4 results
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-225
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Improving risk management of paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) in the Blacklip Abalone (Haliotis rubra rubra)

The accumulation of paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) of microalgal origin in abalone tissues causes a trade and human health risk that requires active management. Toxic algal blooms of the genus Alexandrium have recently caused several abalone harvest closures on the east coast of Australia. Risk...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
TAGS
Toxin
Food Safety
Fisheries Management
Consumer Health
SPECIES
Blacklip Abalone

Sturgeon aquaculture in Australia: feasibility study

Project number: 2016-210
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $140,000.00
Principal Investigator: Marty R. Deveney
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 30 Jun 2016 - 29 Jun 2019
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Rac Sa
SPECIES
Salmons

Need

Australian aquaculture industries are expanding, and the South Australian aquaculture industry aims to double production by 2020. Increased aquaculture production will rely on new species and products and intensification of existing industries. Australia has high production costs and new products need to be high value to remain competitive.

The Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeri) and beluga (Huso huso), which produce caviar and meat were added to the live import list for commercial aquaculture in 2015. These species are long lived and late maturing presenting an extended period between introduction and production of caviar. There is a consequent need to assess the commercial potential of sturgeon aquaculture in Australia, to drive processes to obtain regulatory consent and to establish links to facilitate technology transfer and RD&E.

This project will assess the feasibility of sturgeon aquaculture in Australia, including identification of the most appropriate and expedient way to bring sturgeon to Australia, identify appropriate sources for stock, develop standards for import and holding of stock, and link Australia to a network of world sturgeon farming knowledge.

This project will utilise expertise from PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture, SARDI Aquatic Sciences, the Australian aquaculture industry and relevant international experts to meet information requirements for regulatory approvals, to identify and develop methods to manage risk and provide a sound basis for industry development.

Objectives

1. Determine requirements for importing sturgeons into Australia
2. Develop and maintain networks to establish and maintain sturgeon aquaculture in Australia
3. Develop desktop understanding of feasibility of sturgeon aquaculture in Australia
4. Provide information to facilitate import of sturgeons to Australia

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-876007-32-4
Author: Marty Deveney & Jade Davison
Final Report • 2020-11-01 • 961.39 KB
2016-210-DLD.pdf

Summary

This project examined the feasibility of farming sturgeons in Australia. These large fish in the family Acipenseridae are the source of caviar, one of the world’s highest value luxury goods. Australian aquaculture has goals to expand and one way to achieve this is to farm high-value products that require technology and high quality environments in which Australia can deliver a competitive edge.  Sturgeons are not native to Australia and the project aimed to collate information to assess if sturgeon farming in Australia is biologically and technically feasible; and if so, to gather material that could support the import of sturgeons.

A major component of the project was ongoing dialogue with the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE), the regulatory authority for importing biological commodities into Australia.  The information aimed to provide input to processes, including Biosecurity Risk Analysis, that are used by DAWE to inform development of import conditions.

Project staff engaged with local and overseas experts and industry and developed networks that will be useful if an industry develops.  Sources of stock were identified for eventual establishment of an Australian industry.

We assessed the business feasibility of an Australian sturgeon industry by developing a business case including a projected cost-profit model.  This assessment concluded that farming sturgeons in Australia is biologically and technically feasible and has a 10 year lifecycle to profit if developed as a mixed sturgeon-trout farm.  Caviar demand and sales are increasing but there are substantial threats to an Australian caviar industry.  There is extensive caviar production in China which is likely to continue to grow, and world caviar prices have fallen substantially since 2010, although wholesale prices in Australia have remained high and stable over the same period.

The project team was unable to develop and negotiate approaches to overcome the regulatory barriers to importing sturgeons.  Although clear pathways are identified, import consent remains a difficult goal.  Alternative arrangements were rejected as an approach by DAWE in August 2020.  For sturgeon import to Australia to occur, DAWE needs to commence and complete a Biosecurity Import Risk Assessment (BIRA), but DAWE lacks available resources to commence that assessment.  Substantial data have been collated by this project to contribute to a BIRA.  Continued effort from industry will be required if sturgeon import is going to occur, but it is also possible that the perceived benefits do not justify the work required.

Final Report • 2020-11-01

Summary

This project examined the feasibility of farming sturgeons in Australia. These large fish of the family Acipenseridae are the source of caviar, one of the world’s highest value luxury goods. Australian aquaculture has goals to expand and one way to achieve this is to farm high-value products that require technology and high quality environments in which Australia can deliver a competitive edge. Sturgeons are not native to Australia and the project aimed to collate information to assess if sturgeon farming in Australia is biologically and technically feasible; and if so, to gather material that could support the import of sturgeons.

 

We assessed the business feasibility of an Australian sturgeon industry by developing a business case including a projected cost-profit model.  This assessment concluded that farming sturgeons in Australia is biologically and technically feasible and has a 10 year lifecycle to profit if developed as a mixed sturgeon-trout farm.  Caviar demand and sales are increasing but there are substantial threats to an Australian caviar industry.  There is extensive caviar production in China which is likely to continue to grow, and world caviar prices have fallen substantially since 2010, although wholesale prices in Australia have remained high and stable over the same period.

 
The project team was unable to develop and negotiate approaches to overcome the regulatory barriers to importing sturgeons.  Although clear pathways are identified, import consent remains a difficult goal.  Alternative arrangements were rejected as an approach by DAWE in August 2020.  For sturgeon import to Australia to occur, DAWE needs to commence and complete a Biosecurity Import Risk Assessment (BIRA), but DAWE lacks available resources to commence that assessment.  Substantial data have been collated by this project to contribute to a BIRA.  Continued effort from industry will be required if sturgeon import is going to occur, but it is also possible that the perceived benefits do not justify the work required.

Mud cockle (Katelysia spp.) stock enhancement/restoration: practical implementation and policy evaluation

Project number: 2014-028
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $250,432.00
Principal Investigator: Xiaoxu Li
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 16 Jul 2014 - 29 Jun 2017
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Stock Assessment
Recreational Fishing
Rac Sa
Policy
Fisheries Management
SPECIES
Cockles

Need

Mud cockles have been an important resource to the seafood industry, recreational fishers and ecosystem of SA. These species are subject to episodic recruitment that is strongly influenced by the environment. For example, the combination of fishing and adverse environmental conditions at the Section Bank has resulted in PIRSA closing this area to fishing from 2011. As these difficulties could arise in any mud cockle fishery, e.g. a severe mud cockle mortality event occurred during December 2013 in Streaky Bay, there is a strong need to develop the capacity to recover the depleted stocks through reseeding. Section Bank is an ideal location for a case study because it has been closed to commercial and recreational fishing for more than three years.

While marine stock enhancement/restoration programs are variable in success, the approach seems well suited to cockle species, which in many countries are farmed by planting spat into the sandy substrate and harvesting them when they have reached market size. Stock enhancement/restoration also continues to advance with improved policies (e.g. PIRSA F&A Draft Policy for the Release of Aquatic Resources) and the “responsible approach” advocated by Lorenzen et al (2010) and Hart et al (2013) where methodologies are used to ensure that the genetic heterogeneity of natural populations is maintained and that hatchery stock is disease free before release.

Benefit cost analyses have shown very encouraging potential for stock enhancement in pipi and greenlip abalone. For example, a benefit cost ratio of 3.34:1 and a two year investment return were anticipated for pipi reseeding in NSW (Phelps et al 2008). Similar or greater levels of benefit can be predicted for mud cockle stock enhancement in SA by substituting the information for pipi with that for K. rhytiphora based on our findings in FRDC 2009/208 project.

Objectives

1. Develop optimal methodologies for transporting and planting hatchery produced mud cockle, K. scalarina, for stock enhancement/restoration at Section Bank.
2. Evaluate post-stocking performance of two hatchery produced mud cockle, K. scalarina and K. rhytiphora, at Section Bank.
3. Develop a monitoring program that can be incorporated within the existing industry mud cockle stock assessment program to determine the long-term success of stock enhancement/restoration.
4. Optimise mud cockle stock enhancement/restoration strategies for Section Bank through benefit cost evaluation of different options using the model developed in FRDC project 2008/071.
5. Transfer knowledge gained from this project to Government fisheries and aquaculture managers and policy makers, and cockle fishers in SA.

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-876007-38-6
Authors: Miller-Ezzy P.A. Stone D.A.J. and Li X.
Final Report • 2021-08-01 • 1.59 MB
2014-028-DLD.pdf

Summary

This study was conducted to restore the Mud Cockle population in the Section Bank of Port River, South Australia, which had drastically decreased due to commercial fishing. Mud Cockles are important not only for commercial purposes but also for stabilizing sediment and reducing turbidity in the environment. The study developed procedures for transporting and planting hatchery-produced Mud Cockle seed into the field to optimize growth and survival. Pilot studies were undertaken to assess transportation and tagging procedures. Five trials were conducted at two different sites with different population sizes with the aims of testing planted Mud Cockle survival and growth across different seasons, sites, stocking densities, stocking size classes and predator protective methods. The study found that seasonal water temperature has the strongest influence on the apparent survival and growth of the re-seeded Mud Cockle spat. The results from the pilot studies indicated that Pacific Oyster spat transportation methods were suitable for Mud Cockle spat and painting one valve of the Mud Cockles with Rosario Pink paint was the most effective method for marking experimental spat. 
 

Innovative Solutions For Aquaculture: planning and management - addressing seal interactions in the finfish aquaculture industry

Project number: 2004-201
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $494,479.00
Principal Investigator: Simon D. Goldsworthy
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 14 Aug 2004 - 28 Jun 2008
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Tagging
Remote Sensing
Innovation
Fishing Technology
Fishing Gear
SPECIES
Southern Bluefin Tuna
Mulloway
Yellowtail Kingfish

Need

PIRSA Aquaculture Policy Group and the marine finfish industries have identified that improving zoning issues of finfish aquaculture relative to seal colonies and their foraging grounds as a key management need for this industry.

Industry groups have expressed a need to reduce and mitigate against the negative interactions between seals and finfish aquaculture farms.

Given the near threatened status of the Australian sea lion, community groups such as the Marine and Coastal Community Network have expressed concerns about the impacts that marine finfish aquaculture poses to the conservation of seals.

The South Australian Department of Environment and Heritage through the Marine Mammal - Marine Protected Areas Aquaculture Working Group, (a sub committee of the Aquaculture Advisory Group), advise on the policies to allow for appropriate aquaculture development without adversely impacting marine mammals. This research will directly feed into the policy on seal colonies and appropriate aquaculture planning, such as at what distance can fish farms or shellfish farms be located in relation to seal colonies and important foraging habitats.

Objectives

1. Determine the distribution of foraging effort of seal populations in proximity to existing finfish aquaculture farms off the southern Eyre Peninsula.
2. Determine the distribution of foraging effort of seals, relative to the distribution of breeding and haul-out sites off the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula in regions currently zoned for finfish farms, but where none currently exist.
3. Develop strategic GIS tools to assist in planning finfish aquaculture sites to minimise the costs of interactions to industry, and risks to seal populations, and make specific recommendations on the siting of finfish farms, relative to seal colonies, haul-out areas and foraging grounds.
4. Assess the nature and extent of interactions between seals and finfish farms in the Port Lincoln region, to provide a baseline against which future changes can be assessed.
5. Develop recommendations on how finfish farmers may minimise interactions between seals and their farms, and if required, develop a proposal to investigate mitigation options for reducing seal/fish farm interactions.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-7308-5391-6
Author: Simon Goldsworthy
Final Report • 2009-08-20 • 11.29 MB
2004-201-DLD.pdf

Summary

The broad aims of this study were to provide information on the foraging zones of seals, and the location of breeding colonies and haulout locations in the Eyre Peninsula region of South Australia, to assist in the zoning, appropriate placement and management of future finfish aquaculture developments in South Australia. In addition, the study aimed to evaluate the nature and extent of seal/fish-farm interactions through observation and satellite tracking; assess the nature and extent of interactions between seals and finfish farms in the Port Lincoln region to provide a baseline against which future changes can be assessed; and to provide information on the foraging behaviour of Australian sea lions (ASL) in the Nuyts Archipelago where, at the commencement of the study, finfish aquaculture was proposed, but none existed. The project provides recommendations on how finfish farmers may minimise interactions between seals and their farms, information and recommendations to assist management and policy, and to guide future research. 

Keywords: Australian sea lion, Neophoca cinerea, finfish aquaculture, marine planning, southern bluefin tuna, yellowtail kingfish, mulloway, aquaculture management

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