Industry producers and processors have identified that crabs and lobsters suffer quality deterioration
during transportation, which then results in downgrading and consequent price reduction. As lobsters and crabs are highly sought products, losses incurred through current handling chains cause significant waste of this valuable resource. In NSW eastern rock lobster, mud crab and spanner crab resources are fully fished and hence, full revenue return can only be gained by mitigating the wastage occurring.

It is known that quality loss in crustaceans is often caused by stress imposed along the supply chain. To reduce the likelihood of downgrading of product, there is a need to undertake an examination of the handling and transport issues pertinent to various landing ports, distribution chains and market sales points. Identification of specific stress factors and where they occur most severely will enable development of specific mitigation measures for Industry implementation.

The need for the research was noted in the NSW FRAC research priorities, 2016.

In the recent “Status of Key Australian Fish Stocks Reports 2012” the status of snapper on the east coast was not defined because the stock was given a different status in each jurisdiction based on different assessment approaches and criteria for defining status. The need for a single, robust, consensus approach was identified as a priority in a FRDC funded national workshop on snapper held at SARDI in March 2013. In particular it was noted that, underpinning a unified approach to assessment and management, there is a need for: a better understanding of stock structure, a better understanding of the utility of fishery independent data sources, and better engagement with stakeholders. The project explicitly addresses a key Program 2 – Industry Priority identified as relevant to the FRABs in Queensland, NSW and Victoria. The systems and approaches developed as a result of this research will serve as a model in other fisheries where different jurisdictions share a common stock but lack a consistent assessment and management decision making framework.

There is a need to build on the work conducted under the auspices of the Seafood CRC and address the issues that have arisen in commercialising cobia. A number of unforeseen circumstances, in both seed supply and grow-out of cobia, arose during the Seafood CRC project,that limited the commercial development of this species.

Cobia is typically regarded as a gonochoristic species. However, a relatively high incidence of intersex individuals in captive-reared broodstock populations has occurred in recent years. This appears to have reduced reproductive output and therefore the regularity and quantity of seed supply. The mechanism behind the intersex individuals, early identification of the anomaly and the potential impact on reproductive output
and commercial hatchery production warrant further investigation. There is a need to capture and maintain wild cobia to provide contingency for the occurrence of reproductive abnormalities in captive-reared fish and to facilitate comparative developmental trials. There may also be a need to provide wild fish for the
development of a broodstock facility at PRF’s hatchery.

PRF has faced a number of challenges in commercialising cobia production. Predation and fish health have had major impacts on productivity over earlier production seasons. Whilst a number of innovative techniques have been implemented to reduce these impacts, there remains a need to improve and refine these further

There are currently no commercial hatcheries producing cobia; as such there remains a need for support from DAFF to supply juvenile fish for on-growing. Small-scale hatchery production at PRF was successful in producing juvenile cobia; however, there is a need to increase this to a commercial scale over the course of this project. DAFF will also supply larvae to continue the development of hatchery capability at PRF and to support PRF’s anticipated development of broodstock holding and maturation facilities.

Seafood CRC research (2009/727) has shown that there is significant potential for increased product storage life through supply chain management improvements. In one major supply chain (MG Kailis) it has been demonstrated that savings of $150,000pa ongoing can be achieved through implementation of relatively simple improvements. In that study, the QI method was introduced to the company and the QI manual is now used at various points in their supply chain to assist supply chain monitoring. However, to date there has been very little broader uptake of QI schemes within the Australian Industry, despite efforts (including commissioning SeaNet, FRDC 2010-305) to commercialise and raise awareness of the benefits of using QI.

With proposed investment by the Sydney Fish Market, De Costi Seafoods and MG Kailis for improving their supply management processes to achieve increased product storage life, the timing is now right to work with these companies to introduce the QI method and assess how to better meet their operational needs. This will be most effective where the QI tool is in a readily-useable format. A criticism of the current hardcopy manual format is that they are cumbersome and difficult to use in the varied supply chain environments. However, the manuals are still highly valuable as a QA management document and it is intended to maintain these in the short to medium term.

The Seafood CRC has the opportunity to build on the prototype ‘app’ platform developed by the Sydney Fish Market and create a more useful QI tool format for the entire Australian seafood industry. Working initially with three supply chains will generate traction within the wider industry with the goal of mirroring the outcome of European success of widespread adoption of QI methods within their supply chains.