Government and industry have state, national and international obligations for responding to biosecurity incursions, including notifiable diseases. The emergency response framework includes OIE (world organisation for animal health) manuals, national AQUAVETPLAN manuals, State legislation and emergency management plans. Readiness requires on-going training to ensure skills are maintained and updated.

Ongoing aquatic disease response training should be considered at the National, State and industry levels (FRDC 2012/044). National protocols for fish kill investigations have previously been documented (FRDC 2005/620). South Australia have since developed protocols for responding to fish kills (PIRSA's Emergency Management Doucment: aquatic animal health). However, a fish kill training program (in line with national standards) in South Australia (aimed at government and industry personnel) is needed.

This project (training funds) aims to upskill key PIRSA fish kill investigators by attending the WA fish kill investigation course.

As an outcome, knowledge gained will assist in the development of a fish kill training program in South Australia.

The need relates to extension of the national harvest strategy guidelines to international fisheries management and science agencies and the exchange of information and knowledge in relation to the work being undertaken in other parts of the world on fishy harvest strategies.

1. The South Australian Government has clearly defined that the development of aquaculture, in particular finfish farming, is a high priority outcome. To ensure this happens it has identified outputs of defined specification to address the delivery of this outcome. This will be an ongoing program over many years that requires a novel program structure as opposed to the normal project structure undertaken by FRDC and PIRSA. The project will address this need by:
1.1 Providing the opportunity to improve the current level of management adoption of research within South Australia. This is consistent with the FRDC’s recent call for management to have a greater influence on the direction of research and development and an increased role in the management, adoption and execution of research and development;
1.2 Providing a framework for better management of State funds in the context of research and development and management to ensure timely delivery of results; and
1.3 Providing greater certainty in planning research and development in the future as it gives a quantifiable investment that will be put into a specific program. This means there is an obligation by all parties to ensure that they meet their financial commitment.