Cultivation of redclaw crayfish in recirculation systems

The red snapper crayfish is a tropical freshwater crayfish native to Australia. This species possesses a number of characteristics that make it interesting for commercial aquaculture in Flanders. The cultivation of red-scissor lobsters can be a sustainable diversification opportunity for fish farmers and greenhouse growers, among others.

In this research project, we want to investigate a number of market-related and cultivation issues. The goal is to collect missing information needed to conduct an accurate profitability study and allow the scale-up of pilot-scale cultivation facilities to a commercial scale. On the one hand, we will conduct a market study to determine the market potential and possible market price of this lobster. In addition, we will optimize the rearing method, focusing on the feeding regime, the use of shelters in the rearing tanks and determining the required mechanical and biological filtration capacity in a rearing facility. Finally, we will investigate the most efficient way to harvest and sort red snapper lobsters. In the process, we will develop our own prototype of an automatic harvesting and sorting machine, and compare it with existing harvesting and sorting techniques. The results from the different work packages will eventually be used to evaluate the economic feasibility of growing red-shear lobsters.