摘要：This paper presents the results of a survey of the Queensland Redclaw crayfish industry. Redclaw crayfish farming is an emerging Queensland industry with typical infant industry problems of insufficient reliable information on important matters such as: current and future production and investment, farmer aims; industry priorities for R&D and other activities, and roles for farmer associations. To help fill these, and other, information gaps the Queensland Crayfish Farmers Association undertook a postal survey of all Queensland farmers in early 2001. Over 50% of the active farmers, accounting for over 80% of production, provided information. The main results were: most farmers plan to increase output greatly by 2002-03 (primarily by increasing output/ha) and to invest more capital; industry estimates suggest that the total area farmed could increase from 119 ha in 1999-00 to 188 ha by 2002-03 and total sales from 120 tonnes to 339 tonnes; the highest priority business aims for most farmers were increasing productivity of existing ponds and increasing output; the top industry R&D priority was breeding for faster growth; representation and information provision/exchange were the main services required from industry associations; and the importance of some aims, needs, etc was different for small and large farmers however there were fewer differences than expected.
