74,283 results
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-132
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

NCCP: Impact Costs of Carp & Expected Benefits and Costs Associated with Carp Control in the Murray Darling Basin

This project, undertaken by Agtrans Research in association with Environmental and Resource Economics (ERE) and Gillespie Economics, investigated the current and future impact costs of European Carp in Australian waterways, particularly the Murray Darling Basin (MDB), and the costs and benefits of...
ORGANISATION:
Agtrans Research
People
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-129
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Recfishing Research Subprogram: Travel bursaries for attendance at the 8th World Recreational Fisheries Conference - Vancouver Canada 2017

The 8th World Recreational Fishing Conference, held in Vancouver Canada in July 2017 was seen as an opportunity to build on previous educational and leadership opportunities associated with the 5th and 7th conferences, and to hopefully develop a new tranche of young leaders for the recreational...
ORGANISATION:
Curtin University
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-128
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Human Dimensions Research Subprogram management

A National RD&E Workshop was held on 21 September 2018 in Adelaide, South Australia, in which representatives of industry, research, management, and service providers addressed how to make a positive difference to the mental health of people in fisheries and aquaculture. The impetus for the...
ORGANISATION:
University of Tasmania
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-121
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Workshop to implement a National Approach to Australian Salmon Market Development and Supply

Australian Salmon fishers, seafood processors and traders in the hospitality, retail and export markets have committed to work together to improve the profile of this undervalued fish species. Participants at the first national Australian Salmon workshop held in Melbourne in February 2019...
ORGANISATION:
Curtin University

Using scat DNA to inform sustainable fisheries management and Ecological Risk Assessments: a Shy Albatross case study

Project number: 2016-118
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $96,500.00
Principal Investigator: Rachael Alderman
Organisation: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE TAS)
Project start/end date: 26 Oct 2017 - 17 Mar 2019
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Due to the biases and unethical sampling methods conventionally used to collect dietary data, the most recent data for shy albatross is over 20 years old (Hedd et al 2001). A recent international review of albatross diets highlighted the need to 1) incorporate appropriate dietary studies as an integral component of species recovery and management plans, and 2) elevate the importance of dietary studies in long term monitoring plans to link observed demographic parameters to ecological drivers (McInnes et al 2016a). With changing environmental conditions and improvements to mitigation measures used by fisheries, it is important to monitor how TEP species may adapt to these changes. Current, reliable diet information will allow risk assessment tools such as trophic models to be developed and provide a baseline of diet information in which we can test what drives any dietary shifts in TEPs. There is also paucity in information about if and when seabird-fishery engagements occur. This was raised at the AFMA Seabird Workshop in late 2016. Quantification of albatross engagements with vessels would assist with the development of the Seabird Strategy for Commonwealth fisheries to ensure fisheries are managed sustainably.

This project seeks to apply new high-resolution DNA-based diet-analysis (DNA metabarcoding) to characterise the diet of shy albatross, including intra- and inter-annual variability. This trophic information, in combination with existing fine-scale tracking data, will contribute valuable information to assist in fisheries management and ecological risk assessment processes. Specifically, this information will enable us to: i) estimate the range of prey species consumed by shy albatross, (ii) develop trophic models to estimate the relative resource requirements of shy albatross, (iii) evaluate intra-and inter-annual level of engagement of shy albatross with fisheries, (iv) provide baseline data for evaluating efficacy of fisheries management changes, (v) provide a demonstration of the applicability of this technique to other TEP species and regions.

Objectives

1. Develop a South East Australian marine prey DNA database
2. Characterise of the range of prey species consumed by shy albatrosses to high taxonomic resolution (species or genus where possible) and the relative frequency of occurrence of each taxa within the diet.
3. Assess the extent to which the shy albatross engage with fisheries by quantifying the frequency of target, secondary and bycaught species in the diet
4. Assess the spatial and temporal variability of both objectives 2 and 3

Final report

Authors: McInnes J.C Tuck G.N. and Alderman R.
Final Report • 2019-01-01 • 6.07 MB
2016-118-DLD.pdf

Summary

Seabirds are attracted to fishing vessels through the availability of fishery discards, increasing the risk of injury or mortality from interactions with fishing gear. However, it is difficult to estimate what proportion of the population may be at risk. We use DNA metabarcoding of scats to characterise the intra- and inter-annual variability in the diet of Shy Albatross at Albatross Island, and combine this dietary data with foraging range estimates to examine spatial overlaps and species overlaps between albatross and fisheries in the region. Shy Albatross diet consisted predominantly of fish (93% of samples) and cephalopods (38% of samples), with 84 fish and 11 cephalopod species detected. The majority of food was sourced naturally, however, at least 13% of the population overall is sourcing food from fisheries, with up to 29% during some breeding stages. There were spatial overlaps between Shy Albatross and six Commonwealth managed fisheries operating in South-East Australia and two Tasmanian managed fisheries. There was considerable intra-annual variation in the level of engagement with the Commonwealth fishery, but little inter-annual variability. Blue Grenadier, Ling and Warehou sp. were the main Commonwealth managed fishery discard species consumed. This study highlights that fisheries still pose a risk for Shy Albatross in Australian waters. As the majority of albatross food is sourced naturally, it shows that albatross are unlikely to be reliant on discards, therefore a reduction in discard availability would benefit shy albatross populations and improve the sustainability of fisheries in the region. DNA dietary analysis in conjunction with spatial foraging data provides a valuable tool to assess the proportion of a population at risk from fishing operations.
Final Report • 2019-01-01 • 6.07 MB
2016-118-DLD.pdf

Summary

Seabirds are attracted to fishing vessels through the availability of fishery discards, increasing the risk of injury or mortality from interactions with fishing gear. However, it is difficult to estimate what proportion of the population may be at risk. We use DNA metabarcoding of scats to characterise the intra- and inter-annual variability in the diet of Shy Albatross at Albatross Island, and combine this dietary data with foraging range estimates to examine spatial overlaps and species overlaps between albatross and fisheries in the region. Shy Albatross diet consisted predominantly of fish (93% of samples) and cephalopods (38% of samples), with 84 fish and 11 cephalopod species detected. The majority of food was sourced naturally, however, at least 13% of the population overall is sourcing food from fisheries, with up to 29% during some breeding stages. There were spatial overlaps between Shy Albatross and six Commonwealth managed fisheries operating in South-East Australia and two Tasmanian managed fisheries. There was considerable intra-annual variation in the level of engagement with the Commonwealth fishery, but little inter-annual variability. Blue Grenadier, Ling and Warehou sp. were the main Commonwealth managed fishery discard species consumed. This study highlights that fisheries still pose a risk for Shy Albatross in Australian waters. As the majority of albatross food is sourced naturally, it shows that albatross are unlikely to be reliant on discards, therefore a reduction in discard availability would benefit shy albatross populations and improve the sustainability of fisheries in the region. DNA dietary analysis in conjunction with spatial foraging data provides a valuable tool to assess the proportion of a population at risk from fishing operations.
Final Report • 2019-01-01 • 6.07 MB
2016-118-DLD.pdf

Summary

Seabirds are attracted to fishing vessels through the availability of fishery discards, increasing the risk of injury or mortality from interactions with fishing gear. However, it is difficult to estimate what proportion of the population may be at risk. We use DNA metabarcoding of scats to characterise the intra- and inter-annual variability in the diet of Shy Albatross at Albatross Island, and combine this dietary data with foraging range estimates to examine spatial overlaps and species overlaps between albatross and fisheries in the region. Shy Albatross diet consisted predominantly of fish (93% of samples) and cephalopods (38% of samples), with 84 fish and 11 cephalopod species detected. The majority of food was sourced naturally, however, at least 13% of the population overall is sourcing food from fisheries, with up to 29% during some breeding stages. There were spatial overlaps between Shy Albatross and six Commonwealth managed fisheries operating in South-East Australia and two Tasmanian managed fisheries. There was considerable intra-annual variation in the level of engagement with the Commonwealth fishery, but little inter-annual variability. Blue Grenadier, Ling and Warehou sp. were the main Commonwealth managed fishery discard species consumed. This study highlights that fisheries still pose a risk for Shy Albatross in Australian waters. As the majority of albatross food is sourced naturally, it shows that albatross are unlikely to be reliant on discards, therefore a reduction in discard availability would benefit shy albatross populations and improve the sustainability of fisheries in the region. DNA dietary analysis in conjunction with spatial foraging data provides a valuable tool to assess the proportion of a population at risk from fishing operations.
Final Report • 2019-01-01 • 6.07 MB
2016-118-DLD.pdf

Summary

Seabirds are attracted to fishing vessels through the availability of fishery discards, increasing the risk of injury or mortality from interactions with fishing gear. However, it is difficult to estimate what proportion of the population may be at risk. We use DNA metabarcoding of scats to characterise the intra- and inter-annual variability in the diet of Shy Albatross at Albatross Island, and combine this dietary data with foraging range estimates to examine spatial overlaps and species overlaps between albatross and fisheries in the region. Shy Albatross diet consisted predominantly of fish (93% of samples) and cephalopods (38% of samples), with 84 fish and 11 cephalopod species detected. The majority of food was sourced naturally, however, at least 13% of the population overall is sourcing food from fisheries, with up to 29% during some breeding stages. There were spatial overlaps between Shy Albatross and six Commonwealth managed fisheries operating in South-East Australia and two Tasmanian managed fisheries. There was considerable intra-annual variation in the level of engagement with the Commonwealth fishery, but little inter-annual variability. Blue Grenadier, Ling and Warehou sp. were the main Commonwealth managed fishery discard species consumed. This study highlights that fisheries still pose a risk for Shy Albatross in Australian waters. As the majority of albatross food is sourced naturally, it shows that albatross are unlikely to be reliant on discards, therefore a reduction in discard availability would benefit shy albatross populations and improve the sustainability of fisheries in the region. DNA dietary analysis in conjunction with spatial foraging data provides a valuable tool to assess the proportion of a population at risk from fishing operations.

NEAO: addressing current health issues confronting warm water culture of yellowtail kingfish

Project number: 2016-117
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $159,000.00
Principal Investigator: Gavin J. Partridge
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Fremantle
Project start/end date: 30 Jun 2017 - 30 Dec 2018
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Yellowtail kingfish (YTK) farming is identified nationally as the greatest opportunity for new aquaculture development in the next few decades through substantial increases in farmed area. This will deliver substantial increase in product to market, and increased use of locally produced aqua feeds, resulting in growth in regional economies and employment. Within 10 years, YTK production is expected to increase by 34,000 tonnes, worth $440 million, and using 68,000 tonnes of aqua feed worth $136 million.

The culture of this species in warm water has many advantages, yet creates some unique challenges. Managing flukes in the warm water environment is currently a major cost burden on the YTK industry because the life cycle duration of the monogenean parasites is more rapid, therefore requiring more frequent bathing. Moreover, the standard management practice of bathing in hydrogen peroxide carries a greater risk in warm water and must therefore be optimised and more carefully managed. Whilst we are aware that some research has been conducted previously on peroxide optimisation for YTK, this information has not been made available to WA YTK farmers and has had a significant financial impact on the fledgling WA industry.

Bacterial diseases are also problematic in warm water YTK farming. Photobacterium damselae ssp damselae is a recurring problem in warm water culture and outbreaks of this disease are often associated with Vibrio harveyi. An autogenous vaccine has been developed for Photobacterium, but its efficacy has not been tested experimentally.

Objectives

1. Optimise the use of hydrogen peroxide to treat flukes in warm water
2. Investigate alternative fluke management methods to hydrogen peroxide in warm water
3. Quantify the benefits of an autogenous vaccine against Photobacterium damselae subspecies damselae.
4. Determine in vitro whether interactions exist between Photobacterium damselae subspecies damselae and Vibrio harveyi that influence virulence

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-6486988-0-7
Authors: Dr Gavin Partridge Dr Lindsey Woolley Mr Luke Pilmer Dr Nicky Buller Dr Terry Miller Dr Andrew Barnes
Final Report • 2020-09-01 • 5.93 MB
2016-117-DLD.pdf

Summary

This project addressed a number of key issues associated with the culture of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi, YTK) in warm water, including optimising the use of hydrogen peroxide (which is more toxic in warm water), investigating alternatives to the management of monogenean flukes (Neobenedenia girellae and Zeuxapta seriolae) in warm water and several aspects relating to a better understanding of the bacteria which cause disease in YTK, including an assessment of an industry-funded autogenous vaccine against the pathogenic bacteria Photobacterium damsellae subspecies damsellae.
Final Report • 2020-09-01 • 5.93 MB
2016-117-DLD.pdf

Summary

This project addressed a number of key issues associated with the culture of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi, YTK) in warm water, including optimising the use of hydrogen peroxide (which is more toxic in warm water), investigating alternatives to the management of monogenean flukes (Neobenedenia girellae and Zeuxapta seriolae) in warm water and several aspects relating to a better understanding of the bacteria which cause disease in YTK, including an assessment of an industry-funded autogenous vaccine against the pathogenic bacteria Photobacterium damsellae subspecies damsellae.
Final Report • 2020-09-01 • 5.93 MB
2016-117-DLD.pdf

Summary

This project addressed a number of key issues associated with the culture of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi, YTK) in warm water, including optimising the use of hydrogen peroxide (which is more toxic in warm water), investigating alternatives to the management of monogenean flukes (Neobenedenia girellae and Zeuxapta seriolae) in warm water and several aspects relating to a better understanding of the bacteria which cause disease in YTK, including an assessment of an industry-funded autogenous vaccine against the pathogenic bacteria Photobacterium damsellae subspecies damsellae.
Final Report • 2020-09-01 • 5.93 MB
2016-117-DLD.pdf

Summary

This project addressed a number of key issues associated with the culture of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi, YTK) in warm water, including optimising the use of hydrogen peroxide (which is more toxic in warm water), investigating alternatives to the management of monogenean flukes (Neobenedenia girellae and Zeuxapta seriolae) in warm water and several aspects relating to a better understanding of the bacteria which cause disease in YTK, including an assessment of an industry-funded autogenous vaccine against the pathogenic bacteria Photobacterium damsellae subspecies damsellae.
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-116
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Development of a 5-year sector and NT Strategic Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) Plan for Northern Territory fisheries and aquaculture based on priority needs of major stakeholder sectors

The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation’s (FRDC) Northern Territory Research Advisory Committee (NT RAC) recognised that a 5-year Research Development and Extension (RD&E) Plan was a major strategic need of the NT but acknowledged that there was limited capacity among sectors to...
ORGANISATION:
Fishwell Consulting Pty Ltd
Environment
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