The lack of many recognised serious diseases is perceived as one of Australian aquaculture’s prime competitive advantages to meet future global demand. Maintenance of this high health status through initiatives which reduce the risk of disease incursions and facilitate early detection and response to emerging disease problems is seen as critical to continuing industry expansion. The range of commercially significant aquatic animal species, and their diseases, is increasing steadily. It is clear that, due to limited resources, diagnostic laboratories cannot develop proficiency in the diagnosis of all significant diseases, for example those listed in the Australian National List of Reportable Diseases of Aquatic Animals. Appropriately, State laboratories, in support of local industries, concern themselves with local aquatic animal species and their significant diseases and have developed expertise in those areas. Rather than duplicate this effort, AAHL’s involvement and expertise focuses on exotic diseases of concern to Australia, as well as new or emerging endemic diseases. As a consequence, expertise in specific diseases has developed in different laboratories throughout the country. To take advantage of this development, to ensure that expertise in different diseases is available Australia-wide, and to create a consistent system of aquatic animal disease diagnosis and reporting, it is proposed that a national network of laboratories should be established for the diagnosis and monitoring of aquatic animal diseases underpinned by a formal quality assurance program. Through a consultation process, uniform data standards and reporting formats need to be developed and adopted by all jurisdictions. Standard diagnostic tests and operating procedures also need to be developed and subsequently adopted by laboratories within the network. Thus this project is concerned with the establishment of the network and commencement of activities, including proficiency tests (“ring tests”) designed to assist laboratories in further developing their diagnostic capabilities and/or to allow demonstration that performance of a particular test is at a nationally accepted standard, using Australian and New Zealand Standard Diagnostic Procedures (ANZSDPs). In this way confidence of stakeholders in the quality of diagnosis provided is increased. The project is in complete alignment with AQUAPLAN 2005-2010.

There is a disturbing pattern of diseases in commercial molluscs nationally. They have required a succession of government/industry responses, with no clear solutions:QX disease, Sydney rock oysters, NSW and QLD; NSW; Pacific oyster mortality syndrome, NSW; Abalone viral ganglioneuritis, VIC; Oyster oedema disease, pearl oysters, WA; Winter mortality, Sydney rock oyster, NSW.

Economic impacts have been substantial or devastating. Wild fisheries and aquaculture have been impacted. In NSW, the primary impact of QX disease led to replacement of Sydney rock oysters by triploid Pacific oysters to reestablish the industry in some estuaries, but this is now threatened by POMS.

In every case the new disease has spread. It has not been possible to devise an intervention strategy that would halt disease spread or ensure the recovery of the industry. Investigating the behaviour of POMS during its recrudescence in summer 2011/2012 in FRDC project 2011-053 afforded a unique insight into the disease, and these observations need to be extended over time to identify factors which may be used to reduce the impact of the infection.

This project seeks to address 6 specific research priorities identified by FRDC and will concurrently investigate the effect of host, environment and husbandry factors on POMS prevalence and mortality rate in Pacific oysters with the objective of discovering aspects of epidemiology which can be manipulated by oyster growers. If POMS spreads beyond its current limited distribution in NSW, commercial scale production of Pacific oysters in the face of POMS will be essential for the viability of the industry pending development of technical solutions such as genetically resistant lines.

FRDC strategic R&D theme 1 - biosecurity and aquatic animal health, and Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram priority - Nature of disease and host-pathogen interaction - immunology of aquatic invertebrates.

This project relates directly to the FRDC VNN Research and Development Plan, to facilitate industry profitability, sustainability, growth and development. There is an overarching need to measure and then reduce the risk to fisheries and aquaculture sectors (including natural resources) associated with transfer of nodaviruses. The aquaculture industry is proactive and responsible (eg triple bottom line reporting) and wishes to manage risks based on sound science. Industry acknowledges a residual risk that cannot be controlled: virus prevalence in the wild and natural fish movements. However, there is an immediate need for industry to conduct business in the face of unknowns with respect to true disease status. While there is a need to ensure that infected, but apparently healthy, stock are not moved to areas that are considered free of the disease/disease agent, it is of fundamental importance for the sustainability of the barramundi aquaculture industry and developing species ventures such as Australian bass that stock are translocated. Current tests for determining disease status are considered inadequate, therefore biosecurity protocols in the short-term are required to address the risk of introduction of disease with water, broodstock and fomites. As new information becomes available through R&D, these protocols will be revised and improved as needed to improve biosecurity. In the meantime, protocols are needed to manage risks with incomplete information and without overburdening industry with uneconomic or unwarranted requirements. There is need for mitigation of impacts on translocation: hatchery to nursery to grow-out; hatchery to wild (eg stocking for recreational fishing); both intra-state and interstate translocations, access to overseas markets; sourcing broodstock from the wild. Financial impacts, environmental impacts and mulitsectorial impacts at level of commercial, recreational and regulatory sectors all need to be addressed.

There is a disturbing pattern of diseases in commercial molluscs nationally. They have required a succession of government/industry responses, with no clear solutions:QX disease, Sydney rock oysters, NSW and QLD; NSW; Pacific oyster mortality syndrome, NSW; Abalone viral ganglioneuritis, VIC; Oyster oedema disease, pearl oysters, WA; Winter mortality, Sydney rock oyster, NSW.

Economic impacts have been substantial or devastating. Wild fisheries and aquaculture have been impacted. In NSW, the primary impact of QX disease led to replacement of Sydney rock oysters by triploid Pacific oysters to reestablish the industry in some estuaries, but this is now threatened by POMS.

In every case the new disease has spread. It has not been possible to devise an intervention strategy that would halt disease spread or ensure the recovery of the industry. Investigating the behaviour of POMS during its predicted recrudescence this summer provides an opportunity to identify factors which may be used to reduce the impact of the infection.

This project seeks to investigate the effect of host, environmental and husbandry factors on POMS prevalence and mortality rate in Pacific oysters during summer 2011-autumn 2012 with the objective of discovering aspects of epidemiology which can be manipulated by oyster growers.

FRDC strategic R&D theme 1 - biosecurity and aquatic animal health, and Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram priority - Nature of disease and host-pathogen interaction - immunology of aquatic invertebrates.