142 results

Seafood CRC: research, develop and trial new Australian wild caught abalone products in China

Project number: 2010-776
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $36,700.97
Principal Investigator: Karen McNaughton
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 30 Apr 2011 - 1 Nov 2012
Contact:
FRDC

Need

This project has been developed following the discovery of a number of issues in the direct supply of the product to the China market during the progress of current project 2009/723. These, if not addressed, pose a risk to the sustainable success of this market development initiative. However, the scope to fix these problems is outside the scope of the current project.

The specific issues that need addressing are:
1. The current wild caught abalone product being supplied to the trial restaurants of the program is not always presented to support the premium positioning. There appear to be issues with current processes and packaging that affect the product quality that have been seen by the project team during market reviews in China. Inconsistency in product quality heightens regulatory and customer scrutiny of quality and safety parameters.
- The project will provide technical expertise and experimental support to assist current suppliers in optimising raw materials, labour, equipment and packaging and to develop a quality criteria system to supply product that meets the premium positioning in the current project.

2. There is currently a low level of engagement between the importers and the end user and consumer (restaurants and their customers). As the current project builds customer relationships, we have the opportunity to work closely with them to:
- supply the technical requirements to ensure that authentic, safe quality products (current and new) are available through the direct supply channel to China.
- develop new products variants based on direct end user feedback on what are required for the market. Development of new products and a market for them will help remove the price volatility and supply issues associated with a mainly live market and overcome one of the barriers to having Australian wild caught abalone on premium restaurant menus.

Objectives

1. To identify and implement optimised post-harvest value-added processes with current suppliers of project 2009/723 to ensure product meets the premium positioning and product compliance.
2. To develop, trial and evaluate a range of new Australian wild caught abalone products (from concept to test market), with current suppliers to end users in project 2009/723.
3. To provide technical support to supply products (existing and new) through the direct supply channel to China that meets all regulatory requirements..

Seafood CRC: prevention and control of maturation to address multiple key abalone production constraints

Project number: 2010-767
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $131,147.83
Principal Investigator: Natasha Botwright
Organisation: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Project start/end date: 28 Feb 2011 - 27 Feb 2014
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Maturation is a complex issue with key abalone production issues in;

Health
There is a concordance between maturation and the spawning process, immune status and pathogen susceptibility. These factors may combine with elevated water temperatures contributing to summer mortalities.

Reduced production
Gonad is commercially undesirable, as this results in lost opportunity for conversion of feed to growth. Reduced profitability occurs as a result of increases in gonad weight where frozen or canned abalone products are based on meat weight and through decreases in gonad weight due to pre-harvest spawning of live product sold on whole weight.

Broodstock conditioning
Most farms now utilise closed life cycle breeding. This relies on the use of mass selected or genetically selected broodstock that are ready for synchronised spawning on demand. To make the greatest gains the industry needs to breed from select elite individuals rather than from a select group of abalone. The industry is not able to select an individual with 100% confidence for spawning.

Product Quality
Animal health provides industry with confidence in their product all year. Currently the industry has reduced confidence in the quality of live abalone exports over the summer. The fragile nature of spawning and maturing animals and the stress involved in transport and holding leads to increased mortality risks during transport. Consequently some exporters reduce or cease exports during this time.

The ability to prevent maturation will provide the Australian temperate abalone industry with a competitive edge by reducting mortality, increasing growth and improving delivery of live product to market. Controlling maturation will assist in breeding. The key to achieving these outcomes is to first gain an understanding of the maturation process at the molecular level. This will provide the knowledge to initiate development of new technologies and/or interventional strategies to address these key industry issues.

Objectives

1. To establish molluscan specific neuropeptide databases that will underpin abalone maturation tissue studies
2. Develop reliable sample collection, preservation, laboratory processing of abalone maturation tissues to ensure optimal analyses by mass spectrometry
3. To undertake mass spectroscopy and bioinformatic analyses of samples to map neuropeptides throughout the maturation cycle in different tissues and stages of maturation
4. Select candidates that may be useful for prevention and control of maturation for validation
5. Select candidates responsible for influencing decreased gamete condition and spawning success over successive seasons
6. Undertake development of a non-destructive sampling technique for monitoring of animal responses to experimental intervention strategies

Seafood CRC: ACA market intelligence study tour to Beijing, China - combination industry bursary, research travel grant and student internship

Project number: 2010-760
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $10,575.45
Principal Investigator: Joanne Freeman
Organisation: University of the Sunshine Coast (USC)
Project start/end date: 26 Jul 2010 - 30 Dec 2010
Contact:
FRDC

Need

China is a significant market for ACA members and one where significant investment is already directed. China is a rapidly growing and rapidly changing market providing many challenges to ACA members wishing to develop sustainable business relationships as traditional supply chains to China are changing providing opportunities for Australian abalone product to enter Beijing direct being positioned as a premium quality product.

Consequently there is a need to develop both a research capacity and an industry skill base to enable the rapidly emerging opportunities for ACA exports to China. This project proposes a China research field trip involving 5 research students, 1 industry representative, 1 research internship student who is already working collaboratively with ACA focusing on a specific market sector for ACA in Beijing and the research Leader Dr Joanne Freeman. The market research field trip will be complemented by a formal education framework to enable both a commercial and academic perspective to be taken. The team as a whole whould gain a greater awareness of the role and significance of the Chinese seafood industry and how this awareness relates to opportunities for ACA members.

The market research field trip will provide industry participants and research students with the ability to compare and contrast markets (Australia and China) and to prepare actionable interpretive reports based on research findings. Furthermore, industry and students will attain an appreciation of a foreign culture as well as an awareness of cross cultural influences on business relevant to the Australian seafood industry.

This project also provides the opportunity for students to link with industry as a way of creating more "industry-ready" graduates.

Objectives

1. To develop robust actionable China market intelligence reports for ACA members

Seafood CRC: market access for abalone - biotoxins

Project number: 2010-737
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $83,974.68
Principal Investigator: Alison Turnbull
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 29 Apr 2011 - 29 Mar 2014
Contact:
FRDC

Need

In 2010 marine biotoxins are being targeted by Chinese and Japanese authorities for import testing of Australian shellfish, including abalone. Australia is a major exporter of ‘wild caught’ abalone, with over 50 % of Australian abalone caught in 2008 exported to Hong Kong and China, therefore the results and cost of these import testing regimes can have a significant impact on this trade.

Codex are progressing an international abalone standard with proposed marine biotoxin testing components. These standards could require Australia to intensively sample abalone from the coast line and would have large cost implications for industry.

The EU have reduced requirements for biotoxins in abalone, however some end product testing of abalone for biotoxins is still required for access and this imposes additional cost on industry.

The proposed project involves testing of wild caught abalone for biotoxins. The core purpose of the data collected in the project is to improve the quality of the risk assessment. This risk assessment can then be used to support:
- negotiations towards risk based biotoxin testing requirements in the international Codex standard, and
- reduced testing requirements for abalone going to China, Japan and the EU (e.g. aim for no end product testing).

The project will also provide scientific information to support risk management strategies to assist in decision making if biotoxins ever do become an issue for abalone in Australia.

An objective in the strategic plan of the Abalone Council of Australia (ACA) is to “Determine the product quality and integrity parameters specific to each product type”. In relation to this objective, the ACA have strongly supported the development of this project, which aims to determine the quality of abalone with respect to marine biotoxins and will underpin future negotiations on international requirements for biotoxins in abalone.

Objectives

1. This project aims to reduce technical barriers to trade for Australian abalone in key markets sucsh as China, Japan and the EU. This will be delivered by using the risk assessment output of the project to negotiate risk based international biotoxin standards (at Codex)
2. A secondary aim of this project is to enhance R&D capability on marine biotoxins and market access in Australia. This project will be a collaborative effort between experienced NZ researchers in this field and Australia, in order to facilitate knowledge transfer to assist in capability building for broader industry benefits in Australia

Seafood CRC: maximising value by reducing stress-related mortality in wild harvested abalone

Project number: 2010-704
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $190,987.18
Principal Investigator: Craig Mundy
Organisation: University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Project start/end date: 31 Oct 2010 - 29 Feb 2012
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The Abalone Council of Australia (ACA) has clearly identified in their Strategic Plan (2007-2017) goals to have an Australian national wild abalone brand driven by a national Quality Assurance and Product Integrity Program, and to increase the industry GVP (in real terms) by 25% to $268 million in 2012 and by 50% to $321 million by 2017.

This project supports these goals, particularly a desire to increase the value of the abalone, by ensuring that animals in the best possible physiological condition are provided to the processor for live export. This project also encompasses the development of practices that ensure marine environmental sustainability, because animals that are not suitable or which cannot be transported to maintain optimal physiological status will not be harvested. The development of handling and transport protocols delivers into the desire for the industry to develop uniform Codes of Practice and product standards. Ultimately this will be about effectively managing harvest and the integrity of product going to market. This project will supporting ACA’s vision to work with fishers, processors and value adders to establish a whole-of-chain approach to creating premium Australian products and servicing consumers

Objectives

1. Quantify changes in stress levels in abalone from the time that they are removed from the reef to the point of export from the processors, including the live-holding period
2. Quantify how the magnitude of stress and the capacity to recover from stress is affected by the different natural factors time spent on the deck prior to packing in crates post-harvest, the extent and use of seawater immersion on the boat, the timing and frequency of water changes during transport, the influence of reproductive condition, and season of harvest.

Final report

ISBN: Hard copy - 978-1-86295-765-7 Electronic - 978-1-86295-766-4
Authors: Natalie Moltschaniwskyj Craig Mundy and James Harris
Final Report • 2014-08-01 • 1.29 MB
2010-704-DLD.pdf

Summary

The Abalone Council of Australia (ACA) has clearly identified in their Strategic Plan (2007-2017) goals to have an Australian national wild abalone brand driven by a national Quality Assurance and Product Integrity Program, and to increase the industry gross volume of production (in real terms) by 25% to $268 million in 2012 and by 50% to $321 million by 2017.

This project supported these goals, particularly a desire to increase the value of the abalone, by ensuring that animals in the best possible physiological condition are provided to the processor for live export. This project also encompassed the development of practices that ensure marine environmental sustainability, because animals that are not suitable or which cannot be transported to maintain optimal physiological status will not be harvested. The development of handling and transport protocols delivers into the desire for the industry to develop uniform Codes of Practice and product standards. Ultimately this will be about effectively managing harvest and the integrity of product going to market. This project supported ACA's vision to work with fishers, processors and value adders to establish a whole-of-chain approach to creating premium Australian products and servicing consumers

This project aimed to:.
  1. Quantify changes in stress levels in abalone from the time that they are removed from the reef to the point of export from the processors, including the live-holding period
  2. Quantify how the magnitude of stress and the capacity to recover from stress is affected by the different natural factors time spent on the deck prior to packing in crates post-harvest, the extent and use of seawater immersion on the boat, the timing and frequency of water changes during transport, the influence of reproductive condition, and season of harvest.

FRDC-DCCEE: changing currents in marine biodiversity governance and management: responding to climate change

Project number: 2010-532
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $314,966.34
Principal Investigator: Michael Lockwood
Organisation: University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Project start/end date: 16 Jan 2011 - 26 Sep 2013
Contact:
FRDC

Need

This project addresses the significant need identified in the NARP to review agility of conservation governance and management. The likely effects of human-induced climate change on marine biodiversity raise questions about adaptive capacity of current governance and management systems and their ability to support the resilience of marine biota. Governance directly influences whether resilience is undermined, preserved or strengthened (McCook et al. 2007). As noted in a 2009 House of Representatives Standing Committee report: “Given the projected severe impacts on the coastal zone from climate change … and the urgent need for adaptation strategies and resilience building, any hesitation in addressing the issues concerning governance arrangements for the coastal zone could have severe consequences”.

Furthermore, the “cornerstone of future success is an adaptive governance structure in which ecosystem management understanding is operationalized in day-to-day activities” (Barnes & McFadden 2008, p. 391). These conclusions point to a need for coherent and adaptive systems of marine biodiversity governance, planning and management. By providing understandings and strategies for this ‘future success’, we will answer the following high and medium priority NARP questions:

1. How should conservation managers and planners adapt their practices to ameliorate climate change risks and enhance adaptation?

2. What intervention strategies addressing nature conservation outcomes will increase system resilience?

3. How will governance for the conservation of marine biodiversity need to change to adapt to climate change impacts?

4. What are the barriers to implementing adaptation and effective policy responses?

The project will engage with conservation planning instituted under the National Oceans Policy, examining institutional governance, decision-making processes and types of instruments being deployed. Our research also addresses priorities established in state strategies – in NSW for example, the discussion paper on a new biodiversity strategy identified a need to refine adaptation planning and integrated management of marine reserves.

Objectives

1. To identify the requirements for adaptive marine biodiversity conservation governance and management in the context of climate change
2. To assess how well current regimes, with a particular focus on marine protected areas, meet these requirements, and determine any necessary changes
3. To identify alternatives to current regimes that are likely to enhance adaptivity and assess their governance and management effectiveness
4. To offer advice to governance and management authorities on how regime reform might be achieved

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-86295-924-8
Author: Michael Lockwood

Impact of management changes on the viability of Indigenous commercial fishers and the flow on effects to their communities: case study in NSW

Project number: 2010-304
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $74,087.00
Principal Investigator: Stephan B. Schnierer
Organisation: Southern Cross University (SCU) Lismore Campus
Project start/end date: 30 Sep 2010 - 30 Sep 2011
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Indigenous commercial fishers* (ICF) make up a small percentage of commercial fishers in NSW. They are usually small operators that;

(i) derive a personal income, and

(ii) many cases, supply some catch for local indigenous community consumption.

The NSW Indigenous Fisheries Strategy 2002 emphasized the importance of indigenous participation in the commercial fishing sector. A workshop conducted with ICF in 2003 identified obstacles to ongoing and future participation in the sector. Several issues were identified see 'A Draft Discussion Document and Action Plan. Developing the participation of Indigenous people in commercial fishing. A Report commissioned by NSW Fisheries '. One of the main issues identified was;

'The gradual and continuing decline of Aboriginal commercial fishers in the industry means loss of an accessible and appealing employment base for Aboriginal communities'.

To date little has been done to address the decline and recent communication with some ICF, particularly in far northern NSW, indicate that it is continuing. ICF indicate that ongoing changes to management approaches in NSW are making it even more difficult for them to stay now then previously.

There is an urgent need to analyse the possible impacts of new management changes (structural readjustment in NSW - see the Pyrmont Pact) on indigenous participation in commercial fisheries and to develop revised strategies that seek to maintain the existing levels and where possible increase indigenous involvement in commercial fisheries so as to address (i) and (ii) above.

*Here we are talking about indigenous participation in commercial fisheries, not cultural fisheries.

Objectives

1. Case study of indigenous commercial fisheries focussing initially on NSW as a basis for a national study
2. Determine the number of indigenous commercial fishers in NSW
3. Estimate the percentage of commercial catch made available to indigenous communities for personal consumption.
4. Identify management changes likely to impact indigenous participation in commercial fisheries and how they will impact.
5. Develop strategies to ameliorate the impacts of management change on indigenous participation in commercial fisheries.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-9874424-0-6
Author: Stephan Schnierer

Tactical Research Fund: Developing a dynamic regional brand - focus on flavour

Project number: 2010-228
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $74,923.00
Principal Investigator: Heather Smyth
Organisation: University of Queensland (UQ)
Project start/end date: 31 Jul 2011 - 31 Jan 2013
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The Eyre Peninsula seafood industry formed Brand Eyre Peninsula in 2006, a collaborative market development program aimed to increase sales and market position in the domestic and export market. Integral to the brand is the education of the species’ attributes to all key stakeholders of the value chain including seafood wholesalers, retailers, food service and media. The results of market development initiatives have been communicated to the owner, head buyer or executive chef of businesses, however, the program failed to support training for key staff such as restaurant front of house and retail counter staff. There is a need for a simple, cost effective training tool due to the high turnover of these positions.

Australian and export clients have consistently requested a “Seafood Flavour Wheel” to assist in menu planning and tasting notes for chefs and sommeliers. Once developed, this tool would be distributed to an initial 500 existing clients to support immediate industry and consumer education. The development of the “Seafood Flavour Wheel” has an extensive level of support from its current client base.

The proposed “Seafood Flavour Wheel” will be a training guide benchmark and has the potential to expand to an Australian guide, inclusive of all seafood species. Specifically, the development of the Eyre Peninsula “Seafood Flavour Wheel” will assist the lack of knowledge and appreciation for the flavours of a target group of seafood species specific to that region.

Equipped with this knowledge, a united industry marketing approach will effectively connect customers with an experience of the unique regional flavour qualities of Eyre Peninsula’s premium seafood. Through this experience, customers will learn to recognise the sensory attributes of Eyre Peninsula seafood and distinguish these products from those originating from other Australian and international regions.

Objectives

1. To develop a set of accurate and informative educational tools delivering against trade requirements
2. To establish the basis of a uniform and coordinated educational program that features a target list of seafood species available on the Eyre Peninsula including Southern Bluefin Tuna, Mussels, Pacific Oysters, Spencer Gulf Prawns, Yellowtail Kingfish, Sardines, Suzuki Mulloway, Marinescale, Abalone, Deep Sea Trawlfish and niche seafoods
3. To capture highly synchronised technical and creative communications

Seafood CRC: overseas market access for shellfish

Project number: 2009-752
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $5,000.98
Principal Investigator: Catherine McLeod
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 31 Aug 2009 - 30 Nov 2009
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The potential reduction of regulatory thresholds for marine biotoxins in the EU will have significant negative economic consequences for the Australian oyster, mussel, scallop and abalone industries (and pipi’s if domestic regulatory thresholds also changed).

The scallop, oyster and mussel industry currently export product to the EU. Total scallop exports to the EU in 2006/2007 were valued at around $4,551,000 AUD (187 t). Other mollusc (including oysters and mussels) exports to the EU in 2006/2007 were around $1,084,000 AUD (255 t). Due to the periodic occurrence of okadaic acid toxins and saxitoxins in Australian shellfish the implementation of reduced regulatory levels would reduce the amount of product eligible for export to the EU.

Exports of Australian abalone to the EU ceased in 2007, this was in part due to the enforcement of marine biotoxin regulatory limits by the EC. The wild caught abalone industry is attempting to regain market access to the EU through determining alternate risk management procedures for marine biotoxins in abalone. The reduction of regulatory levels for marine biotoxins may impinge on future EU access arrangements for Australian abalone.

Experience has repeatedly demonstrated that European decisions can impact on other more commercially significant markets, including Asia and the domestic market. Codex may also be prompted to change marine biotoxin guidance levels in response to EU changes. Wide spread adoption of reduced regulatory levels for marine biotoxins would result in increased growing area closures in Australia and less product eligible for sale. This proposal aims to assist in maintaining the current EU regulatory limits for marine biotoxins which will allow the current amount of shellfish to be exported to the EU and avoid other markets being influenced.

Objectives

1. Undertake robust technical review of the European Food Safety Authority risk assessments on saxitoxin and okadaic acid group toxins.
2. Submit the technical review and a rationale for maintaining current marine biotoxin regulatory limits to the European Commission.
3. Convene a working group to determine future steps required to mitigate potential lowering of marine biotoxin regulatory limits.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-9756044-8-9
Authors: Dr Catherine McLeod Dr John Sumner Dr Andreas Kiermeier
Final Report • 2011-02-24 • 1.18 MB
2009-752-DLD.pdf

Summary

The oyster, scallop and mussel industries currently export product to the EU. Due to the periodic occurrence of Okadaic Acid (OA) and Saxitoxin (STX) group toxins in Australian shellfish the implementation of reduced regulatory levels would reduce the amount of product eligible for EU export. Exports of Australian abalone to the EU ceased in 2007, due in part to the enforcement of marine biotoxin regulatory limits set by the EC. The wild caught abalone industry is attempting to regain EU market access through determining alternate risk management procedures for marine biotoxins in abalone.

The European Commission (EC) requested the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to assess the current European Union (EU) limits for shellfish regarding human health and methods of analysis for various marine biotoxins, including newly emerging toxins. A critical recommendation of the ‘EFSA Opinions’ is that the regulatory limits should be significantly lower (more stringent) for both OA and STX.

The objectives of this study were to:

  1. Undertake a robust technical review of the EFSA risk assessments on STX and OA group toxins.
  2. Submit the technical review and a rationale for maintaining current marine biotoxin regulatory limits to the EC.
  3. Convene a working group to determine future steps required to mitigate potential lowering of marine biotoxin regulatory limits.

Seafood CRC: analysis of product differentiation opportunities for Australian abalone - China based representative

Project number: 2009-723.40
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $59,111.23
Principal Investigator: George Chung
Organisation: Jader Pty Ltd
Project start/end date: 14 Apr 2011 - 14 Nov 2011
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Commercial in confidence. To know more about this project please contact FRDC.

Objectives

Commercial in confidence
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