The purpose of the application is to seek funds to support travel to attend the 19th meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) to be held in Takamatsu City, Japan. In addition, I intend to visit a number of research facilities to further understand issues associated with tuna propagation techniques, kingfish husbandry including nutrition and disease, and fisheries management issues that relate to South Australian fisheries and aquaculture industries (e.g. stock enhancement, regional fisheries management, ranching of other species, recreational fishing).

Since 2010, the SA government has had input into the future decision making processes of CCSBT. These negotiations align closely with a number of key science, sustainability, social and industry development strategies in relevant SA and Australian strategic plans, such as the SA State Plan and SA Food Strategy 2010 – 2015.

Kinki University has developed a successful program to close the life cycle of Northern Bluefin Tuna. South Australia has had success with the closing the life cycle of the Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) however there are significant challenges ahead of this new and emerging industry to commercialise this activity. Visiting Kinki University will provide the SA government with a better understanding of the future need for infrastructure and R&D expertise to overcome the current bottleneck and to develop a new industry.

Discussions with Fisheries Managers and researchers will inform PIRSA in relation to decision making processes around the management and development of fishing and aquaculture in South Australia.

PIRSA Aquaculture have indicated that they intend to develop a number of new aquaculture zones around the state over the next 5 years as well as revisit early assumptions of carrying capacity estimates developed in Innovative Solutions 1, in order to meet the anticipated expansion of the aquaculture industry within South Australia. This expansion is necessary to meet SA’s target of $2 billion in seafood production by 2015. It is also essential that PIRSA Aquaculture is prepared for successful propagation of southern bluefin tuna, which could see the farmed biomass of this species increase significantly in a few years, particularly in Spencer Gulf where existing aquaculture infrastructure and support services are in place.

The ability to obtain accurate estimates of spatial and temporal variability in the cycling of carbon and other macro-nutrients through the ecosystems in Spencer Gulf will provide important information about potential risks and impacts of increased aquaculture activities in the Gulf. This need will be met through the development of calibrated hydrodynamic and bio-geochemical models for Spencer Gulf that will also determine the carrying capacity of aquaculture areas, including the concurrent use of both supplementary and non-supplementary fed organisms within each area. Further, the development of strategies for long-term performance monitoring, management and mitigation are needed for the aquaculture areas in Spencer Gulf. These outcomes will further justify the South Australian government’s approach to sustainable aquaculture development as directed by the Aquaculture Act 2001.

The stated limits in the ability to deliver the above for other areas (e.g. shelf waters off Ceduna) or species (e.g. scallops) by the researchers will aid PIRSA Aquaculture to determine the future resource requirements for getting the other areas of South Australia up to the policy and regulatory standards set by this work in Spencer Gulf.

Seriola spp. are susceptible to a variety of viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases. In Japan, where considerable culture of these fish occurs (including S. dumerili, S. lalandi and S. quinqueradiata), several pathogens and parasites are responsible for serious production inefficiencies. Monogenean (flatworm) parasites are one of the most serious problems for the yellowtail industry and may increase production costs by over 20% (Ernst et al. 2002). In Australia, monogeneans have become a serious risk to sustainable development of the emerging kingfish industry (S. lalandi) in Spencer Gulf. Without efficient, effective and environmentally aware parasite management strategies, competitive and sustainable production will be impossible. The need for improved parasite management is recognised by industry in Australia and Japan and by the Australian Government who have jointly invested over $1 million through a 3-year Australian Research Council Linkage Project (“Kingfish/Yellowtail Parasite Management Project”) to develop integrated management strategies for the aquaculture of Seriola spp. (see Synergies below). This research project, however, has no funding to investigate the important issue of interactions between wild and cultured fish stocks. This topic is of critical concern to sea-cage aquaculture of kingfish as it has been for sea-cage aquaculture of salmonids (Anonymous 1997).

There is currently a lack of scientific information on the interactions between wild and cultured fish directly applicable to the waters of South Australia in particular, and Australia in general, on which to base sound aquatic animal health policy, licence conditions and operating standards to safeguard both the wild and cultured fish populations. There is an immediate need for research in this area to allow PIRSA Aquaculture to develop effective policy and zone management, and to provide a framework for the development of Commonwealth principles of best practice and environmental management.

Whilst Seriola spp. are considered an appropriate starting point, it is envisaged that the broad principles of policy and standards derived from the research may be applied to the marine finfish aquaculture industry as a whole in Australia. With this in mind, a three-year project is considered necessary to study the yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) sector of the marine finfish net pen aquaculture industry, specifically to investigate the population dynamics and parasite interactions of skin flukes (Benedenia seriolae) and gill flukes (Zeuxapta seriolae) on cultured and wild fish. A second requirement is to study the effects on the wild population of any escapees from culture facilities. The yellowtail kingfish sector is again an appropriate model due to the close association of the cultured and wild fish in the Spencer Gulf.