Waste To Profit In Urchin Fisheries: Developing Business Opportunities To Ensure Fishery Sustainability And Safeguard Reef Dependent Fisheries From Destructive Urchin Grazing
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$54,102.30
Summary
Increasing the viability of urchin fisheries is particularly important for the range-extending Centrostephanus rodgersii which is threatening the productivity and profitability of the lucrative abalone and rock lobster fishing grounds as far south as the Tasman Peninsula (south-eastern Tasmania). Waste products from urchin fisheries account for over 85% of the harvested biomass, with up to 180 tonnes of sea urchin waste produced annually. Developing saleable by-products from waste will increase ....Increasing the viability of urchin fisheries is particularly important for the range-extending Centrostephanus rodgersii which is threatening the productivity and profitability of the lucrative abalone and rock lobster fishing grounds as far south as the Tasman Peninsula (south-eastern Tasmania). Waste products from urchin fisheries account for over 85% of the harvested biomass, with up to 180 tonnes of sea urchin waste produced annually. Developing saleable by-products from waste will increase the viability and profitability of urchin fisheries by 1) creating new business opportunities 2) reducing waste disposal and transport costs and 3) enabling increased harvest levels temporally (longer seasons), spatially (further from port) and at an increased density.
Cost effective control of Centrostephanus is a key priority of the Tasmanian Government as well as the Tasmanian Abalone and Rock Lobster Council. Similarly, the State Government of Victoria and the Eastern Zone Abalone Industry Association have highlighted the need to control the destructive overgrazing of urchins. A profitable Centrostephanus fishery is seen as the best way to achieve this. However, profitability in the fishery is currently low given the species lower average roe quality. Methods to reduce costs and increase profitability are vital for a prosperous fishery and control of destructive urchin grazing.
Processors, encouraged by initial trials and results, believe there is a high potential to develop a commercial product from the waste. However, cost and lack of expertise have impeded the timely development of waste-derived products within industry. Objectives: 1. To determine the biochemical composition and volume of urchin waste and identify applications for the agricultural sector. 2. To assess the potential for using sea urchin as rock lobster bait. Read moreRead less
Assessing The Risk Of Pathogenic Vibrio Species In Tasmanian Oysters
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$375,235.00
Summary
Vibrios are an emerging food safety issue for the Tasmanian and broader Australian shellfish industry. The first reported Australian outbreak of gastrointestinal illness associated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus and local oysters was from Moulting Bay, Tasmania in 2016; followed by further cases reported in WA from oysters sourced from a single jurisdiction outside of state. Data collected following the shellfish related outbreak in Tasmania (FRDC project 2015-042: Assessing the Occurrence of Path ....Vibrios are an emerging food safety issue for the Tasmanian and broader Australian shellfish industry. The first reported Australian outbreak of gastrointestinal illness associated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus and local oysters was from Moulting Bay, Tasmania in 2016; followed by further cases reported in WA from oysters sourced from a single jurisdiction outside of state. Data collected following the shellfish related outbreak in Tasmania (FRDC project 2015-042: Assessing the Occurrence of Pathogenic Vibrio Species in Oysters from Moulting Bay) highlighted the risk in Moulting Bay, but also noted the paucity of information on the prevalence of these organisms in Australian bivalve harvest regions. There are no limits set for vibrios in bivalve shellfish under the Food Standards Code. However, the FSANZ Guidelines “Microbiological Examination of Ready-to-Eat Foods” suggests that levels of V. parahaemolyticus in food product < 3 cfu/gm are satisfactory, 3-100 cfu/gm are marginally acceptable, 100-10,000 cfu/gm are unsatisfactory and over 10,000 cfu/gm are considered potentially hazardous. The classification under the FSANZ Guideline only considers total number of V. parahaemolyticus and not pathogenic strains, hence using a conservative approach. The Codex Alimentarius Commission Guidelines for the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Pathogenic Vibrio (CAC/GL 73-2010) includes a separate Annex relating directly to control of these species in bivalve shellfish. The document recommends that monitoring be undertaken in harvest areas for levels of total and potentially pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus (based on the presence of the tdh and trh genes) and V. vulnificus to determine the level of regional and seasonal variation. Understanding the prevalence of V. paraheamolyticus (total and pathogenic) and V. vulnificus in commercial shellfish and the risk to public health is crucial in providing the Australian bivalve industry and State Shellfish Control Agency the necessary knowledge and tools to mitigate risk to the consumer, ensure product integrity and market access for industry. The current proposal is in response to the nominated RD&E priorities identified by the TASRAC.
Objectives: 1. Assess the total and potentially pathogenic V. paraheamolyticus and V. vulnificus levels in Tasmanian harvest areas 2. Provide information to Tasmanian Shellfish Control Agency to manage risk of vibrio into the future based on survey data results and production practices pre-harvest. 3. Inform Tasmanian foods safety management plans and risk management protocols for time of product into the cool chain based on local survey and environmental data results and international best practice. Read moreRead less
Waste To Profit In Urchin Fisheries: Developing Business Opportunities To Ensure Fishery Sustainability And Safeguard Reef Dependent Fisheries From Destructive Urchin Grazing
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$45,152.69
Summary
Commercial in confidence. To know more about this project please contact FRDC. Objectives: Commercial in confidence
Population Genomic Assessment Of Australian Blacklip Abalone For Abalone Viral Ganglioneuritis (AVG) Resistance
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$165,700.00
Summary
AVG remains the greatest threat to the economic viability and stability of the abalone industry in south-eastern Australia. As a consequence, there is an urgent need for strategic research aimed at determining the likely vulnerability of fisheries to future AVG outbreaks and providing managers with the necessary tools for biosecuring wild and farmed stocks at regional, state and national scales.
The fact that some animals from AVG affected wild stocks survived the disease outbreak suggests the ....AVG remains the greatest threat to the economic viability and stability of the abalone industry in south-eastern Australia. As a consequence, there is an urgent need for strategic research aimed at determining the likely vulnerability of fisheries to future AVG outbreaks and providing managers with the necessary tools for biosecuring wild and farmed stocks at regional, state and national scales.
The fact that some animals from AVG affected wild stocks survived the disease outbreak suggests they were either fortunate enough to have avoided coming into contact with the virus or are genetically resistant to the disease. A research program aimed at characterising AVG resistance in Australian wild abalone fisheries is expected to provide benefits to wild and farm fisheries at a national scale. If AVG resistance is present in wild abalone stocks, and its genetic basis can be characterised, there will be unique opportunities to:
1) Rapidly and cost-effectively screen stocks across all wild fisheries to determine the spatial prevalence of resistant genotypes and to gain an understanding of how biosecure wild abalone stocks are likely to be in the event of AVG re-emergence
2) Biosecure wild stocks through the movement of animals from ‘AVG resistant’ to ‘AVG vulnerable’ stocks as part of future restocking and translocation activities
3) Biosecure farm stocks across all states of Australia through the establishment of an AVG resistance breeding program
This project involves a direct partnership with AAGA, ACA and VFA and is expected to provide much needed insights into the vulnerability of abalone stocks to future AVG outbreaks, and the tools needed to bolster the biosecurity of wild and farmed abalone stocks. As a result, this project has the potential to dramatically improve the economic viability of this rapidly expanding industry.
Objectives: 1. This project will leverage the support of the abalone wild harvest and aquaculture industries, and the Victorian state government to determine if genetic resistance to the AVG virus persists in Australian wild blacklip abalone fisheries. This project will adopt state-of-the-art population genomic technologies to contrast genomic profiles of 350 individual abalone distributed across AVG affected and unaffected blacklip abalone stocks from Victorian Western and Central zone fisheries. Genomic variants differentiating animals from AVG affected and unaffected source stocks are expected to be indicative of a selective sweep and AVG resistance. Genomic variants associated with AVG resistance will act as the necessary markers for surveying the virus resilience/vulnerability of wild fishing stocks, and biosecuring wild fishing and farm stocks by providing a basis for a future virus resistance breeding program. Read moreRead less
Identification Of Differentially Expressed Innate Immune Genes In The New Zealand Paua (Haliotis Iris) And The Australian Hybrid Abalone (H. Laevigata X H. Rubra) Upon Immersion Challenge With The Abalone Herpesvirus-1 (HaHV)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$121,127.00
Summary
Abalone viral ganglioneuritis (AVG) has occurred in Victorian abalone for several years beginning from 2005/6. Later on several genetic variants of the causative agent, abalone herpesvirus (HaHV) (previously called AbHV) associated with disease outbreaks were discovered in Tasmanian processing plants. All Australian abalone species tested to date have been shown to be susceptible to HaHV infection and to the disease it causes (Corbeil et al., 2016, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 119:101-106) ....Abalone viral ganglioneuritis (AVG) has occurred in Victorian abalone for several years beginning from 2005/6. Later on several genetic variants of the causative agent, abalone herpesvirus (HaHV) (previously called AbHV) associated with disease outbreaks were discovered in Tasmanian processing plants. All Australian abalone species tested to date have been shown to be susceptible to HaHV infection and to the disease it causes (Corbeil et al., 2016, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 119:101-106). In addition, a recent study revealed that the New Zealand paua (H. iris) is resistant to AVG when challenged with the virus via intra-muscular injection and immersion (Corbeil et al., 2017, Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 146:31-35). The mechanism(s) of protection present in the paua are not known but are possibly based on innate immune genes that are expressed in paua but not expressed (or are absent) in Australian abalone species. Identifying the mechanisms of protection would provide a knowledge based platform that could lead to the development of hybrid abalone possessing resistance traits and/or to the development of immunotherapeutic molecules that could protect Australian abalone species. This project aims to address this knowledge gap and is relevant to all jurisdictions with abalone fisheries. Access to bio-secure aquarium facilities provides CSIRO-AAHL with a unique capability to investigate what genetic factors influence disease resistance in paua (exotic species), and carry out molecular gene characterisation.
Objectives: 1. Define the time-line of an anti-viral response in the paua and Australian hybrid abalone for the first-time, utilising real-time PCR, and a set of known anti-viral effector genes. 2. Through mRNA sequencing and genomic analysis, identify early genes expressed in paua and Australian hybrid abalone upon HaHV immersion challenge. 3. Establish an immune signature in the early response of the host to the virus that differs between the paua and Australian hybrid abalone, to determine key immune players in HaHV resistance. Read moreRead less
A Review Of Fisheries Enhancement Methods To Promote Profitability And Sustainability In Australian Fisheries
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$44,069.00
Summary
Whilst a range of fisheries enhancement approaches have been applied in Australia, quantitative comparison between the outcomes achieved is lacking. The decision to use fisheries enhancement techniques can be heavily influenced by politics, especially in the recreational fishing sector. Despite the general results from past fishery enhancement activities appearing positive, not all approaches may deliver the best return on investment. Quantitative comparison of techniques is needed to enable dec ....Whilst a range of fisheries enhancement approaches have been applied in Australia, quantitative comparison between the outcomes achieved is lacking. The decision to use fisheries enhancement techniques can be heavily influenced by politics, especially in the recreational fishing sector. Despite the general results from past fishery enhancement activities appearing positive, not all approaches may deliver the best return on investment. Quantitative comparison of techniques is needed to enable decisions to be made with greater certainty and deliver the best value.
Broad uptake and application of some fisheries enhancement techniques by fisheries managers in Australia has been limited. A major constraint for fisheries managers has been the absence of clear comparative data on the costs and benefits for each approach and how they can be most effectively applied in different scenarios. Fisheries enhancement is widely practised around the world and quantitative assessments of the benefits of some techniques exist. Cost benefit analyses have also been conducted for some projects in Australia, but the results have yet to be consolidated and considered in the context of how they can be applied more broadly by fisheries managers.
Consolidating the knowledge base on fisheries enhancement methods will enable robust comparison of the return on investment of different approaches for various fisheries and assessment of their long-term viability and impacts on fishery sustainability. Such information will enable managers to more clearly identify the most appropriate techniques and potential benefits for their specific fisheries, leading to increased uptake and implementation. To assist uptake by fishery managers, a decision support tool is needed to enable managers to readily incorporate these approaches with other fishery management considerations.
Objectives: 1. To conduct a literature review of fisheries enhancement/intervention methods 2. To conduct a cost-benefit analysis to identify efficient fisheries enhancement techniques 3. Develop a decision support tool to assist fishery managers determine the most suitable enhancement approach 4. Extend the results of the review and decision support tool to fisheries managers across Australia Read moreRead less
National Workshop To Develop A Regional Collaborative Plan To Control The Invasive Longspined Sea Urchin (Centrostephanus Rodgersii)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
There is a need to review and update the existing body of research and management approaches to: 1. prevent the further expansion of Long Spine Sea Urchins onto new reefs 2. reduce the impacts of Long Spine Sea Urchins on existing reefs to facilitate recovery 3. promote commercial harvesting as a control effort
Facilitating this review process through a workshop is necessary to ensure that all key stakeholders in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, the Commonwealth have in ....There is a need to review and update the existing body of research and management approaches to: 1. prevent the further expansion of Long Spine Sea Urchins onto new reefs 2. reduce the impacts of Long Spine Sea Urchins on existing reefs to facilitate recovery 3. promote commercial harvesting as a control effort
Facilitating this review process through a workshop is necessary to ensure that all key stakeholders in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, the Commonwealth have input into: • identifying R&D gaps • sharing and agreeing (where possible) on objectives • contributing to the design of a coordinated, regional approach to mitigate and manage the impacts of Long Spine Sea Urchins
Objectives: 1. Synthesise and update information on Long Spine Sea Urchins (and consider examples from other invasive species) 2. Understand gaps in the knowledge 3. Assess the benefits of current research and management activities against conservation and commercial objectives 4. Identify the steps necessary to develop a coordinated, regional approach to mitigate and manage the impacts of Long Spine Sea Urchins Read moreRead less
Seafood CRC: Enhancement Of The Pacific Oyster Selective Breeding Program
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$306,872.66
Summary
The current ASI selective breeding strategy has operated successfully since 1998 (for 6 generations). It is now apparent that there are shortcomings to this strategy and major improvement is needed if the program is to be seen as “state of the art”. This proposal addresses three major needs identified as part of FRDC project 2005/227.
Firstly, there is a need to design a program that maximises profit. Selection for traits in the current ASI breeding program cannot be based on economic ....The current ASI selective breeding strategy has operated successfully since 1998 (for 6 generations). It is now apparent that there are shortcomings to this strategy and major improvement is needed if the program is to be seen as “state of the art”. This proposal addresses three major needs identified as part of FRDC project 2005/227.
Firstly, there is a need to design a program that maximises profit. Selection for traits in the current ASI breeding program cannot be based on economic criteria because the economic values of Pacific oyster traits are unknown. There is a need to know the dollar value of current traits (growth rate, shape and uniformity) as well as the value of new traits. The program is unable to objectively select multiple traits without knowledge of economic weights. This proposal will use techniques used routinely in other industries to address this problem.
Secondly, there is a need to design a program that increases the rate of genetic gain. It has been estimated (FRDC project 2005/227) that gains per unit time could be doubled through addressing issues such as selection methodology, breeding population sizes, and the breeding cycle. This proposal will find the most cost effective alternatives for the Pacific oyster industry.
Thirdly, there is a need for specification of hatchery facilities which can accommodate the inclusion of additional breeding families and a data management system which complements systems for genetic evaluation and best mate allocation.
This project involves research and development of concepts which are entirely new to breeding programs for the Pacific oyster, or any other aquaculture industry. They are concepts which are well established in some land based industries. It is essential that these concepts are developed for aquaculture so that breeding programs can provide the best possible foundation for viable aquaculture industries.
Objectives: 1. To upgrade and refine the ASI breeding program by developing a program that maximises economic gains and identifies the relative importance of traits known to be significant for the Australian Pacific oyster industry. 2. To upgrade and refine the ASI breeding program by production of a spreadsheet to calculate the economic values of traits for Pacific oysters enabling regular updates and customization to individual regions. 3. To upgrade and refine the ASI breeding program by determining the breeding strategy that delivers the best genetic gains for the Pacific oyster industry and fits within the resources available to ASI. 4. To upgrade and refine the ASI breeding program by documenting the genetic gains possible with different oyster selective breeding strategies and the relative economic benefits of these different strategies. 5. To upgrade and refine the ASI breeding program by developing specifications for a facility to produce the required number of families. 6. To upgrade and refine the ASI breeding program by developing specifications for computer systems to support the breeding program (ie best mate allocation and genetic evaluation). 7. To upgrade and refine the ASI breeding program by updating the ASI Data base to accommodate the requirements of the revised breeding program. 8. The development of a model for data capture and processing for further development by ASI and consideration by other aquaculture sectors. 9. To update ASI's existing business plan on an annual basis, clearly outlining the future business case of ASI and detailing the copmpanies exit strategy from reliance on FRDC funding. Read moreRead less
Determining When And Where To Fish: Linking Scallop Spawning, Settlement, Size And Condition To Collaborative Spatial Harvest And Industry In-season Management Strategies
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$272,542.00
Summary
Spatially explicit harvest strategies employed in the southeast Australian commercial scallop fisheries aim to buffer against recruitment variation to increase both production and continuity between seasons. As part of these harvest strategies, biomass surveys determine areas to be opened the following season. Areas with >20% discard rate are closed to fishing, regardless of scallop quality and potential for opening during the season. Additionally, scallops in the areas opened are often unsuitab ....Spatially explicit harvest strategies employed in the southeast Australian commercial scallop fisheries aim to buffer against recruitment variation to increase both production and continuity between seasons. As part of these harvest strategies, biomass surveys determine areas to be opened the following season. Areas with >20% discard rate are closed to fishing, regardless of scallop quality and potential for opening during the season. Additionally, scallops in the areas opened are often unsuitable for harvest due to poor condition when the season opens. This means the areas are opened then rapidly closed to fishing again, causing disruption to fishing/processing businesses, and marketing problems. Delayed opening while scallops gain condition can also prevent the total catch being taken because there is a fixed, pre-determined finish date. The fixed finish dates have been established to protect settling scallop spat, which occurs between September and December following spawning between August and October. The problem with poor condition at the start of the season has arisen because scallops are increasingly reaching spawning condition between December and February. As well as potentially putting settling scallops at risk through impacts upon opening the fishery, this late development is also contributing to difficulty in providing well-conditioned scallops throughout the season. This project aims to better define timing of peak scallop spawning and hence settlement across the fisheries and work with Management and Industry to incorporate condition and a more focused use of the 20% rule into complementary management strategies to improve production and business planning. As this project will be conducted at a fishery level across all three jurisdictions, the aim is also to provide information that will allow the jurisdictions greater capacity to work together to facilitate effective management for the fishery as a whole. Objectives: 1. To better define the timing of spawning and settlement of commercial scallops across the three fisheries. 2. To better define differences in spawning potential between scallops ranging from 80 to 90 mm and gain an understanding of growth rate in this size range. 3. To define agreed operational measures of spawning condition for use in the scallop fisheries. 4. To establish season openings and closings that are more responsive to annual changes in spawning condition and timing of settlement. 5. To define an agreed use of the minimum size limit and 20% discard rule to open/close individual beds. 6. To incorporate spawning condition and a more focused use of the 20% discard rule into cooperative spatial harvest and industry in-season management strategies to enhance the operation and profitability of the fisheries. Read moreRead less
Reducing The Impact Of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins On Australian Shellfish Industries
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$135,400.00
Summary
The Problem: There are regular and sometimes prolonged closures of commercial shellfish harvesting, and more recently rock lobster wild harvest fisheries, in south eastern and eastern Tasmanian growing areas due to elevated paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) levels. This project aims to reduce the impact of PSTs on the Australian shellfish industry without compromising the safety of shellfish consumers or the integrity of the Tasmanian shellfish brand.
Tasmanian seafood species affected ....The Problem: There are regular and sometimes prolonged closures of commercial shellfish harvesting, and more recently rock lobster wild harvest fisheries, in south eastern and eastern Tasmanian growing areas due to elevated paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) levels. This project aims to reduce the impact of PSTs on the Australian shellfish industry without compromising the safety of shellfish consumers or the integrity of the Tasmanian shellfish brand.
Tasmanian seafood species affected by PSTs are varied and currently generate significant revenue for the state (see Appendix2). PSTs are a group of neurotoxins produced by some marine microalgae that accumulate in shellfish through normal filter feeding. They have potentially severe impacts on humans if PST-contaminated seafood is consumed. There are more than 30 known congeners with saxitoxin (STX) believed to be the most potent analogue and the C-toxins among the least (see Appendix3).
A PST limit of 0.8 mg/kg of saxitoxin equivalents in shellfish has been established and this has traditionally been enforced internationally using an outdated mouse bioassay (1). Analytical test methods based on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have been developed to accurately quantify levels of each PST congener (2, 3). These new tests are used for regulatory monitoring, including in Australia, through application of toxic equivalence factors (TEFs) (4). However, the TEFs used internationally are still based upon mouse bioassay data. More appropriate TEFs that are based on acute oral toxicity data are needed as these will give a more valid determination of shellfish toxicity.
Gymnodinium catenatum was introduced into Tasmanian coastal waters in the 1980s. It is a known PST-producer with a toxin profile dominated by low toxicity C-toxins, mainly C3 and C4 (see Appendix4). Although the MBA-derived TEFs for C-toxins are relatively low (5), the levels observed in Tasmanian shellfish still ensure the regulatory limit is often exceeded.
Objectives: 1. Generate a sufficient quantity of starting material that contains C3,4 from contaminated shellfish or a suitable algal species. 2. Isolate sufficiently characterised C3,4 material to enable acute oral toxicity studies to be completed. 3. Determine the acute oral toxicity of the purified C3,4 material using OECD Test Guideline 425 and based on this data derive a new TEF to be used for regulatory testing. Read moreRead less