This Project is essential for the development of a cohesive research and development approach aimed at meeting the priority needs of the SBT
Ranching Industry. The industry has developed rapidly since its initiation in 1990 and has the opportunity to continue to do so; however targeted research and development is needed to underpin this development and to assure the long-term sustainability of the industry in an increasingly competitive international market.This project provides the basis for the reinvigorated SBT Research Program.

The SBT Research Programincludes a management structure to oversee the active research projects and ensure they
1. achieve the desired outcomes;
2. provides a focused strategy for disseminating research results to industry and obtaining feedback;
3. define research priorities
4. ensures that the minimum level of duplication occurs in the provision of research services;
5. provide a focus for SBT ranched research and sucessional planning of key persons;
6. addresses industry priorities by establishing a mechanism to empower industry's involvement in their research;
7. establishes a framework to ensure that SBT ranched research is orderly and targeted;
8. disseminates, where appropriate, research information to stakeholders.

Opportunities also exist for the development of further research proposals targeted at other research and development funding agencies (eg.
ARC Linkage, AusIndustry and DAFF 9Program to replace Food Processing Regional Australia Program ). These research proposals will address research priorities as defined in the FRDC SBT Aquaculture (Wild- Capture) Strategic R&D Plan – Towards 2012: Striving for a Profitable and Sustainable Future.

NEED
This project is essential for cost effective and cohesive R&D aimed at meeting the priority needs of the
highly successful SBT aquaculture industry. While the industry has developed rapidly since its initiation in
1990, R&D is a pivotal requirement to underpin its development and assure the long-term sustainability of
the industry. This project is focused on maintaining an offshore SBT R&D capability.

It involves providing services to support to research activities undertaken on and around offshore commercial tuna farms including managing and coordinating the infrastructure for small scale, experimental, high risk and/or novel research and development activities utilizing live SBT.

These services have been and continue to be required by a range of projects managed by the SBT Aquaculture Subprogram (the specific scientific methods associated with each research project are developed more fully within the relevant project).

This project will:
1) ensure high quality technical services are provided in Port Lincoln to tuna researchers in a coordinated
way. These services are provided for experiments primarily on commercial tuna farms and the waters adjacent to these.
2) ensure that the use of the available resources is optimized and that a minimum level of duplication
occurs;
3) enable the costs associated with these activities to be clearly distinguished;
4) play a key role in communication between researchers and tuna farmers, as the project staff is based in
Port Lincoln, the centre of commercial activities.

This project will provide support for scientists involved in effectively undertaking research using the new commercial (industry) seacage research platform, where research with live tuna will occur on commercial farms. This strategy has the advantage of conducting research in the most appropriate circumstances to achieve the desired outcome. The greater industry involvement in this project, through the involvement of an experienced industry operator, also has the advantage of improving the transfer of research outcomes to industry, involving industry to a greater extent in the evaluation of outcomes, enhancing industry development of innovative technologies and practices to address commercial issues,and disseminating information more representative of their commercial operations. All these aspects are important in facilitating the take up and commercialization of the research outcomes.

This project is essential for cohesive research and development aimed at meeting the priority needs of the highly successful tuna aquaculture industry. While the industry has developed rapidly since its initiation in 1990, research and development is a pivotal requirement to underpin its development and assure the long-term sustainability of the industry.

This project is focussed on managing and coordinating the infrastructure for small scale, experimental, high risk and/or novel research and development activities utilising live SBT. These services have been and continue to be required by a range of projects managed by the SBT Aquaculture Subprogram (the specific scientific methods associated with each research project is developed more fully within the relevant project).
This project will:
1) ensure that an experimental system with live SBT is available for researchers focussing on the R&D priorities of the tuna farming industry;
2) ensure that the use of the available resources is optimised and that a minimum level of duplication occurs;
3) enable the costs associated with these activities to be clearly distinguished;
4) play a key role in communication between researchers and tuna farmers as the project staff are based in Port Lincoln, the centre of commercial activities.
Larger scale pilot commercial trials are now recognised to be more effectively undertaken by commercial
farmers with their larger pontoons, commercial stocking densities and more wave-exposed sites. This strategy also has the advantage of improving the transfer of research outcomes to industry, involving industry to a greater extent in the evaluation of outcomes, enhancing industry development of innovative technologies and practices to address commercial issues, and disseminating information more representative of their commercial operations. All these aspects are important in facilitating the take up and commercialisation of the research outcomes.