Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: subprogram conference ‘Emergency Disease Response Planning and Management’
In Australia, aquaculture is undergoing a growth phase (approximately 18% p.a.) where the number of aquaculture facilities, as well as the number of aquatic animal species being cultured, is increasing. The current value of the aquaculture sector is placed at $800 million and is expected to increase to $2-3 billion over the next 10 years. As the industry expands and intensifies the risk of infectious disease outbreaks also increases and there is a need for a parallel increased level of research on these diseases (c.f. Federal Budget Initiative). As part of the R&D effort nationwide, there is a need for a scientific conference during which the key aquatic animal health specialists/researchers/managers can convene and discuss current and future aquatic animal health issues and resolutions.
In addition, the development of World Trade Organisation agreements on freedom of trade between countries is seeing an increase in the use of aquatic animal disease as a de facto trade barrier and increasing demands on exporting countries to demonstrate freedom from diseases of concern. The issue of Canadian exports of salmon to Australia and the national white spot survey of prawns and crabs are recent Australian examples. The demand of Australia by our trading partners for demonstrated competence in surveillance and monitoring is going to require a much greater investment by Australia in training of expertise, standardisation of diagnostic techniques and development of new methodology to back nationwide surveillance and monitoring programs. None of this activity will happen unless we foster a team approach by the limited numbers of individuals working in the aquatic animal disease disciplines. The development of AQUAPLAN and the Federal Budget Initiative has placed Australia at the forefront of aquatic animal disease management. An opportunity exists to capitalise on these initiatives and to value-add to planned outputs.
It is proposed that the Scientific Advisory Committee of the FRDC Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram plan, organise and lead a 3-day scientific conference entitled, ‘Emergency Disease Planning and Management’, the core activity of which will be reports/scientific presentations on current projects funded by the Health Subprogram. In addition to these presentations, there is a need to highlight other aquatic health research, methodological and policy issues which may be of current or potential, future concern to Australia and which impact on emergency disease management. This conference will provide a forum for communication of project outputs, for critical review of aquatic animal health R&D currently undertaken in Australia, and will allow full discussion of the research and provide feed-back to the Principal Investigators of Subprogram projects. In this way, projects will benefit from receiving input from a relatively large number of researchers from a broad range of backgrounds. Potential future projects would be identified. In addition, an international expert with first-hand experience in management/eradication of an exotic aquatic animal disease could be invited to lead a discussion on a special topic relevant to emergency disease planning and management.
Final report
The 1st FRDC Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram Scientific Conference was held at the Four Points Hotel, Sheraton Eastern Beach, Geelong, 8-10 October 2003. Over 40 representatives from Commonwealth and State Government agencies, from universities and other academic institutions, and from supporting industries, as well as private consultants gathered to discuss the conference topic ‘emergency disease response planning and management’. An international expert, Dr Ron Stagg Deputy CEO FRS Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen was the Keynote Speaker.
The conference was planned and organised by staff from the Australian Animal Health Laboratory, assisted and supported by the FRDC AAH Subprogram Steering Committee and Scientific Advisory Committee.
Proceedings of the scientific conference are available as appendix 6 of this report.
Keywords: Aquatic animal health; conference; emergency disease response
Project products
Aquatic disease preparedness assessment
Tactical Research Fund - Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: determining the susceptibility of Australian species of prawns to infectious myonecrosis
Australian prawn production at around 22 kilotonnes is valued in excess of $250 million. Clearly, the prawn fishery is an important natural resource for Australia that is also the basis for a significant export industry. In addition, prawn aquaculture is a significant industry in northern Australia and accounts for around 14% of the total volume of Australian prawn production. Infectious myonecrosis is a viral disease that has caused significant disease outbreaks and mortalities in farmed Penaeus vannamei in Brazil and South-East Asia, including Indonesia. While P. vannamei is considered the principal host, experimental infection of P. stylirostris (Pacific blue shrimp) and P. monodon (black tiger shrimp) has been reported. The susceptibility of other shrimp/prawn species is unknown. Information on the susceptibility of prawn species important to Australia, including banana prawns (Fenneropenaeus merguiensis), brown tiger prawns (P. esculentus) is lacking. This project would provide information on the susceptibility of two important species of Australian prawns to exotic IMNV. Such information is important to policy-makers, regulators and primary producers with respect to relevant biosecurity issues at all levels of government.
Final report
Development of generic contingency plans for disease emergencies of aquatic animals
Development of contingency plans for significant aquatic animal diseases is a critical first step in the management of disease outbreaks. In this respect, aquatic animal health policy development is lagging behind terrestrial animal health policy by approximately 20 years.
At the Melbourne workshops, all sectors of the fishing industry strongly supported the need for a national approach to aquatic animal disease control issues and identified the writing of contingency plans for disease incursions to be an important task. Also they noted there was a need to build on the unanimous support for this contingency planning process and there was an expectation that some generic, sectoral plans could be developed very rapidly.
Final report
Project products
BCA: development of generic contingency plans for disease emergencies of aquatic animals
Development of contingency plans for significant aquatic animal diseases is a critical first step in the management of disease outbreaks. In this respect, aquatic animal health policy development is lagging behind terrestrial animal health policy by approximately 20 years.
At the Melbourne workshops, all sectors of the fishing industry strongly supported the need for a national approach to aquatic animal disease control issues and identified the writing of contingency plans for disease incursions to be an important task. Also they noted there was a need to build on the unanimous support for this contingency planning process and there was an expectation that some generic, sectoral plans could be developed very rapidly.
Aquatic Animal Health and Biosecurity Subprogram: Strategic planning, project management and adoption
AAHBS provides a cohesive national approach to FRDC-supported aquatic animal health R&D in Australia by providing leadership, direction and focus for health R&D and other related non-R&D activities. AAHS was renewed in 2012 based on national need, previous performance and strong stakeholder support. Key strengths include its strategic focus and the establishment of a network of aquatic animal health experts and research providers. An external review of AAHS was undertaken in 2015 and it found that the consensus among the major stakeholders was that AAHS provides an essential service for the major stakeholders. Thus, continuation of AAHS beyond 2016 on the basis of a shared financial commitment by stakeholders from industry and governments is highly desirable.
Australia’s aquatic animal sector is free from many diseases that occur overseas, providing us with a competitive advantage in both production and trade. While the number of aquatic animal species and the absolute number of aquatic animals being farmed in Australia is increasing annually, new diseases caused by emerging infectious agents (e.g. new yellow head virus genotypes, oyster oedema disease, ostreid herpesvirus, Bonamia exitiosa) continue to threaten the sustainability of significant enterprises, and the call on health services to support this expanding industry is growing.
In addition to aquaculture, aquatic animal health R&D is required for the other aquatic animal sectors, including wild-capture (c.f. Edwardsiella ictaluri in catfish), recreational (c.f. Perkinsus in oysters) and ornamental (c.f. gourami iridovirus), that share the aquatic environment. Thus health services need to be coordinated across all aquatic sectors to ensure synergy while avoiding duplication. FRDC, through AAHBS, plays a major role in addressing research needs and training in aquatic animal health. With its incumbent expertise and experience, AAHBS is able to direct these activities in the most pressing areas.
Report
In the period 2016-20, AAHBS has managed 27 projects concerned with aquatic animal health and biosecurity. AAHBS also provided advice on other aquatic animal health- and biosecurity-related projects that were part of other FRDC programs. In addition, AAHBS has a specific role in managing the DAWE/FRDC Aquatic Animal Health Training Scheme. AAHBS also provided comment, as requested, on health-related projects submitted to industry peak bodies.
AAHBS reviewed, in-house, the Subprogram R&D Plan on an annual basis which included consultation with major stakeholders (industry and governments). The revisions accounted for the changing aquatic animal health and biosecurity R&D needs at the enterprise, industry sector, and state and national levels.
During the period 2016-2020, there were seven issues of the Subprogram newsletter, Health Highlights, which has a broad distribution list (>300 subscribers) that includes industry associations, research providers and regulators both domestically and internationally. In addition, AAHBS provided support for the 2017 White Spot Disease R&D Needs Workshop and 2017 Pinctada maxima Pearl Oyster Health Workshop. Two FRDC Australasian Scientific Conferences on Aquatic Animal Health and Biosecurity were convened in Cairns (in 2017 and 2019). The Cairns conference provides a unique opportunity for regulators, researchers and industry to meet and discuss the latest research results and current issues relating to aquatic animal health and biosecurity. Workshop and conference proceedings were distributed electronically to participants.