You are at -
Home |
Research |
Sustainable
use
________________________________________________________________________
Sponges
Aquaculture poses a sustainable
alternative to wild harvest of sponges which has devastated
natural populations in regions where collecting has traditionally
been the main source of supply. Natural sponges are sought after
by cosmetic and industrial cleaning companies due to their highly
absorbent skeletons. At present, international demand for bath
sponges far outweighs the supply reserves. The world sponge
industry, which is primarily supplied by the Mediterranean and
the Caribbean, is worth over $40 million.
AIMS has
established pilot projects for sponge farming in the Torres
Strait and the Palm
Islands in collaboration with local indigenous
communities. This is a first for Australia and both
ventures are moving towards commercial start-ups which,
if successful, will provide new employment and training
opportunities in remote areas of tropical Australia.
Sponges
are animals with low maintenance needs, requiring no
artificial feeding, making sponge farms a suitable
venture for areas where facilities are limited and the
health of corals reefs and water quality are a concern.
AIMS has also pioneered aquaculture of sponges near
its Western Australian facility to produce chemicals
needed for pre-clinical trials of promising drug leads.
