The Year 12 Aquaculture class at PLHS have finally succeeded in spawning our eight eleven-year-old barramundi (six males/two females – with an average weight of 8kg). To our knowledge, this has never been achieved before within a school-based aquaculture facility.
The students spent all of Term 2 preparing the brood stock with correct temperature, salinity, photoperiod and fresh fish all simulating a natural environment. The spawning was assisted by supplying artificial hormone. Only females were injected and within 48 hours they had released their eggs.
Congratulations to the PLHS Year 12 Aquaculture class of Saben Batterbury, Lachie Biddell, Kiahn Cooper-Welk, Max Laube, myself (Indra Pantiyasa) and Ryan Woolford. A massive thank you to the teachers involved also: Miss Beck Paterson, Mr. Tristan Rowsell and most importantly, Mr. Chris McGown; he is a passionate teacher with his endless aquaculture experience and a love for barramundi.
As a class, we highly recommend this subject – with its hands-on work, everyday involves something new.
~ Indra Pantiyasa (Year 12 Aquaculture student)
