Wadeye's crab farming industry takes shape despite crocodile raids
Sea farmers in remote Wadeye grew from three workers to nine and now send mud crabs to Darwin each week.
Wadeye sea farmers now operate crab pots in waters where crocodiles compete for the same catch. The reptiles have crushed five pots, but the operation is doing well.
Most hauls have mud crabs that weigh up to two kilograms. The team grew from three workers to nine in one year after getting a full commercial licence.
On average they send 35 to 50 kilograms to Darwin's fish market each week. Wadeye has high joblessness, with only about one in five adults working.
This venture could change that. A development corporation thinks a full seafood industry could start within a decade.
It could employ about 100 people across mud crabs, oyster farms, and other fisheries. The operation keeps detailed records for sustainable harvesting and gets help from Humpty Doo Barramundi, one of Australia's largest aquaculture operators.
- 3 to 9 workers in one year
- Team growth
- 35 to 50 kilograms
- Weekly catch
- 5 crushed by crocodiles
- Pots destroyed
- 100 people in a decade
- Potential employment
Why it mattersWadeye has few job opportunities; this industry offers genuine employment with work on traditional country and pathways for young people.
AustraliaA remote Indigenous community with one of Australia's highest joblessness rates may gain economic stability and local employment through seafood production.
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