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