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R&D NewsVolume 13, Edition 3R&D beat for Sydney rockTHE Select Oyster Company P/L (SoCo) is to underpin its recent Sydney rock oyster hatchery gains through a FRDC-funded R&D project that will review current breeding objectives and assess the genetic soundness of its breeding stock. SoCo was incorporated in July 2004 by the Oyster Farmers’ Association of NSW and the NSW Farmers’ Association to increase Sydney rock oyster profitability by providing superior stock developed through hatchery technology. In its first twelve months it has worked with the NSW Department of Primary Industries, the commercial hatchery New Tech Aquaculture P/L of Hervey Bay, Queensland and nurseries run by oyster farmers to supply growers in both states with almost 18 million spat, comprising fifth generation fast-growth stock and third generation stock resistant to QX disease. SoCo Director Ray Tynan said unexpected losses at the early nursery stage indicated there was more to be learned at the hatchery-nursery interface. But with growers hoping the fast-growth line would reduce growing time by up to twelve months, the company expected demand for selectively-bred spat to increase. He said the overall objective of the two-year FRDC-funded project was development of a ten year breeding program, complete with costings that would be integrated into the company’s business plan. This will build on the gains from FRDC project 2003/209, which helped reverse a decline in the Sydney rock oyster sector by tackling the constraints to commercial hatchery and nursery production. SoCo is also upgrading its business practices and skills through a project funded by the NSW Department of State & Regional Development that will: The company is seeking expressions of interest from growers seeking selectively-bred stock this financial year. MORE: Ray Tynan, phone 02 6495 6398, FRDC invests in kids’ healthFRDC has increased its investment in the health intervention program SmartStart, an initiative to monitor and improve children’s health, fitness and diet. The Corporation says its involvement is based on growing scientific evidence of the health benefits of seafood, as outlined in its publication “What’s so healthy about seafood?” and thus supports the second of four Australian Government national research priorities – promoting and maintaining good health. Following its funding of a pilot program, the twin objectives of FRDC’s continuing involvement are to: SmartStart’s schools program began in Canberra five years ago and is scheduled to be extended nationally. So far it is restricted to measuring, reporting and monitoring physical health and fitness. It measures and records each child’s height, weight, body fat, flexibility, cardio fitness, isometric strength, strength endurance and power and coordination as a basis for tackling attitudes and behaviors related to obesity and other lifestyle diseases. SmartStart says so far it has measured more than 25,000 children, some for five consecutive years. In some schools, it says, average body fat has been reduced by more than 10 per cent within 12 months and there have been significant increases in cardiovascular fitness over two and three years. SmartStart says the nutritional component to which FRDC is contributing will increase its ability to reduce obesity and tackle other health issues such as osteoporosis and muscular, brain and nerve development. FRDC’s combined budget for its two SmartStart projects – 2003/246 and 2004/257 – is $49,000. MORE: Robert deCastella, Principal Investigator, ph 02 6260 5750; email deek@smartstart.com.au Remote sensing has potentialSATELLITE-based remote sensing systems could be used to monitor sea surface temperature and chlorophyll concentrations for aquaculture at Port Lincoln, South Australia, according to a recent review. But for other environmental services, reviewer Megan Lewis of the University of Adelaide said the option was either further research to ensure existing satellite sensors delivered images that could be interpreted correctly for South Australian conditions, or wait for the deployment of better ones. These other services included: The review was part of FRDC-funded Aquafin CRC project, ‘Development of regional environmental sustainability assessments for tuna sea-cage aquaculture’. Megan Lewis said sea surface temperature and chlorophyll distribution at Port Lincoln could be monitored every one to two days using the ocean colour sensor MODIS, which can measure sea Free, but complex She said MODIS images could be downloaded free for up to seven days from the last reading, but: turbance and useful images were limited to a maximum water depth of 10m-12m because of light absorption by the water and limited detector sensitivity MORE: Jason Tanner, phone 08 8207548; email Tanner.Jason@saugov.sa.gov.au; Megan Lewis, phone 08 8303 6522. Export course motivatesLOOK for a reptilian-barramundian leap in exports following a training course for young people run by the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). Two of the five seafood entrants who completed the week-long export market development training say they will use it as a springboard for their work in tropical aquaculture. Sally Isberg, introduced to crocodiles during university work experience seven years ago, was recently appointed Chief Scientist at Crocodile Farms (NT) Pty Ltd, Palmerston, after completing a PhD on genetic improvement of farmed saltwater croc stock. With farming relying on international demand for premium crocodile skin, she is researching the fundamentals and feasibility of creating extra value by developing medicinal products from crocodile offal for Asian traditional medicine markets. She said the greatest lesson from the DAFF course, attented by 28 people from rural industries, was that every sector faced similar problems with market development, particularly for exporting. Louise Phillips’ parents pioneered barramundi aquaculture 22 years ago and the operation now produces about 1000t a year, but their daughter completed a marketing course and worked with a fashion designer in Brisbane before returning to north Queensland to coordinate a TAFE aquaculture course and teach in fashion studies. Now she is back on the farm, combining her interest in the two subjects by working to develop a process to produce tanned barramundi skin for the fashion trade. She said for someone coming from a family company that had been researching export opportunities the DAFF course was an eye-opener, covering every aspect of export knowledge. It also had given young country people a great networking opportunity to discuss the future direction of their businesses. Further information: Anita Evans anita.evans@daff.gov.au. Other successful participants were Elizabeth Bowden, Jacynta Fong, Broome, WA (Aquaculture), Sally Isberg, Darwin, NT (Crocodile), Jonathan Taylor, Wulagi, NT (Barramundi Fishing), Louise Phillips, Mourilyan, QLD (Barramundi Aquaculture). Modelling GBR fish and fishersA FRDC-funded model that explores the effects of commercial line fishing on the Great Barrier Reef by simulating the daily activity of about 400 boats is expected to give managers new tools to protect the sustainability of important reef species. Developed collaboratively by a team from the CRC Reef Research Centre at James Cook University and the CSIRO, the model predicts the influence differing management strategies may have on the population dynamics of target species. At present it simulates the population dynamics of the main targets, coral trout and red throat emperor, but will cover others too when sufficient biological information is obtained. Fish populations from about 3,000 individual reefs, spanning the entire reef system, are modelled in monthly time steps that show size and age structures, sex change, larval recruitment and, for redthroat emperor, adult migration between reefs. Mortality from natural causes and fishing is imposed and simulations are then run to test management strategies such as area and seasonal closures, size restrictions and changes in fishing effort. To factor in boat activity, the ELFSim - effects of line-fishing simulation – model simulates, on a daily time step, the actual fishing behavior of about 400 commercial fishing boats along the entire GBR. To throw light on vessel behaviour and fish population dynamics it superimposes on a GBR map information on distances of reefs from ports, distance between reefs, size of reefs and bearings between reefs. Individual boats may be shown moving from port to reef and between reefs on a fishing trip, as may data summarising fishing effort and changes in fish populations on specific parts of the reef. MORE: Annabel Jones phone (07) 4729 8400 Refer to project 1998/131. Making Brussels the gatewayTHE European Seafood Exposition (ESE) is Europe and the world’s largest and attracts some of the biggest seafood buyers. Australian participation is now in its sixth year and each year the Australian presence has grown. The 2005 Australian pavilion was a collaboration between industry and government that gave dedicated space to individual companies that wanted it, with a further 25 per cent allocated as open space where participants could talk with potential customers. Western Australia and South Australia were more generic, with no individual company taking dedicated space. Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory also utilised this option. Unique in its set-up, the Australian pavilion offered a central point of contact for delegates. From this reception area, if you like, queries were recorded and, where possible, delegates were introduced to a relevant industry contact. This was useful both for the Australians and for European delegates unsure who they should speak to and who then could be assisted with translators when possible. The expo’s 1,530 exhibitors attracted 30,000 trade visitors from more than 160 countries – it’s hard to imagine. The exciting thing about the ESE is its increasing role as a showcase to promote Australia and its seafood industry to a global audience. Being there was an experience – walking through the exhibition halls, I was amazed at the elaborateness of some of the stands. At the Australian pavilion, buyers sought information on everything from snapper and pilchards to surimi paste. If you were promoting a product, there was a buyer there interested in it. It seemed more a case of not being able to offer the range of products to meet all requests. There was no shortage of queries from delegates who were interested in Australian seafood and how they could get more of it. Any Australian industry represented at Brussels would find it beneficial – 84 per cent of the European delegates had buying authority. Perhaps as importantly, the ESE is the meeting-point of seafood decision-makers and a springboard for seafood producers to explore new opportunities in world markets. The Australian pavilion was organised by the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC), with Austrade, on behalf of the Australian Seafood Industry Council. Much of its success was due to the dedication of WAFIC’s Richard Stevens, boosted by the support of the WA Government, the National Food Industry Strategy and the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The fishery R&D started is 40FISHERS and researchers got together in Queensland last month to celebrate a 40-year R&D partnership that spawned and sustains the northern prawn fishery (NPF). The fishery was declared a commercial prospect in 1965 after an extensive survey of prawn stocks in the south-eastern Gulf of Carpentaria, backed by government and industry. It is now among Australia’s most valuable, averaging more than $100m a year from the export of tiger and banana prawns to Asia. “The NPF is one of the few commercial fisheries that began with a scientific investigation,” said CSIRO Marine Research chief Tony Haymet. “It remains one of our most intensively-studied, with a strong scientific basis to its management, thanks to the continued collaboration of science, government and industry.” The initial two-year Gulf of Carpentaria prawn survey began in 1963 and involved the CSIRO, the Queensland Department of Primary Industry, the Queensland Department of Harbours and Marine and fishing and export company Craig Mostyn and Co. “East coast prawn fisheries were reaching their limits and the Commonwealth and Queensland governments were keen to develop the unexploited north,” Tony Haymet said. Scientists set up a field station in the remote, one-pub town of Karumba and used sea charts based on ones drawn by Matthew Flinders in the early 1800s. Initially they encountered more cyclones, crocodile hunters and pirates than prawns but, nearly a year into the survey, their persistence was rewarded with the first major haul of banana prawns. Commercial fishing began in 1966 and spread to other parts of the gulf in 1967. As well as injecting new life into the prawn sector, the survey collected a unique set of biological and environmental data in an area virtually untouched by human activities, providing a baseline for later research. MORE: Cathy Dichmont, CSIRO Marine Research, phone 07 3826 7219; email cathy.dichmont@csiro.au Movers and…Karin Schiller is the new exec officer of the Queensland Seafood Industry Association. She was formerly EO of the Clarence River Professional Fishermen’s Association in New South Wales. Her QSIA predecessor Duncan Souter has joined the staff of Australian Government Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Ian Macdonald. A changing of the guard at the Tasmanian Fishing Industry Council (TFIC): Andrew Febey takes over as CEO from Bob Lister, who has resigned. Andrew Febey was previously CEO of the MS Society of Tasmania and, before that, a state public service policy officer. Company Secretary Anne Gay, with TFIC since its inception in the mid-1980s, has also called it a day. Company secretary responsibility has been transferred to the CEO and Advertising Manager Julie Martin becomes office manager. Executive officer Ralph Mitchell leaves in September and will be replaced by a project officer, as yet unnamed. Former FRDC Executive Director Peter Dundas-Smith is the new Chair of the Aquafin CRC, replacing Peter Shelley. Donna Petrachenko has been appointed first Assistant Secretary of the Marine Division in Department of Environment and Heritage. Andrew McNee has left Australian Fisheries Management Authority to head Marine Environment Division at Department of Environment and Heritage. Changes in the Skretting-Nutreco camp: Skretting Managing Director Craig Foster has relinquished his position to become MD of the new joint venture Marine Harvest, following a split of Nutreco’s Australian business and the sale of its barramundi enterprise to Marine Harvest. Skretting’s business manager James Rose has been promoted to Managing Director of the new Skretting Australia. Former Executive Director of Food South Australia, Susan Nelle, succeeds Richard Brooks as Managing Director of the the National Food Industry Strategy. Sally Troy, formerly Director of Science Planning with the National Oceans Office in Hobart, is now with the Department of the Environment and Heritage in Canberra, helping set up a new environmental research group. Emma Campbell has taken over as acting director in Hobart. MOVERS we’ve missed? Up-to-date info please to Tara Ryan at comms@frdc.com.au, phone 02 6285 0415
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Last Updated: March 28 2007 13:43:41