Nature-based solutions for prawn farm effluent using seaweed
Seafood CRC: Australian Prawn Farmers Association (APFA) executive redirection challenge project
As with any Board there are conflicts and tensions on the APFA Board that arise from the mix of small and large farms represented,
level of experience, an annually rotating Board membership, differing R&D priorities and regulations challenges that continue to impact on future developments, as well as looking at the future business aspects of the APFA this workshop will also help the Board identify better ways to work as a more effective team.
Seafood CRC: Towards all female Penaeus monodon populations using androgenic gland manipulations
The Australian prawn farmers are under intense competition from cheaper imported prawns. Most of the imported prawns are in the small size segment. Female prawns grow larger then males, therefore the creation of all-female prawn populations will provide a much needed competitive advantage and enable a more profitable farming of P. monodon in Australia.
Final report
Australian prawn aquaculture production is based predominantly on P. monodon farming, with larger sized prawns attract premium prices in the local market. Females grow significantly larger than males, and hence, a technology to develop all-female monosex populations would offer competitive advantage at a local as well as international market. The primary objectives of this study were to first produce, and then cross, WW P. monodon females and obtain viable all-female offspring.
Unfortunately, the trials to achieve neo-males resulted only in external signs of masculinisation. Hence, other objectives could not be addressed. Since the project did not meet the agreed go-no go point, it was prematurely terminated. However, suggestions for subsequent studies are given to forward this research into the future.
Seafood CRC: genetic technologies to support a transformation to profitability and competitiveness in F. merguiensis and P. monodon
There is a need to meet the CRC’s desired $240 million gain in seafood value through innovative technologies as scheduled in the CRC program 1. This proposal will contribute up to 47% of this CRC goal, as explained in the “background” section.
This application also meets the need to respond to the FRDC’s challenge 3 (response to demand, profitability) and FRDC priority “develop innovative processes for value-adding through
development” (genetic improvement will return greater profit per kg, or increase kgs for same infrastructure). Should the “Seafarm” transformational model be adopted by others, this will directly support the achievement of FRDC’s key performance indicators “at least two companies accessing new markets”, and “at least two entities utilizing improved stock from selective breeding”.
This application supports the stated and written need from the APFA, as a major stakeholder, to achieve a method to apply its R&D levy for the whole of the industry, for both P. monodon and F. merguiensis. The application makes the case that as a transformational model for profitability through innovative technologies this project delivers industry wide outcomes
Final report
Seafarm, at Cardwell, for most of the last 20 years, has been Australia’s largest prawn farm and the major producer of Banana Prawns. This producer wanted to understand and resolve the suspected inbreeding/ loss of diversity issues, and if necessary, redesign their breeding program to ensure it would be sustainable in the long term. This project attempted a “forensic” examination of a prawn selection program with the intention that the information would help make the program more sustainable and contribute foundation knowledge of what likely happens in such mass selection programs conducted by other companies on organisms with very high fecundities. It was also tested whether hepatopacreatic parvovirus (HPV) was under genetic control.
This project was able to provide genetic management information that promoted increased productivity at Seafarm, helping to revise their genetic breeding program to mitigate inbreeding and restore allelic diversity. The revised program has halted further inbreeding; increased the diversity in the crossed lined; lifted the growth of the outcrossed lines vs the inbred lines; and accelerated the rate of selection response.