Peter Lillie

General Manager, Yumbah Sea Farms

Peter gained a Bachelor of Economics degree from Monash University in 1980 and pursued other non-economic interests for a while, including playing music and commercial fishing (tuna longline), before settling into being a registered builder (still current). He began pursuing aquaculture interests: mainly sea-based abalone trials at Flinders, near Western Port, Victoria, as well as investing in Coastal Seafarms at Narrawong with his brothers and other investors. Peter has marine qualifications (Master Class 5/ MED 2) and has used his hands-on approach to building and maintaining mechanical systems and at sea grow-out systems.

In 2006, Peter, his brothers and Anthony Hall invested in Bay Sea Farms Pty Ltd which acquired the entire 90-hectare Mount Martha Aquaculture Zone. This perpetuated his lifelong affection for the sea, fishing and diving. Bay Sea Farms became a founding member of the Victorian Shellfish Hatchery Pty Ltd in 2007, of which he is the Managing Director. Victorian Shellfish Hatchery hatches the mussel spat required for all mussel farming operations in Port Phillip Bay, as well as supplying angasi and rock oyster spat to the broader industry.

Peter has recently helped facilitate the sale of Bay Sea Farms to Yumbah Aquaculture, becoming Yumbah Sea Farms Pty Ltd. He is excited about the synergies that can be obtained with the Yumbah connections in marketing, and the increasing production of mussels, which has grown to around 400 tonnes per annum, and is anticipated to grow to 1000 tonnes per annum in the next 5 years. Along with mussels, Peter is keen to continue work in angasi oyster production as well as sea-based abalone production at the Flinders Aquaculture Zone. The abalone production is subject to ongoing trials with seaweed production that Bay Sea Farms has commenced in conjunction with the Victorian Shellfish Hatchery and Deacon University, for the purpose of abalone sea-based diet.