R&D News : Fisheries Research and Development Corporation FRDC

Welcome to my first editorial as Executive Director of FRDC. The past two months have been very exciting for me personally as I have received enormous support from all sectors of the fishing industry.

This means a lot for the FRDC and me personally, as the message I have been receiving is that you are supportive of FRDC, respect FRDC for its governance processes and project management, and its leadership on national issues.

Even with all this wonderful support, I am also aware of the comments that the FRDC still needs to do more. We need to listen, build strong relationships and be more responsive to all sectors… And this is exactly what we intend to do.

We commissioned the market research firm IPSOS (formerly TQA Research) to undertake a stakeholder survey to find out what you think about this publication, how we communicate and also get your views on FRDC. We will of course report on the findings of the research once it is finished.

In addition all the staff (me included) have been out visiting stakeholders, speaking to them about how you think we can improve the way we do business.

The input we have received so far has been timely, as we are putting the final touches on the FRDC’s next five year R&D plan. This plan will be the first step in ensuring that FRDC continues to deliver value for money and be known for delivering solutions that meet your needs, whether opportunities or challenges.

The FRDC Board has already started on this path… investing in several initiatives that have been identified and requested. These include:

You will see later in this issue of R&D News the deadline for submission of funding applications has been brought forward to November 1. This is another example of the FRDC making changes that will improve how we do business with our partners.

We as an organisation need to become more relevant to our partners. For every dollar FRDC invests, up to a further $1.80 is invested by our partners. The majority of this leverage comes from the research partner and from industry contributions. Therefore it is important that FRDC develop stronger partnerships so that our investments reflect this shared investment and ultimately lead to our planned outcomes and future vision.

I encourage you to continue to provide us with feedback. If you have not filled in the R&D News survey attached to the previous issue I urge you to do so. If you have any other thoughts on how FRDC can improve, we are listening – drop us a line (frdc@frdc.com.au). We look forward to meeting you on our future visits and hearing your views.

STOP PRESS: Deadlines extended

Peter Dundas-Smith leadership scholarship deadline has been extended. See FRDC website for further details.

Thanks for your responses so far. For those that have not returned the survey, the deadline has been extended and we would like to hear your thoughts, so please send them in.

R&D to target profitability and sustainability

Future fisheries R&D should concentrate on developing sustainable and profitable fisheries and aquaculture according to Australian Government Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald.

Addressing the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation’s Strategic Planning Workshop in Canberra, Fisheries and Conservation Minister Senator Ian Macdonald said the future of fisheries R&D was to focus on people development, improving the marketing and promotion of Australian seafood, and increasing the profitability of the industry.

“Everyone in the industry knows that Australian seafood is the cleanest and greenest in the world; now we need domestic and overseas consumers to heed this message as well,” Senator Macdonald said.

“It is up to the industry to work with Government to best decide how to improve production and promotion in the years ahead.

“The fishing industry continues to progress; however, we cannot be complacent, and we need to address new and emerging issues to remain profitable.”

The Minister pointed out the considerable opportunities that Australia’s fisheries offered. This included the growing value of recreational fisheries and its importance for tourism.

Participants at the meeting discussed the need to ensure ongoing investment in science that underpins sustainability. This would require investment in alternative management frameworks that minimized risk, increased co-management and addressed broader ecosystem and habitat processes.

Sustaining businesses was seen as the theme. That is not only the business of professional fishing and aquaculture but also the recreational and indigenous sectors.

Samson fish spring a surprise

RECREATIONAL fishers and scientists in Western Australia have worked together to catch and tag almost 2500 samson fish in spawning aggregations off Rottnest Island.

The three-week exercise involving more than 270 anglers and researchers from WA Fisheries, Murdoch University, Curtin University and the University of Western Australia was rated a significant success, despite unusually rough summer weather at the aggregation sites, about 20 nautical miles from Fremantle.

“Anyone who has caught one of these well-named critters will appreciate the effort in getting this many tagged, particularly given the lumpy seas and strong winds and the distances many participants had to travel in relatively small recreational boats,” said WA Fisheries’ Mike Mackie.

Samson fish grow to 50kg and are targeted by both commercial and recreational fishers. They were selected as the first species for a broader FRDC-funded study of monitoring and other management measures needed to protect spawning aggregations in WA’s West Coast Bio-region.

The major samson fish objective is to gather information on their biology and ecology and establish monitoring methods and sport-fishery protocols. Video, acoustic and other sampling methods developed on the samson fish schools will also be used to research more vulnerable species that aggregate to spawn, such as dhufish and snapper.

Preparation for the tagging was thorough. Prospective recreational participants were informed well in advance through electronic newsletters and other media of the aims of the exercise and given details of insurance, tagging kits, data recording procedures and safety requirements.

This was followed by evening and weekend workshops with jigging and tagging demonstrations under the theme – do it right or not at all.

Volunteer taggers were required to have attended at least one workshop and tagged one of the samon fish provided there. Data sheets specified the best practice capture, handling and release methods to be used.

More than 160 people attended the final workshop on January 8, the day before the start – and the last day of fine weather for a fortnight. Thirty-eight boats took part, with project supporters providing rewards for biggest fish, most recaptures and good fishing practices.

On shore, volunteer liasion officers coordinated fishers and taggers with boats and distributed tags and tagging kits then, when fishing began, helped with data entry to get results to the crews as soon as possible.

With the human element throughly marshalled it was perhaps inevitable that it would be the samson fish that ignored the script.

“We’d hoped to estimate aggregating numbers from the recapture rate of tagged fish and indeed by the second week recaptures were occuring steadily and showed fish were moving between the three aggregations,” said Mike Mackie.

But then recaptures almost stopped and overall catch rates dropped abruptly in the study area and beyond.

“They were moving away from the aggregations. Recent recaptures show some of those tagged travelled more than 900km in less than four weeks.”

Possible explanations for the drop in catches and the earlier than usual dispersal of aggregating fish ranged from a stronger than normal current, driven by persistent southerly winds; to a military presence – the fishing went from good to bad after a navy surface ship and submarine passed nearby. When all the data has been assessed a further workshop will be held to gather fishers’ views of the tagging results and associated acoustic and video surveys.

Organisers and volunteers will also discuss a second recapture exercise to be held next summer, with additional tagging north and south of the aggregations, to throw further light on samson fish behaviour and the measures needed to protect them when they spawn.

MORE: Mike Mackie, email mmackie@fish.wa.gov.au. Video footage and catch-and-release best practice at www.frdc.com.au.

Our exports hit 7 year low

The value of Australia’s fish exports fell by 10 per cent in the year to June 2004, according to estimates by the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics (ABARE).

This in turn reduced ABARE’s estimate of the gross value of national fisheries production by five per cent to $2.2 billion, despite an increase of five per cent in landed volume.

It was the worst export result for seven years, as seafood producers continued to bear the brunt of sluggish markets and a strong Australian dollar.

In 2003-04 the dollar rose 22 per cent against the United States dollar and 13 per cent against the Japanese yen – doubling the increases recorded against these currencies in the previous year.

Wild fisheries again took the hardest hit, with gross value down an estimated 9.7 per cent on 2002-03 and down 16 percent on 2001-02.

Rock lobster continued to be the most valuable Australian fisheries product despite export returns falling $37m to an estimated $427m. Other products such as tuna (down $48m to $273m) and prawns (down $47m to $161m) also fell. Abalone reversed this trend, rising $22m to $238m.

Aquaculture’s value also fell marginally to $731m ($734m previously), despite an overall rise in production. The fall was led by the drop in export returns for farmed tuna. Nevertheless, aquaculture increased its share of total fisheries value to 33 per cent.

Despite the gross value of production falling in six jurisdictions two – Queensland and Northern Territory bucked the trend. Queensland’s combined wild catch and aquaculture value was up $6m to $294m and the Northern Territory’s rose $5m to $59m.

Likewise some sectors such as prawns, abalone and a number of finfish (including barramundi) have maintained their value despite the poor economic conditions.

Seafood imports fell from $950m to an estimated $904m and the value of fishmeal imported fell almost 29 per cent to $19.3m.

In addition to the commercial production figures readers have come to expect in the Australian Fisheries Statistics the 2003-04 edition contains figures on employment in the commercial fishing industry and a new section on the recreational fishing sector.

A pdf version of the full FRDC-funded statistics is available at www.frdc.com.au

Women leading the way in ‘05

TWO fishing industry women have been recognised in this year’s rural women awards – Dianah Mieglich of Napperly and Amanda Way of Clearwater.

Dianah Mieglich of Napperly, near Port Pirie, South Australia, won a FRDC-sponsored scholarship to attend an Australian Institute of Company Directors course, followed by 12-months’ mentoring. Part of a family prawn fishing operation, she also is chair of the South Australian Women’s Industry Network Seafood Community.

Dianah has been involved in the Seafood Industry for approximately 5 years. Primarily, as a fisher’s wife who has taken a keen interest in the South Australian Fishing Industry, in particular the Spencer Gulf & West Coast Prawn Fishery.

“The relationships formed during the duration of the residential program and the networks that have been developed and grown are going to be useful both for me personally and for my industry”

Since 2002, Dianah has steadily been following a path to become an industry leader. She was selected to participate in, and successfully completed, the South Australian Seafood Industry Leadership Development Program. The industry project Dianah undertook during this program was the development of an education package for primary school aged children focusing awareness on the SA Prawn Industry and SA Seafood as a whole.

In 2002 Dianah also became a member of SA Womens Industry Network (SAWIN); “inspired and motivated by some amazing fishing women”. Dianah received sponsorship by the Chair and Patron of SAWIN to attend the Seafood Directions Conference – Beyond Sustainability and the WINSC conference in Perth in September 2003.

During 2003 Dianah participated on the Spencer Gulf & West Coast Prawn Fishermen’s Association Promotion and Marketing sub-committee and recently left this role to take up being the President/Chair of SAWIN.

Following on from successfully completing the SA leadership course Dianah undertook the FRDC funded Advance-In National Seafood Leadership Development Program along with 11 other industry members all with aspirations of contributing to the industry. In September 2004 she graduated from the 6 month program in Canberra.

Speaking at the inaugural AWiA & WINSC combined conference in Hahndorf in September last year, Dianah said that she recognised and acknowledged the difficulties women face with balancing family and industry commitments.

In February 2005 Dianah was selected by the FRDC as their candidate for the Industry Partnerships – Corporate Governance for Rural Women initiative.

Following completion of the Company Directors Course, Dianah will spend the next twelve months working with her mentor to build on the skills acquired and look for opportunities to broaden her horizons.

Amanda shows fishers the way

UNTIL rock lobster prices crashed in the aftermath of the 2003 SARS and terrorism scares, Amanda Way left selling the family catch to husband Kent – the co-owner and operator of their Clearwater Fisheries’ boat.

But as export markets failed to recover in 2004 and profitability evaporated, she began selling direct from the boat at the Tasmanian port of Margate, south
of Hobart.

Suddenly, Tasmanians who regarded commercially caught rock lobster as unaffordable at $40 or more a kilogram were able to buy a whole fish, live – and get change from a $20 note.

Many in the local D’Entrecasteaux Channel community knew precisely how to prepare live lobsters and responded accordingly. Those who didn’t were soon able to buy them cooked as Amanda Way helped other Margate fishing families follow her lead, after the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries changed its regulations governing direct sales to allow fishers state-wide to sell their catch live or cooked from the boat.

Profits may have been small to non-existent, but at least there was cash-flow to pay for food, fuel and bait – and keep the banks at bay.

So when she was named Tasmania’s Rural Woman of the Year, she had clear plans for the $15,000 bursary attached to the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation award.

Her search will take her to Western Australia and to New Zealand, to talk to Ngai Tahu Seafood which won a European award for presentation of the southern rock lobster fished on both sides of the Tasman.

Her personal goal is to help develop a viable domestic market for what she regards as the world’s best rock lobster, ending almost total reliance on a poorly understood and frequently illegal trade to China.

“We need to market ourselves better and educate the consumers – and the eastern Australian supermarkets that sell western red rock lobster in preference to
our product.”

“The major financial and personal commitment to the industry comes from fishing families like ours, yet we have always regarded marketing as someone else’s business.

“That’s how all our eggs have ended up in the basket bound for China. It’s why it’s our businesses that are in jeopardy, not the businesses of fish buyers who quite legitimately create a profit margin at our expense regardless of the export price.

“It’s ridiculous that a quota fishery presenting the absolute best rock lobster to a world short of premium seafood allows itself to remain a price-taker.

Pale, puny RL now big reds

UNDERSIZE rock lobsters moved from deep to shallow water in Tasmania have grown and changed colour quickly, raising hopes of eventual commercial dividends.

In April last year 1220 male and females from depths of 80m to 90m were transferred to a site 10m to 20m deep off Stanley by the Tasmanian Rock Lobster Fishermen’s Association (TRLFA) and the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute (TAFI).

By January this year all lobsters caught in a sampling survey had changed from white and brindle to a uniform rich maroon. Almost half had reached legal size within 300 days, with one male growing from 88mm to 114mm, carapace measurement, in 301 days.

TAFI researchers said in their original location they would have taken more than three years to reach legal size of 105mm for females and 110mm for males, pointing to an increase of more than 50 per cent in marketable biomass over that time.

They said faster growth also reduced predation and other losses, allowing up to 25 per cent more lobsters to reach legal size.

Telling kids our seafood story

TEACHERS in schools across Tasmania and Western Australia now have facts on the fishing industry at their fingertips following the distribution of more copies of the award-winning The Story of Seafood and its complementary teacher resource kit.

The resource kits were donated by the Tasmanian Aquaculture Council and the WA Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC).

They provide a term’s work on the seafood industry for teachers, with suggested activities for seven of eight key learning areas, comprehensive background information, answers and extra activities, all linked to national educational outome profiles. The kits also give teachers the flexibility to use the seafood story across all subject areas, including maths.

TFIC has bundled them with The Story of Seafood and two FRDC publications, What’s so healthy about seafood? and From Antarctica to the tropics: a snapshot of the Australian fishing industry.

Distribution lists have included Tasmania’s distance education service (a new school on Cape Barren Island in Bass Stait whose six pupils are visited twice weekly by teachers from Flinders Island) and WA’s Abrolhos Islands.

The Story of Seafood, written by Catriona Nicholls, was developed through FRDC project 2001/311 and has been direct-marketed to all primary schools, backed by donations by industry bodies such as the Tasmanian Fishing Industry Council and WAFIC, which have distributed more than 300 copies so far.

Publisher the Kondinin Group is now developing a coordinated marketing strategy to make sure every school has access to the book and its resource kit – see Final reports in this issue – and FRDC Communications Manager Peter Horvat urges other peak bodies to follow the lead of TFIC and WAFIC in putting kits in schools.

Kondinin, meanwhile, has celebrated its 50th anniversary with CEO William Ryan setting the goal of becoming the first port of call for all primary producers when they need information, advice, training or industry support.

MORE: Ralph Mitchell, TFIC, phone 03 6224 2332; Kondinin Group, phone 1800 677 761; www.kondinin.com.au

Grant to show benefit flow

UNIVERSITY of Tasmania aquaculture graduate James Burke is working on a major oyster breeding project with the help of an Australian Government innovation grant.

The $100,000 R&D Start Graduate grant has allowed Australian Seafood Industries, a company owned by the Tasmanian and South Australian oyster sectors, to employ him to work in collaboration with the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute (TAFI).

James Burke’s project seeks to determine the economic cost benefits of farming selectively bred Pacific oysters.

He will work full time with ASI for the next two years completing the R&D project Advancement of Breeding Technology in the Australian Pacific Oyster Industry, following three commercial lines produced this season through to market and collecting information from Tasmanian and South Australian growers. His results will be analysed with help from TAFI.

“ASI has completed a theoretical cost-benefit analysis for oyster farmers that shows savings in production costs of $20,000 per million thoroughbred oysters produced,” said General
Manager Scott Parkinson. “These savings are from increased production rates, more uniform batches of oysters, higher meat to shell ratios, higher survival and increased growth rates.”

He said the company’s estimates had been conservative and with selective breeding concentrating on meat-to-shell ratios, shape and survival rates, the actual savings James Burke will help document may be considerably higher.

The grants program that has made James Burke’s involvement possible allows Australian companies with less than $50m annual turnover to employ a graduate on a specific R&D project.

MORE: Scott Parkinson, phone 0417 965 405; email scottasi@bigpond.net.au; James Burke, email jamesasi@bigpond.net.au. Graduate grants information: ph 13 28 46; www.ausindustry.gov.au.

ASFB to meet in Darwin

THE Australian Society for Fish Biology (ASFB) five-day annual workshop and conference will be held in Darwin in July with FRDC sponsorship.

Under the theme Monitoring fish stocks and aquatic ecosystems the workshop will review:

ASFB says the workshop and conference, beginning on July 11, will be led by internationally-known keynote speakers and will be followed by Darwin’s second annual seafood festival.

BRS says 23% are over-fished

AN independent assessment of Commonwealth-managed fisheries says 23 per cent of species surveyed are over-fished.

The Bureau of Rural Sciences (BRS) finding is based on 2003 stock assessments, which it says is the latest available.

BRS says of 74 species assessed, 17 were over-fished. Nine are in fisheries managed by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), which says it has acted to help them recover.

“Much is being done to ensure the long-term survival of all fish species and the fishing communities that depend on them,” said Australian Government Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald.

AFMA has put in place management changes to help bring about the recovery of those species classed as overfished. These measures include a decision late last year to reduce catch limits for several species to allow stocks to be fished at a sustainable level or to recover from past fishing pressure. Examples of steps taken include:

One of the success stories highlighted by the BRS report is that the Brown Tiger Prawn stock in the Northern Prawn Fishery that was classed as over-fished last year has recovered sufficiently to be taken off the danger list.

It is also important to note that the BRS report while a vital part of ensuring healthy, productive and profitable fisheries for future generations, it is not the only assessment fisheries undergo. All Commonwealth Fisheries are also subject to assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. A majority of these have now been assessed and given interim approval for export.

Sydney rock oyster trial run

QUEENSLAND’s New Tech Aquaculture intends to produce a trial run of up to two million Sydney rock oyster spat from genetically improved broodstock owned by the New South Wales Select Oyster Company (SoCo).

New Tech, at Hervey Bay, is the first commercial hatchery to consistently produce Sydney rock oyster spat in commercial quantities and this ability has generated fresh hope among struggling NSW growers.

The sixth generation SoCo broodstock being used have been developed primarily for faster growth. SoCo has found a buyer for 800,000 spat should the run succeed and says it is greatly encouraged by New Tech’s initiative.

The NSW oyster industry for many years has set its R&D contributions to FRDC at the maximum level the Australian Government will match and SoCo currently is seeking R&D funding for an expert assessment of its genetically selected stock and compilation of a new breeding plan.

Sydney rock oysters are now grown commercially as far north as Hervey Bay, 300km north of Brisbane and about 15 per cent of New Tech’s hatchery production last year was sold to Queensland growers.

Looking both ways for quality

SNAPPER landed at Coffs Harbour looks like becoming the first fish to be marketed in Australia under a scientifically-based quality index for fresh seafood.

This quality assessment initiative, being developed as a pilot program by the Sydney Fish Market in FRDC project 2003/237, has so far seen indexes compiled by scientists for seven species, including snapper, goldband snapper, tiger flathead, farmed tiger prawns and Atlantic salmon.

For its first practical test through the supply chain, the Coffs Harbour Fishermen’s Cooperative will use the index to assess and supply snapper to the Sydney Fish Market.

“Introduced as a reference point at first landing, the index will give the co-op the ability to look forward and backward in terms of product quality and shelf life,” said Principal Investigator Mark Boulter, the fish market’s Quality Assurance Manager.

“The co-op will know the date of each individual catch and, based on its condition off the boat, will be able to assess what remains of its optimum shelf life on ice, as specified in the index.

“It and other processors and wholesalers who adopt the index will then be able to make informed decisions about what to do next, using index criteria that will be uniformly understood through the chain, from farmer or catcher to chef or retailer.

“They will also be able to quickly identify the quality performance of every individual farmer and catcher and make sure that those who aren’t up to scratch improve their performance.”

Mark Boulter said the Sydney Fish Market would make a cost-benefit analysis once it received its first commercial run of indexed snapper.

He said bench-testing of the index by the market’s QA staff and chefs to identify strengths and weaknesses had revealed a need for more training among seafood professionals.

Ultimately, he envisaged this being done at a local level Australia-wide, following a ‘train-the-trainer’ program.

An initial industry workshop directed by seafood technologist Alan Bremner has been held in Western Australia, along with a preliminary exercise with a processing company.

A second workshop is planned mid-year for Darwin, followed by a third in association with Seafood Directions in Sydney in September.

“Our goal is to present positive results in Sydney and sign on more processors and wholesalers,” Mark Boulter said.

“Whether that happens depends largely on industry reaction in the meantime – there is some resistance to an index scheme that everyone can understand and apply, not just the seafood professionals whose expertise has been hard-earned.”

Among those looking forward to a successful outcome are the organisers of a national seafood industry marketing campaign being developed by the National Aquaculture Council and the Australian Seafood Industry Council.

“An index scheme has the potential to increase buyer confidence in Australia and overseas,” said NAC Chief Executive Simon Bennison.

In Europe a quality index method is widely used in electronic auctions and other seafood transactions and is the preferred sensory assessment reference in fish research laboratories.

Market name policy challenged

AUSTRALIA’S barramundi producers want growers outside the country to use another
marketing name.

“Barramundi is iconic to Australia and Australia needs to protect its iconic images,” said Australian Barramundi Farmers Association President Craig Foster.

However this move is inconsistent with industry policy on uniform marketing names, which is guided by the Fish Names Committee.

In line with Codex and other international agreements, the committee operates on the principle of one common name per species and says that, genetically, barramundi grown overseas is indistinguishable from the Australian product.

“Barramundi is iconic to Australia and Australia needs to protect its iconic images”

The Australian Seafood Handbook (Imported species) describes barramundi as one of Asia’s most important freshwater fishes, but says two or more species probably exist across its range.

Nevertheless it applies the marketing name barramundi to imports without exception.

Craig Foster believes about half the barramundi sold in Australia now comes from Vietnam and Thailand.

“They don’t call it barramundi there – but they do when they land in Australia,” he said, suggesting the generic name sea bass for the fish when it is farmed outside Australia.

This issue is one of many that highlights the complexity in ensuring Australia’s seafood has a rigorous process for market names that benefits consumers and producers.

MORE: Craig Foster, phone 0419 322 584; Alan Snow, Fish Names Committee, phone 1300 130 321; email Alansnow@seafoodservices.com.au.

Barramundi farm QA standard

QUALITY assurance standards have been set for farmed barramundi covering size, grading, condition, flavour, packing and labelling of fresh whole fish. They were developed by the Australian Barramundi Farmers Association over four years with FRDC funding.

“Some media reports suggest that southern diners think barramundi can taste too fishy. These quality standards will remove that perception,” said Australian Government Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald.

“Consumers can now be guaranteed standards ranging from size to flavour,” he said.

GBRMPA’s McCook a Pew fellow

GREAT Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority scientist Laurence McCook has been awarded a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation.

The United States’ Pew Institute for Ocean Science in Miami, Florida, invites 50 leaders in marine science and conservation to apply for a $US150,000 fellowship to conduct a three-year conservation project.

Laurence McCook, GBRMPA’s Manager of Research and Monitoring Coordination, was one of only five successful invitees and the only Australian.

He will use the fellowship to increase his expertise in coral reef degradation and explore how managers can support reef resilience in the face of climate change, the main cause of mass bleaching of corals.

Ellen Pikitch, Executive Director of the Pew Institute, described the five 2005 Pew fellows as remarkable individuals.

“They join a network that has been 15 years in the making. These are true heroes of the sea, dedicated to conserving and restoring the largest and most biologically rich place on earth,” she said.

DEH absorbs Oceans Office

THE National Oceans Office is now part of the Australian Government’s Department of Environment and Heritage.

Previously it was a stand-alone executive agency reporting to a board of ministers, including Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald.

In response to administrative changes ordered by the Prime Minister after the 2004 federal election it has become part of a new DEH marine division, which is headed by former Oceans Office Director Max Kitchell.

The Oceans Office itself is headed by Ian Cresswell. In addition to the Oceans Office, the departmental marine division will comprise DEH’s Marine Environment Policy Branch, which includes the Marine Protected Area Task Force; a Marine and Migratory Species Section and a Sustainable Fisheries Section.

Max Kitchell said the Oceans Office itself would
remain in Hobart and retain a whole-of-government function within DEH.

In a counter move, Biosecurity Australia has been set up as a stand-alone agency within the agriculture, fisheries and forestry portfolio to underline its independence and financial autonomy. The change would demonstrate the agency’s ability to ensure that quarantine policy would always be based on sound science, said Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Warren Truss.

Biosecurity Australia will deliver quarantine policy assessments and recommendations to Joanna Hewitt, the recently-appointed Director of Animal and Plant Quarantine; and will manage the work of import risk analysis teams already underway

“In line with our elecion commitments Biosecurity Australia will review and reissue all import risk analyses currently in progress for further public comment,” Warren Truss said.

R&D News

Volume 13, Edition 2

ED’s Editorial - We’re listening to you