The present project relates principally to Programs 1 (Environment) & 2 (Industry) of the FRDC’s Strategic priority areas. Specifically the project will increase the gross value of production, profit margins, productivity and opportunity (Theme 7) for Huon, through providing the company with a means to expand operations into offshore and more exposed fish farming areas. The successful use of the well-boat also extends to Theme 1 through providing a means to prevent and manage disease incursions through providing a biosecure vessel for transferring fish between marine sites.

On a broad operational level the project is needed in order to:
1) Allow the company to expand offshore
2) Ensure the cost effective use of the well-boat at inshore and offshore sites
3) Provide low risk SOP’s for bathing on board the well-boat

To make the use of the well-boat cost effective Huon has to both reduce the time for bathing so that more baths can be undertaken during appropriate weather conditions, and the well boat has to be able to reuse freshwater or find a method for bathing in seawater that will greatly reduce the need to return to shore-based freshwater fill stations to re-load with freshwater as all fill stations are at least 50kms from the exposed water sites.

Increasing direct trading arrangements would reduce the risks of financial loss and disruptions to trade and would also facilitate transparency along the value chain, provide opportunities for product promotion and enable industry to understand the purchase decisions of end users. However, within the industry there is some uncertainty and concern about how to achieve a transition to direct trade.

To facilitate this transition additional research is required on:

• The protocols, forms, customs clearance processes and costs for direct import into various cities within China.
• The legal and regulatory requirements, appropriate business structures and import quotas required for direct trade.
• Identification of the risks and benefits of direct trade for individual companies.
• Assessment of the short and long term impacts on existing Chinese importers and how they and their businesses will be affected by an increase in direct trade.

Facilitating the development of new relationships with importers willing to direct import into traditional markets and other regions within China.
Several Southern and Western Rock Lobster exporters have indicated a commitment to supporting pilot studies of direct trading activities.

Harmful algae pose a serious threat to human health, with significant economic implications for aquaculture and wild-harvest sectors. The IOC Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms (2013) identified “likely intensification of problems associated with eutrophication and stress on coastal marine ecosystems”. Priorities identified included “developing and enhancing expertise for monitoring purposes”, and ”the pivotal role of taxonomy in scientific research, monitoring and management activities” related to HAB events.

Recent Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PST) events in Tasmania affected many seafood sectors (wild harvest and aquaculture), resulting in an estimated wider economic loss of $25 million, and on-going risks to trade. Industry and regulators highlighted the need for timely and accurate identification of potentially harmful species, and the value of phytoplankton testing as a cost-effective predictive early-warning tool. Identifying the presence of HAB species typically triggers further levels of testing, and/or active management strategies to reduce risk. The PST Review (FRDC 2012/060) defined international best practice, including access to “technically competent laboratories, and laboratory scientists and taxonomists.” The review specifically identified the IOC training course, and the importance of proficiency testing programs for analysts and laboratories involved in phytoplankton identification and research. Taxonomists need to be familiar with all potentially toxic species, especially in light of changing environmental conditions, and range expansions of marine species.

SafeFish have indicated that contemporary information on IOC standards and protocols are urgently needed to develop standardised methods for counting and identification, and ASQAAC ranked this as the highest priority at its recent meeting (April 2014).

The importance of quantitative assessment and linkage between freshwater flows and ecological outcomes has been increasingly recognised in recent years. Information is particularly lacking for estuarine fisheries in Australia. The CLLAMM region supports a significant local economy based on irrigation/agriculture/tourism and commercial/recreational fisheries. The region also has a high biodiversity value, recognised by Ramsar wetland and Living Murray Icon Site status. However, the economy and biodiversity values of the region are currently under threat due to the reduction in flows from abstraction upstream. A number of environmental flow and engineering options are currently being considered to help improve the social, economic and environmental values of the system including ecologically sustainable fisheries. However, there is a lack of biophysical system knowledge required to assess and predict the potential environmental benefits of the different management options. Knowledge gaps include flow-related fish ecology-critical for water management to enhance spawning/recruitment of native fish (key objective of the Environmental Management Plan).

In recent years, state/commonwealth policies on fisheries management have been developed to ensure ecological sustainability of fisheries. The Lakes&Coorong Fishery management plan has identified flows as an important issue impacting key commercial/recreational species (mulloway, black bream, flounder, callop and Goolwa cockle). However, there is little research on specific flow/habitat requirements of these fish. This knowledge gap was identified on a recent National Estuarine-Flows-Workshop. Quantitative data is needed to inform sustainable management of fisheries and water resources.

This project is mainly to address flow-related ecology of key fish species of commercial/recreational/conservation or ecological significance (black bream, greenback flounder, yellow-eye mullet, congolli and goby sp.) in the Murray Estuary&Coorong, with a focus on reproductive biology and recruitment processes; whilst complementary work will be undertaken to investigate fish movement/migration by Bronwyn Gillander under CLLAMMecology. PI will work in collaboration with Bronwyn and other CLLAMM researchers.