Testing Fish Freshness With A GR International Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Correlate Torrymeter readings and sensory evaluation scores on selected fish species, over a 15-day period, ; 2. to determine the rejection level for each of the species studied 3. document spoilage patterns by written and photographic records
The Pearl Oyster (Pinctada Maxima): A Histological Atlas Of Normal And Diseased Tissues
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$45,000.00
Summary
Pearl production accounts for more than half the value of the combined Australia aquaculture industries, yet little was understood of their health status prior to project no 94/79.
There is no text available which describes, the anatomy and histopathologically of the pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima , or the histopathological changes that occur with disease. This lack of published data is compounded by the fact that there are currently only 4 pathologists in Australia with significant expe ....Pearl production accounts for more than half the value of the combined Australia aquaculture industries, yet little was understood of their health status prior to project no 94/79.
There is no text available which describes, the anatomy and histopathologically of the pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima , or the histopathological changes that occur with disease. This lack of published data is compounded by the fact that there are currently only 4 pathologists in Australia with significant experience and knowledge to interpret histology sections from pearl oysters.
The publication of the histopathology photographs collected during project no 94/79 plus other reference material collected by previous researchers will help to overcome this problem.
The ability to be able to recognise what is normal or abnormal is critical in the interpretation of histology sections and hence will affect the quality of diagnostic services that can be provided to the pearling industry.
The publication of this material will also act as a reference book for a range of other investigations into pearl oysters, such as, nutritional, husbandry and biology studies. It will ensure that the material gathered during project no 94/79 will be preserved for the future benefit of the pearling industry. Objectives: 1. Develop a comprehensive histological photographic database of the normal and diseased tissue of the pearl oyster Pinctada maxima . 2. Compile a computerised atlas showing the basic anatomy of Pinctada maxima with explanatory text and labelled photographs of normal and diseased tissue. 3. Publish this data in a book and/or compact disk format. Read moreRead less
Age Validation From Tagged School And Gummy Sharks Injected With Oxytetracycline
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$85,272.00
Summary
Length-at-age data are an important input to the fully age-structured fishery assessment models used by SharkFAG for stock advice to SharkMAC.
School sharks and gummy sharks are currently aged by counting growth-increment bands on the articular faces of vertebrae stained with alizarin red. This method is only partly validated on captive sharks and requires further work. There is a need to validate the assumption that the bands of alizarin red stain are annual and that they provide relia ....Length-at-age data are an important input to the fully age-structured fishery assessment models used by SharkFAG for stock advice to SharkMAC.
School sharks and gummy sharks are currently aged by counting growth-increment bands on the articular faces of vertebrae stained with alizarin red. This method is only partly validated on captive sharks and requires further work. There is a need to validate the assumption that the bands of alizarin red stain are annual and that they provide reliable estimates of age. Appropriate methods for undertaking this validation were developed as part of the completed 'Southern Shark Age Validation Project' (FRDC 91/037). The recently completed 'Southern Shark Tagging project' (FRDC 93/066) was ideally timed to provide sufficient samples to properly undertake this validation. Objectives: 1. Further refine age validation of sharks by laboratory processing of vertebrae from recaptured school and gummy sharks tagged and injected with oxytetracycline as part of the recently completed FRDC funded tagging and nursery projects. Read moreRead less
Innovative Solutions For Aquaculture: Assessment If In Situ Monitoring Techniques And Life History Parameters For Monogenean Skin And Gill Parasites
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$23,171.68
Summary
This project is to develop a method for policies to be developed to monitor and manage parasite burdens across an entire industry.
Yellowtail kingfish production in South Australia in 2001/2 was approximately 1100 tonnes and is expected to increase to 5000 tonnes within 5 years. The potential risks associated with a rapidly growing industry are manifest and without scientifically based, whole-industry management and auditing systems the potential for commercial, environmental and publi ....This project is to develop a method for policies to be developed to monitor and manage parasite burdens across an entire industry.
Yellowtail kingfish production in South Australia in 2001/2 was approximately 1100 tonnes and is expected to increase to 5000 tonnes within 5 years. The potential risks associated with a rapidly growing industry are manifest and without scientifically based, whole-industry management and auditing systems the potential for commercial, environmental and public perception problems associated with pests are significant. Some negative perceptions regarding kingfish farming have already appeared in the media (e.g. Hunt, 2003). Industry research has concentrated on the production losses associated with monogenean infestations and while on-farm management is a vital part of a pest control system, assessment systems vary between farms in stage of development and accuracy.
Marine finfish growers in South Australia have agreed in-principle to a system whereby their farms are monitored externally by the state regulatory authority (Primary Industries and Resources SA) for skin and gill fluke numbers. Two methods have been proposed; one by which individual farms will take their own fluke counts and supply them to PIRSA (with occasional auditing/checks by PIRSA) and another by which PIRSA staff will make regular farm visits to make fluke counts. Policies will be implemented through include licence conditions enforceable under the Aquaculture Act, 2001 that form an integral part of the management framework of aquaculture in South Australia. Their support for this whole-industry monitoring is derived in part from emerging negative perceptions in the media that can be countered to some extent by cooperating with government to create a scientifically based, accurate, transparent system of monitoring and managing flukes on kingfish farms throughout South Australia.
Treasurer and Pope (2001) developed a system for counting salmon lice by visual inspection, but this system is not directly applicable to parasites that have microscopic juvenile stages, do not infect their hosts externally or are unable as adults to transfer between host individuals in a pen. The confounds associated with a chemical harvesting system are different to those of visual inspection by a trained observer and this difference needs to be assessed for the method being proposed by us to be successful. Objectives: 1. Develop a prototype image analysis system for counting and sizing skin and gill flukes 2. Validate the accuracy of the system using manual counts and measurements 3. Compile a users manual 4. Establish policies and operating standards for the sustainable management of marine farms based on project data. 5. Provide training workshops to potential users. Read moreRead less
Assessing Operational Feasibility Of Stereo Video And Evaluating Monitoring Options For The SBT Farm Sector
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$48,730.00
Summary
The issue of whether or not there is bias in the current SBT monitoring process remains unresolved as highlighted by the findings of the recent O’Neill review commissioned by AFMA and the recent CCSBT farm review. In addition there is a need to re-evaluate the stereo video sampling method developed in previous SV projects to determine if it is cost effective, and an operationally feasible method which also meets required levels of accuracy and precision in an operational environment. The tests ....The issue of whether or not there is bias in the current SBT monitoring process remains unresolved as highlighted by the findings of the recent O’Neill review commissioned by AFMA and the recent CCSBT farm review. In addition there is a need to re-evaluate the stereo video sampling method developed in previous SV projects to determine if it is cost effective, and an operationally feasible method which also meets required levels of accuracy and precision in an operational environment. The tests of accuracy and precision must be met in terms of aggregate catch within Australia’s national allocation under CCSBT, as well as AFMA’s domestic management obligations to measure SBT catch against individual SFR holdings.
Assessing the operational feasibility of the stereo video technology remains a very important domestic and international SBT management priority. There is a need to conduct appropriate trials to determine statistically acceptable levels of SBT sampling. The project must also determine accuracy of length measurements and apply this to individual and total aggregate catches.
There is a need to evaluate the use of stereo video technology under the range of conditions comparable to actual farm transfer conditions, particularly with regard to varying light and water visibility conditions and with a range of fish sizes. It will also provide important insight into practical implementations issue such as the time and technical expertise needed to set up and calibrate stereo video equipment, and the physical robustness of the equipment under operational conditions. Objectives: 1. Assess the accuracy and precision of SV length measurements in operational conditions. 2. Develop statistically robust sample sizes and sampling regimes for SV measurements. 3. Assess the robustness and operational suitability of the physical SV equipment in operational conditions. Including developing technical knowledge and processes required to set up and operate stereo video equipment effectively in Port Lincoln. 4. Develop options for converting SV length measurement into weight estimates. Read moreRead less
Atlantic Salmon Aquaculture Subprogram: Macroalgal Monitoring In Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$26,920.24
Summary
The Tasmanian salmonid industry is planning for a significant expansion of salmon aquaculture in Macquarie Harbour. This will result in an increase in nutrients – nitrogen and phosphorous – from salmon farming waste products into the environment. These nutrients may result in increased primary production – of micro and macro-algae, although the extent of increased production and the potential for eutrophication of the system is not fully understood The issue of macroalgal growth has been raised ....The Tasmanian salmonid industry is planning for a significant expansion of salmon aquaculture in Macquarie Harbour. This will result in an increase in nutrients – nitrogen and phosphorous – from salmon farming waste products into the environment. These nutrients may result in increased primary production – of micro and macro-algae, although the extent of increased production and the potential for eutrophication of the system is not fully understood The issue of macroalgal growth has been raised by community stakeholders and in light of recent comments the Tasmanian salmonid industry wishes to support baseline research investigations and monitoring. These macroalgae are largely intertidal and therefore obvious to the community, which provides an opportunity to involve community members in the macroalgal assessments. There is a pressing need to commence baseline monitoring of macroalgal distribution and abundance in Macquarie Harbour before additional salmon farming commences. As different species of macroalgae occur at different times of the year, autumn and spring monitoring will be necessary. Objectives: 1. To conduct preliminary baseline monitoring for macroalgae in Macquarie Harbour in autumn 2. Develop a macroalgal monitoring program for Macquarie Harbour 3. Test monitoring program and conduct seasonal (spring) baseline monitoring Read moreRead less
SRL IPA: Developing Cost-effective Industry Based Techniques For Monitoring Puerulus Settlement In All Conditions: Trials In Southern And Western Tasmania
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$119,711.00
Summary
Rock lobster fisheries throughout southern Australia are in decline with resultant direct and indirect losses of hundreds of millions of dollars annually. While the cause for the decline is uncertain, observed declines in the recruitment of larvae is of concern in western and eastern Australia. In Australia, larval (puerulus) collectors have been established in shallow water regions where they are serviced by divers (SA, Tas & Vic) and from dinghies (WA). By requiring servicing by department sta ....Rock lobster fisheries throughout southern Australia are in decline with resultant direct and indirect losses of hundreds of millions of dollars annually. While the cause for the decline is uncertain, observed declines in the recruitment of larvae is of concern in western and eastern Australia. In Australia, larval (puerulus) collectors have been established in shallow water regions where they are serviced by divers (SA, Tas & Vic) and from dinghies (WA). By requiring servicing by department staff, and particularly by dive teams, collectors are expensive to service and thus limited in their regional distribution to a few sites. For southern rock lobster there has been concern over how well the observed larval settlement represents the entire fishery as sampling sites are few and the majority of catch is from deeper reefs. To improve our understanding of the relationship between recruitment, future catches and short and long term recruitment trends, there is a need to improve spatial (region and depth) coverage. Previous attempts to deploy puerulus collectors in shallow regions in southern and western Tasmania, where over 60% of the catch is obtained, have failed due to weather conditions. To-date there has been no attempt to trial deeper water collectors.
This proposal requests funding for phase 1, the development and trial of deepwater collectors, of a 3 phase project with the ultimate aim to develop cost-effective collectors that can withstand all weather conditions, can be serviced in deeper water and can be serviced by the fishing industry throughout southern Australia.
Objectives: 1. To develop a puerulus collector that can be (a) used in deep water (b) can withstand adverse weather conditions as experience in SW Tasmania and (c) be serviced by the fishing Industry ($113,195) 2. To evaluate the potential and cost-effectiveness of remote sampling (camera and satellite transmission) ($5,000). Read moreRead less
Validation And Extension Of Acoustic Reef Habitat Mapping Methodologies In The Western Abalone Zone, Victoria
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$75,000.00
Summary
The Victorian abalone fishery is currently the subject of several research programs which address aspects of the spatial management of the fishery (eg. FRDC 1996/116 and FRDC 2002/083). The “Research Needs and Priorities for Fisheries in Victoria 2001/02-2005/06” also identifies the need for research programs and data to assist the spatial management of the industry. The recent closure of fishing areas following the declaration of new Victorian Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries has also hi ....The Victorian abalone fishery is currently the subject of several research programs which address aspects of the spatial management of the fishery (eg. FRDC 1996/116 and FRDC 2002/083). The “Research Needs and Priorities for Fisheries in Victoria 2001/02-2005/06” also identifies the need for research programs and data to assist the spatial management of the industry. The recent closure of fishing areas following the declaration of new Victorian Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries has also highlighted the need for accurate spatial habitat information in the management of the fishery.
An original objective of the Victorian abalone management zones and quota system was to achieve a spread of fishing effort consistent with the spatial distribution of abalone, and this is now reflected by separate total allowable catch (TAC) allocations for each management zone. The current Victorian Abalone Management Plan (2002) identifies the preferred option for achieving an optimal spread of fishing effort at the local level in the future will be sub-zonal TAC setting. It is noted in the management plan that management at this more refined spatial scale will require information that enables a better understanding and modelling of the spatial aspects of the fishery. Understanding the spatial distribution of habitat will help determine the appropriate scale for management and assessment.
The success of future reef mapping programs will be dependent on application of effective mapping methodologies that are consistent with habitat classification techniques within the southern Australian region. Validating the TAFI mapping approach and enhancing the methodology in Victorian marine environments will provide an extension of this approach.
Objectives: 1. To validate and extend acoustic reef mapping techniques and habitat classification methodologies developed in SA and Tasmania through their application in the Victorian Western Abalone Zone. 2. To target high value reef habitats in the Western Abalone Zone for application of acoustic mapping and habitat classification methodologies. 3. To integrate acoustic reef data and mapping in a GIS database. Read moreRead less
Using GPS Technology To Improve Fishery Dependent Data Collection In Abalone Fisheries
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$450,862.00
Summary
Strategic R&D Plans TasFRAB 2005 Theme 3: Improving the scale of data collection and development of performance measures. Tasmanian Abalone Strategic Research Plan (2005 – 2009) - Need for fine-scale data on fishing effort.
Catch and effort data are either important components of model-based stock assessment (NSW, VIC, SA, NZ) or form the primary basis for trend-based stock assessment (TAS). Because of the current low quality and resolution of effort reporting in abalone ....Strategic R&D Plans TasFRAB 2005 Theme 3: Improving the scale of data collection and development of performance measures. Tasmanian Abalone Strategic Research Plan (2005 – 2009) - Need for fine-scale data on fishing effort.
Catch and effort data are either important components of model-based stock assessment (NSW, VIC, SA, NZ) or form the primary basis for trend-based stock assessment (TAS). Because of the current low quality and resolution of effort reporting in abalone fisheries, CPUE data are insensitive to serial depletion. Low resolution catch effort data decreases the ability to identify stock declines, and increases the risk that stocks will collapse, or be diminished for long periods. Low resolution data will also increase the risk that major management intervention is required because of late confirmation a fishery is in decline.
Acquisition of fine-scale data on fishing location is an essential component of flexible management for abalone fisheries, and provides managers and industry with the capacity to continue broad scale management at larger scales (zones), but also to manage elements of the fishery at a fine scale if required. A flexible scale of management will enable the current natural dynamic of fishing effort within regions to continue.
CPUE is the primary fishery dependent indicator variable that is used to measure performance. Because CPUE is not linearly related to stock abundance, there is an important need for alternate indicator variables. This need could be resolved through the development of new technology derived indicator variables that can be calculated using the combined GPS and DTR data.
High resolution location and effort data based on GPS/DTR data will increase the precision of stock assessments by improving quality of CPUE data, and by development of additional indicator variables. Objectives: 1. Develop protocols and/or tools to automate conversion and interpretation of high resolution data. 2. Develop and test technology derived indicator variables. 3. Evaluate high resolution data for assessment of spatially-structured abalone populations. 4. Commence mapping commercially productive abalone populations 5. Preliminary investigations of spatial dynamics of abalone fisheries. 6. Incorporation of electronically derived indicator variables into the Tasmanian Abalone Management Plan. Read moreRead less
Seamount Fauna Off Southern Tasmania: Impacts Of Trawling; Conservation And Role Within The Fishery Ecosystem
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$87,600.00
Summary
Objectives: 1. Assess the impact of trawling on the seamount fauna in the Southern Zone based on photographic transects of fished, lightly fished, and unfished seamounts in the Southern Zone 2. Assess the species composition of the seamount fauna in hte Southern Zone in relation to depth and position on the seamount based on photograqhic transects of seamounts peaking at depths between 600 and 1500m. Limited dredging will be required to obtain samples for species identification 3 ....Objectives: 1. Assess the impact of trawling on the seamount fauna in the Southern Zone based on photographic transects of fished, lightly fished, and unfished seamounts in the Southern Zone 2. Assess the species composition of the seamount fauna in hte Southern Zone in relation to depth and position on the seamount based on photograqhic transects of seamounts peaking at depths between 600 and 1500m. Limited dredging will be required to obtain samples for species identification 3. Sample the motile fish and invertebrate species in the seamount coraline enviroment with baited traps to assess the role of the environment as a nursery ground for juvenile fish and as a source of prey species for commercially exploited fishes Read moreRead less