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“Ready, set, go!” preparing for emergency disease outbreaks in aquatic animals

Project number: 2021-048

Project Status:

Current

Budget expenditure: $190,000.00

Principal Investigator: Ingo Ernst

Organisation: Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry

Project start/end date: 9 Mar 2023 - 18 Dec 2025

Contact:

FRDC

SPECIES

Barramundi

Prawns

Oysters

Need

This project is focused on improving industry and government preparedness to respond to nationally significant exotic disease outbreaks and in doing so, protect or minimise the impacts of exotic diseases on profitability and productivity. There are national preparedness arrangements in place however (fortunately) many of these have yet to be used in a real-world response, including the AQUAVETPLAN response manuals which outline technical response arrangements and the draft Aquatic Deed which outlines how costs and managing emergency responses will be shared among industry and government. Prospective parties are currently considering whether they will ratify the draft Aquatic Deed. This project is not dependent on whether the deed is ratified and can be adapted to the circumstances of existing response arrangements.

This project addresses the need to test existing contingency planning arrangements for some nationally important exotic diseases to increase shared understanding among industry and governments of their responsibilities and capabilities that they can bring to a response. The main objective is to test arrangements and identify any gaps in peace time for how a response can be undertaken most cost effectively. For governments, this includes understanding operational aspects of industry including assets that could be used for a response. For industry, it includes understanding any gaps in preparedness in particular operational gaps and identifying where and how they could be addressed in peace time.

Scenario-based discussion exercises are a cost-effective way of validating the procedures or processes and are valuable for building the knowledge and preparedness of participating organisations (governments and industry). Conducting a series of exercises based on existing contingency arrangements will contribute to closing the gaps between current capability and current needs and improve levels of preparedness for priority exotic diseases.

Objectives

1. To test that technical response arrangements are fit for purpose and include sufficient practical information for use in a response.

2. Gaps in preparedness or areas of difficulty in responding to a disease outbreak are identified and solutions found without the pressure of a real-world response

3. Promote a common understanding among industry and government about roles, responsibilities and expectations during an emergency response, including at a farm, state and national level.

National Seafood Industry Leadership Program 2018 - 2021

Project number: 2017-003

Project Status:

Current

Budget expenditure: $933,988.00

Principal Investigator: Jill Briggs

Organisation: Affectus Pty Ltd

Project start/end date: 31 Dec 2017 - 30 Dec 2020

Contact:

FRDC

TAGS

Need

FRDC has developed the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. The plan details the areas of investment for the industry and provides direction regarding the leadership requirements for the Australia seafood industry. Relevant sections of that document state the following:-
“All sectors of Australian fishing and aquaculture need strong, effective, connected leadership to respond well to the challenges and opportunities before them...Having strong leadership capacity will generate strong fishing and aquaculture communities that are productive, profitable and resilient to change, therefore people development remains an important focus for RD&E...projects include the National Seafood Industry Leadership Program"

The above indicates the ongoing need and support for the NSILP 2018-2020. Additionally, although the NSILP 2015-2017 project is yet to be fully evaluated, there is data indicating a significant increase industry need for the NSILP. This data includes 70 unsuccessful applicants over the course of the project time frame; applicant nominators requesting the reason for unsuccessful application responses and; extremely high caliber applicants who should be accepted into the NSILP being ‘rejected’ over two consecutive years. However, the greatest need remains the ongoing succession of the industry and the need for ongoing opportunity to skill-up and build the knowledge of the individuals who will step into leadership roles.

The NSILP 2018-2020 will address the needs discussed above through providing skill development in key leadership areas such as inter-personal communication, team building and strategy planning. The NSILP will also build industry sector understanding through ensuring an annual diverse participant cohort and seek guests and program speakers who reflect industry breadth and deliver addresses that reflect the range of the industry. The NSILP will raise the positive profile of the industry through building professionalism amongst the participants and through the delivery of a number of participant addresses to the industry.