CRC Northern Australia - Biosecurity in northern Australian prawn aquaculture

Funded Activity Summary

The threat of both endemic and exotic pathogens is now the biggest management issue the Australian prawn farming industry is facing. Although the industry has conducted biosecurity risk assessments in the past these have been either generic in regards to biosecurity pathways, or formed based on a poor understanding of what pathogens may actually be on-farm and an immediate threat (i.e largely from literature searches). Without a through knowledge of pathogens currently in the industry informed risk assessments that capture the real threats cannot be developed. Additionally, the industry has no baseline to know if emerging diseases have previously been on-farm and latent, or are newly introduced. Industry also is being impacted by unknown syndromes which are reducing hatchery seedstock production and/or growout production. There is concern within industry that there are factors / diseases impacting production and profitability that are not clearly defined, quantified or unknown. As these syndromes occur there is a need to identify what pathogens may be causing the issues so management practices can adapt to reduce their impacts.

Objectives:
1. Undertake on-farm biosecurity review
2. Identify and list the diversity of known pathogenic organisms present in Australian prawn hatcheries and farms
3. Investigate on farm emerging pathogens/biosecurity incidents
4. Produce industry-wide risk biosecurity situation report

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 28-09-2018

End Date: 30-06-2020

Funding Scheme: Funding Scheme not available

Funding Amount: $136,145.45

Funder: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

There are no FoR codes available for this funding activity

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Aquaculture | Biosecurity | Disease | Husbandry | Invasive Species

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