In recent years several mollusc diseases (e.g. Perkinsosis, Bonamiasis, AVG, OOD, ostreid herpes viral disease) have impacted, and continue to impact, Australian fisheries and aquaculture. Similar diseases also affect mollusc aquaculture overseas, e.g. Bonamiasis of oysters in Europe, ostreid herpes virus in Europe and New Zealand. The outcomes of past and present efforts to manage diseases in farmed molluscs have been poor, and few controls have been devised for disease outbreaks in wild populations. Thus these diseases have continued to spread partly due to poor international coordination of response to emerging diseases, lack of sensitive and standardised diagnostic tests, no understanding of whether these diseases arose separately in different countries or whether they have spread internationally, poor understanding of mollusc immunity, poor understanding of pathogen biology in the context of host and environmental change, little information about how the infectious agents are spread within populations, lack of coordinated research on improved measures to avoid disease, inability to predict where and when future threats will arise. These factors suggest a need for an internationally based and coordinated multidisciplinary research approach to ensure the sustainability of mollusc aquaculture and wild mollusc populations. This need was recognised internationally and led to the KBBE Forum workshop on "Disease mitigation and prevention in mollusc aquaculture". One recommendation from the workshop was to hold a future KBBE workshop to address issues concerning mollusc disease diagnostics and would align with several key research areas within the FRDC R&D Plan and be of interest to industry and regulators.

Australia's fisheries and aquaculture are the fastest growing sectors of our primary industries in terms of both job creation and average growth in production, currently running at 13% growth p.a.. Australia’s aquatic animal sector is free from many diseases that occur elsewhere in the world, providing us with a comparative advantage in both production and trade.

The FRDC Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram, established in 2001, provides a cohesive and national approach to aquatic animal health research and development (R&D) in Australia. In October 2002, the Subprogram developed and launched the “AQUATIC ANIMAL HEALTH SUBPROGRAM Strategic Plan 2002-2007” to guide the Subprogram to fulfill its objectives to provide leadership, direction and focus for aquatic animal health R&D and other related non-R&D activities. Stakeholder comments show that a key strength of the Subprogram is its strategic focus and the establishment of a network of aquatic animal health experts and research providers. Further, the Subprogram has provided an industry-based structure through which to develop and maintain strategic direction for investment in aquatic animal health. The Subprogram was set up for a three-year period which comes to an end on 30 June 2004. In order to continue the momentum established through the Subprogram, a renewal of the Subprogram on the basis of a shared financial commitment by stakeholders from industry and governments is highly desirable. Such a subprogram would support and complement R&D plans and strategies, such as AQUAPLAN, of other FRDC Subprograms and Aquafin CRC.

The Subprogram will continue to manage a portfolio of projects that are directly concerned with aquatic animal health and are not covered by other FRDC subprograms. All projects will be developed following stakeholder consultation and progress will be monitored and managed by the subprogram including input from a Steering Committee assisted by a Scientific Advisory Committee (see attachment).