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Capability & Capacity: 2024 Australian/NZ eDNA conference - Early Career Research bursaries

Project number: 2024-016
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $5,000.00
Principal Investigator: Maarten De Brauwer
Organisation: Southern Cross University (SCU) National Marine Science Centre
Project start/end date: 12 Sep 2024 - 6 Mar 2025
Contact:
FRDC

Need

This conference is organised by the Southern eDNA Society (SeDNAs - sednasociety.com), Australia and New Zealand's scientific society for the environmental DNA discipline. SeDNAS aims to promote best practices and help the adoption of methods across sectors, by closely working together with researchers, industry, and government. Conferences are organised biannually, alternating between Australia and New Zealand. The first conference (Hobart 2023) was uniformly well received by the attendees, particularly the focus on end-user applications and collaboration. Unlike many other scientific conferences, SeDNAs makes a point of inviting key stakeholders from industry and government to both attend the conference and present their own work or research needs. We found this stimulated discussions to be more likely to develop real-world research collaborations of higher relevance to end-users.

Including and supporting ECRs is an integral part of the mission of SeDNAs. We offer a range of sponsorship opportunities, but as part of our drive to ensure eDNA research benefits industry stakeholders, we are reaching out to key organisations interested in supporting ECRs to travel to the conference. FRDC bursaries would showcase the relevance of FRDC to upcoming molecular fisheries researchers and the broader eDNA community, while also offering FRDC a cost-efficient opportunity to remain abreast of the most cutting edge developments in the field.

Objectives

1. Develop eDNA early career researcher capability and capacity
2. 2 ECRs attend 2024 Australian/NZ eDNA conference
3. Enable eDNA contacts, networks and stakeholder engagement
Communities
Adoption
Industry

Ensuring market-focused value adding capabilities are available to SA Seafood companies today and through to 2030

Project number: 2022-137
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $61,500.00
Principal Investigator: Ewan A. Colquhoun
Organisation: Ridge Partners
Project start/end date: 18 May 2023 - 30 Aug 2023
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Commercial in confidence. To know more about this project please contact FRDC.

Objectives

Commercial in confidence

Final report

Author: Ewan Colquhoun and Catherine Sayer
Final Report • 2024-02-01 • 1.19 MB
2022-137-DLD.pdf

Summary

Context
Fresh premium seafood has long been the best pathway to a viable consumer. That remains true for premium SA wildcatch species (e.g., rock lobster, prawn, abalone) that are, and will continue to be, prosperous. But processing and value adding have never been more critical to attract retail consumers than they are today. Modern seafood consumers (retail, food service, or online) are informed and agile, and increasingly choosing retail offers that are consumer meals ready-to-eat. Fishers, farmers, and chain partners must engage in this reality if they are to remain competitive and viable.
 
The rising frequency of product recalls by SA seafood manufacturers prompted this review. A Preferred Investment Pathway offers direction to resolve gaps by 2030.
Globally and nationally, aquaculture is the largest seafood supplier, setting baseline prices for retail and online product formats. Its easy access, scalable supply, chain efficiency, and species control over yield and product format, can more easily attract investment. SA aquafarms and a few wildcatch fisheries (e.g., Jackets, Pipi) are approaching economic scale in supply and along integrated supply chains. Both are seeking to integrate or access technology and capability to value-add to tight national retail and food service client specifications. Efficient market-focused seafood value adding will build SA’s capability and retain investment and employment, particularly in regional communities.
 
Consultation
This review consulted widely (fishers, farmers, processors, value adders, investors, regulators) regarding processing and value adding capacity and capability that exists and is required to ensure SA’s successful market focused value adding by 2030. Unsurprisingly capacity gaps already exist and will grow (without clear heads) as supply increases 25,000 tonnes (32%) by 2030. Eighteen core issues and risks are identified.
Human capacity (skills, collaboration, leadership), Technology transfer (NPD, batch trials), and Markets (intelligence, unique selling points) are the most critical and challenging. Most new investment is by industry’s private account, but indirectly coinvestment by government will enable and leverage community outcomes.
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