120 results
People
Industry

Aquatic Animal Health and Biosecurity Coordination Program: strategic planning, project management and adoption

Project number: 2020-052
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $605,748.56
Principal Investigator: Nicholas J. Moody
Organisation: CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory
Project start/end date: 23 Jun 2022 - 31 May 2026
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Australia’s aquatic animals are free from many diseases that occur overseas, providing us with a competitive advantage in both production and trade. Australian aquaculture has grown from an industry valued at AU$260 million in 1993 to an industry valued at AU$1.6 billion in 2020 (ABARES, 2021). This dramatic growth has been accompanied by the emergence of new diseases/infectious agents, e.g., NNV since 1989, Bonamia since 1992, OOD since 2006, OsHV since 2010, POMV since 2012, new YHV genotypes since 2013, PMMS since 2015 and WSD since 2016, all of which threaten the sustainability of major aquaculture enterprises. Consequently, the need for health research to support this expanding sector is also growing. The wild-harvest, recreational, Indigenous and ornamental sectors are also under threat; e.g., crayfish plague, Edwardsiella ictaluri in catfish, Perkinsus in oysters, WSD in crustacea and gourami iridovirus in a range of finfish species pose significant risks.

Thus, identification and prioritisation of aquatic animal health and biosecurity research and capacity building needs to be coordinated across all aquatic sectors to ensure synergy while avoiding duplication. FRDC, through AAHBRCP, plays a major role in addressing research needs and training in aquatic animal health and biosecurity and is able to direct funding priorities to the most pressing areas. AAHBRCP provides a cohesive national approach to FRDC-supported R&D by providing leadership, direction and focus for health R&D and other related non-R&D activities. According to an external review of AAHBRCP undertaken in 2015 the consensus among major stakeholders was that AAHBRCP provides an essential service for the aquatic animal sector. Given the success of the AAHBRCP there is a need to continue it as a means of providing the service with consideration given to adjustments (reflected in this proposal) to enhance the service it provides for the evolving needs of Australia’s seafood industry, public policy and program needs

Objectives

1. In consultation with key stakeholders (industry, government, aquatic animal health providers and industry representatives) identify and prioritise R&D needed to deliver national, jurisdictional and industry sector aquatic animal health and biosecurity related planning objectives
2. Promote and manage aquatic animal health and biosecurity training and capacity building
3. Facilitate the dissemination of outputs (information and results) from R&D projects to key stakeholders
4. Through the biannual AAHBRCP scientific conference, cultivate research community collaboration, engagement, and foster early career researchers.

Aquatic animal welfare – a review of guidance documents and legislation

Project number: 2020-040
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $209,420.00
Principal Investigator: Paul Hardy-Smith
Organisation: Panaquatic Health Solutions Pty Ltd
Project start/end date: 14 Jan 2021 - 29 Nov 2023
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The aquaculture, commercial and recreational fisheries sectors along with the FRDC have recognised the need to continue the work of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS) Aquatic Animal Working Group (AAWG) (2005-2013). In September 2018, the FRDC funded a workshop to review the activities of the AAWS-AAWG and for the industry peak bodies to prioritize knowledge gaps for future R&D. One of the recommendations from the workshop funded by FRDC 2017-221 was to conduct a stocktake of the current industry processes and legislation that relate to aquatic animal welfare.

The initial stocktake was completed in 2006 by Dr Paul Hardy-Smith and colleagues. The aquatic animal welfare landscape has significantly changed since 2006. States and Territories are developing animal welfare legislation and guidelines that either specifically addresses aquatic animal welfare considerations and/or includes aquatic animals (e.g. fish, crustaceans) under the definition of “animal” in the legislation. This changing landscape has implications for “in-field” practices (e.g. methods used to kill aquatic animals) and other practices (e.g. transportation of live aquatic animals).

It is critically important that the commercial wild capture, aquaculture and recreational fishing sectors understand the implications of this changing landscape. These sectors need to ensure their own guidelines or codes of conduct are addressing the regional requirements and if they are not, then it is important that they are assisted in addressing changes to protect themselves. It is important that aquatic animal welfare requirements in no way place human welfare at risk. There is a need to promote the changes to industry practice that have positive outcomes for aquatic animal welfare and to ensure industry practices are keeping within the welfare requirements of that State or Territory.

Our project will comprehensively document and analyse the legislative framework as it applies to aquatic animal welfare in each State and Territory. The project will identify key areas of concern for commercial wild capture, aquaculture and recreational sectors which will be used to assist in developing priority case studies.

Objectives

1. To conduct a contemporary stocktake of Australia's current aquatic animal welfare policies, programs, and procedures as expressed in legislation, Codes of Practice, Standards or other relevant guidance documents as applicable to the commercial wild capture, aquaculture and recreational fishery sectors.
2. To develop case studies to assess the suitability and practicality of the all Codes of Practice, Standards or other relevant guidance documents to align with industry practice and the legislative animal welfare requirements in the commercial wild capture, aquaculture and recreational fishery sectors.
3. Make recommendations to improve the alignment of industry practice with legislation for improved outcomes for aquatic animal welfare in the commercial wild capture, aquaculture and recreational fishery sectors.

Report

ISBN: 978-0-9756047-6-2
Authors: Dr Paul Hardy-Smith Dr Joy A. Becker and Dr Robert Jones
Report • 2023-03-01 • 3.07 MB
2020-040-DLD.pdf

Summary

This report provides a contemporary review of aquatic animal welfare in Australia, focussing on fish, crustaceans and cephalopods that are captured or farmed in the commercial wild capture, aquaculture and recreational fishing sectors in Australia. It also reviews the welfare of aquatic animals used in teaching or research.
Aquatic animals, like all animals, play an important role in maintaining a healthy environment. Many aquatic animals are valuable sources of nutrition for humans and other animals and contribute significantly to Australia’s primary industry in both domestic and international trade. Other aquatic animals have cultural and economic importance to our tourism and recreational industries. For aquatic animals, as with other animals, better health through improved welfare can increase productivity and can have beneficial impacts on sustainability.
The last review of aquatic animal welfare arrangements in Australia was conducted in 2006. Community understanding of animal welfare, including aquatic animal welfare, has increased since then. Having a sound understanding of animal welfare laws and any changes that may be happening to those laws is important to industries that work with aquatic animals.
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-009
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Aquatic Animal Health and Biosecurity Subprogram: Perkinsus olseni in abalone - development of fit-for-purpose tools to support its management

The project was able to successfully propagate a new P. olseni isolate from Queensland and successfully cultured the isolates from Spain, Japan, New Zealand, and South Australia as well as P. chesapeaki, which was used as a negative control. We were unable to culture the Western Australian (WA)...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Industry
View Filter

Organisation