Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Does anyone know what the deal is with keeping marron? Do you need a licence to buy them, keep them, breed them, eat them etc?

I'm assuming you can't even give them away to family/friends without a licence, and around here I don't know if they'd be game to even take legit marron. The only stuff I could find about licensing seemed to be for commercial purposes.

I've never even eaten marron, but apparently my mother-in-law looks forward to her yearly feed, as well as a few mates at work so I figure I may as well try something I know people will eat. I'll have to try a few different types of fish as well as the Mrs is far too picky when it comes to eating them ("it tastes too fishy" "yeah, it's a fish, it does that").

Some have suggested yabbies, but I'm on the mexican side of the border (used to be albany highway, seems to have moved seaward a bit in one spot). Even with the ban, I've heard people swear they catch yabbies in the dams around the place, could be koonacs though.

Koonacs, any restrictions? Good eating? Decent sized?

I won't have a system until later in the year (in the process of selling 3ac and buying just under 1ac with a house and more usable land) but researching now.

What are Koonacs?

I was thinking the same thing Monya. Just did a google image search, they seem to be like a yabby but with a bigger more rounded thorax and a less pronounced rostrum

Jonzey dont know about the laws in WA, but hopefully some of the WA members might..

EDIT:
"The common name of "koonac" (of aboriginal origin), is used for two species of native Western Australian freshwater crayfish. The first, most widespread species has the scientific name Cherax plebejus (preissi) and is found over much of the south-west and out into the wheatbelt. The second species, Cherax glaber, is restricted to the south-coast, south of Manjimup. " From http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/aq/aq007/index.php?0404

Check out this page for information on identifying Yabbies, Gilgies, Koonacs and Marron. They all look the same to me

Yabbies seem to be the mean ones, Marron the expensive ones.

EDIT:
From what I can tell Marron are the biggest (380mm), then Koonacs (200mm) then Yabbies and Gilgies (130mm). As for taste, breeding etc I dunno.

the yabbies might also have more meat (more bang for your buck)

Jonezy, I come from Wagin originally and we always used to call them koonacs or gilgies ( Pronounced ,jool-gees) Until i went to Esperance i thought yabbies were the smallest breed but farmed them for sale to malatarga.
As for taste they are all exellent if they are flushed in clean water for a while.
Caught this one out bush on a prospecting lease but i think its to big to be a yabby, mabey a koonac???

Golden Ponds, http://www.goldenponds.com.au/fishing-p ... alia.shtml
Sells marron apparently...

I don't think the fisheries have any issue with keeping marron here:
http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/aq/aq021/index.php?0404

Looks like how I feel after a good night of sex

to much info

What... unable to move?? lol

hehehhehe

You shouldnt have any problem with buying and keeping marron anywhere in WA. The only restriction you have is that you cannot legally move marron from your property outside of the open marron season unless you have a marron farming license. So I guess that means your mother in law will have to come and visit if she wants a feed.

Yeah I kept looking around the fisheries site last night and managed to find something to that effect, but I'd already emailed fisheries so we'll see what they say. I might just give Koonacs a try first anyway. Anyone know where you can buy these? I wouldn't want to try catching them and get done for marroning

I called fisheries wa they informed me that i didnt require a license for marron as they were found natural in wild so if they escaped didnt matter, however they said they were extremely slow growing and very agresive to each other.

I didn't think that marron were that aggressive, I know yabbies/koonacs are,
Had to do 3000 word essay at school for dropping a yabby in the same tank as the marron (Marron lost most legs and a feeler )
He survived tho and grew them back

P.S. Jonezy were do you live (roughly not actual address) if your near farming land most dams have them.
PLEASE ask the farmer tho ( you might get shot at otherwise)