Max has been the Managing Director of Hanwood Fish Hatchery Pty Ltd at Murgon since 1993. Hanwood is one of  Queensland’s largest Australian Native Fish Hatcherys, specialising in the breeding and larval rearing of Australian native fish including fresh water and salt water species.

Before purchasing Hanwood, Max’s back ground had been in small business management and traditional farming practises. Hanwood Fish Hatchery Pty Ltd is a family owned and operated business.

In the last eleven years of being involved in the aquaculture industry the business has grown from a very small hatchery facility to Queensland’s leading native fish hatchery, supplying quality fingerlings to the grow-out industry and to the recreational fish stocking sector through out Australia. Hanwood has also been involved in the export of fingerlings.

In April Max and wife Deirdre travelled to America and Canada for six weeks to look at the aquaculture industry. They were fortunate to see several different government research facilities and hatcheries as well as privately owned grow out farms and hatcheries.

In Max’s talk he will cover

• Channel catfish industry in Alabama and Mississippi – production to processing

• The Fish Barn – recirculating system - North Carolina

• Freshwater fish hatchery - South Carolina

• Siska Indian fish wheel and ancient fish drying technique – Canada

• Other points of interest