reinforce the reputation of West Australian barramundi as a premium product.
MPA currently produces around 1,600 tonnes of barramundi annually in Australia.
“Once operations are consolidated, we will look at growth opportunities. This is a huge win for Northern WA, and a win for local jobs and investment. At Tassal we work in regional areas across the country and are committed to working closely with traditional owners and the local community,” Ryan said.
Tassal-branded barramundi is due to hit the market in November 2023.
