Although the abalone and oyster industries and relevant jurisdictions have implemented a range of measures to mitigate the risks of major diseases of concern (i.e. AVG, POMS), both industry sectors still lack a nationally consistent, agreed approach to biosecurity.

An industry-wide biosecurity plan is a critical component of health accreditation programs to facilitate safe interjurisdictional and international trade in aquatic animals. Minimum biosecurity standards must meet importing jurisdiction or country requirements, so it is vital that these plans are recognised by state government authorities and implemented by industry. Note that for interstate trade, requirements generally outline that oyster or abalone livestock only be sourced from land-based facilities with high level (auditable) biosecurity.

The abalone industry require movement of broodstock between farms to improve genetic family lines. A national Abalone Health Accreditation Program (developed by SCAAH) provides guidance for land-based abalone farms to demonstrate freedom of AVG for the purpose of trade. Biosecurity and surveillance requirements form the basis of the health accreditation program. A nationally agreed biosecurity plan (guidance document) specific to land-based abalone farms, which identifies specific disease risks and provides recommended systems to mitigate those (and potential emergent) risks, is now required to assist farmers in developing their own farm biosecurity plans.

Similarly, for the oyster industry both biosecurity and surveillance are required to demonstrate freedom of POMS (and mitigation of potential other emergent biosecurity risks). This is particularly important for consideration of movement of hatchery reared spat (juveniles) from areas of known infection to areas not known to be affected by POMS. These two fundamental requirements (biosecurity and surveillance) are outlined in South Australia’s draft import protocols for spat sourced from oyster hatcheries. Nationally agreed guidelines for oyster hatchery biosecurity plans are now required to facilitate trade in oyster spat.

While the voluntary contributions to industry marketing is impressive, these marketing initiatives are unlikely to be sustained in the longer term without some form of compulsory levy. To secure on the key CRC legacies and capitalise on market research investments made by the CRC, FRDC and industry there is a need to support "first movers" who are actively attempting to establish compulsory marketing levies that will in turn support ongoing marketing efforts.

In December 2013, legislation enabling FRDC to collect and disperse compulsory marketing levies was passed. However, as there are likely to be many issues that will need to be resolved before an industry can satisfy the 12 principles and request the government to strike a levy. The ACA and APFA Boards have both passed resolutions to pursue a levy and have asked the Seafood CRC and FRDC to assist. FRDC have agreed to assist the APFA. The ACA is expected to be a far more complex process involving 5 producing states with inactive and active industry participants and will require significantly more resources and time to achieve success. the CRC Board has agreed to invest company "own funds" to support the ACA to undertake an industry stakeholder engagement process and prepare a levy submission that will satisfy the requirements of the Department of Agriculture and importantly the Minister who will make the ultimate decision as to whether a levy can be struck.

The ACA and APFA levy processes will be undertaken concurrently enabling efficiencies to be gained and lessons to be shared. All non commercial in confidence materials will be shared with other industry sectors who may wish to pursue a compulsory marketing levy in the future.

This study will provide a better understanding of the importance of scale relationships between benthic habitat, oceanography, and biology and their independent and interactive impact on larval dispersal, settlement and productivity in the Victorian blacklip abalone Haliotis rubra, and southern rock lobster Jasus edwardsii fisheries. Understanding the scale of these relationships is critical for spatial management in determining the sharing of responsibility between Government as the regulator and Industry as the lead for the implementation of voluntary and appropriately scaled management strategies.

Population dynamics, habitat availability, complexity, and physiography determining dispersal, settlement, survivorship and growth need to be considered in order to understand the primary drivers of productivity on local geographical scales, and the resilience of fishing stocks to fishing pressure and threats associated with environmental change, including pests and disease. Importantly, and pertinent to species such as southern rock lobster with prolonged planktonic larval phases, understanding these dynamics on broad spatial and temporal scales will assist in determining the dependency of Victorian fisheries on interstate recruitment sources.

These factors will be explored using a multidisciplinary approach involving geospatial, oceanographic and biophysical modelling, and genomic technologies providing industry with a framework for guiding future management decisions. Outputs from this study will provide industry with data and guidelines for assessing the resilience or vulnerabilities of specific fishing stocks to overharvesting or environmental disturbance, and the potential for natural replenishment in the event of stock depletion. Ultimately this will help guide where stock restoration and enhancement activities are needed to catalyse recovery, or where reef closures may be beneficial for recovery.