The establishment and further development of diagnostic capability for the detection and identification of RSIV is required as part of the enhancement of Aquatic Animal Health in Australia as envisaged by AQUAPLAN and the FRDC Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram. Marine aquaculture in Australia is on the threshold of a major expansion (ACIL Consulting 1999, Aquaculture beyond 2000) for which disease incursions are considered a significant threat. The establishment of AQUAPLAN and the FRDC Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram has allowed the development of contingencies should emergency disease outbreaks occur.

Aquaculture, including mariculture, is featured in Federal and State Governments’ strategic plans and is seen as providing Australia, especially regional Australia, with many benefits, such as economic and employment growth, additional income for the rural sector, regional development, and increased exports. An example of this growth is tuna (Thunnus macoyii) farming which has developed rapidly from an R&D project supported by the South Australian Government and the Tuna Boat Owners Association of Australia in the early 1990s to a multimillion dollar sector which currently includes more than 12 farming areas. The majority of product is sold fresh chilled to Japanese markets (SAFRAB, 1998).

Further examples include snapper (Pagrus auratus) farming which was initiated more recently as R&D projects in Western Australia and South Australia and has developed into a commercial industry with plans for further expansion, and yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) is another species currently farmed in South Australia with potential for expansion.

Related species from the Thunnus, Pagrus and Seriola genera are reported to be susceptible to RSIV (Matsuoka at al. 1996; OIE, 2000).

References
ACIL Consulting. 1999. Aquaculture beyond 2000. Facilitator's Report, prepared by Denis Hussey, Senior Associate, ACIL Consulting, on a workshop, Changing Direction, held 23-24 August 1999, Canberra.

SAFRAB. 1998. http://www.fishresearch.sa.gov.au/home.htm

http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/aqua/broc/aqwa/snapper/index.html

Matsuoka S, Inouye K. & Nakajima K. 1996. Cultured fish species affected by red sea bream iridoviral disease from 1991 to 1995. Fish Pathol 31: 233-234.

OIE. 2000. OIE Diagnostic Manual for Aquatic Animal Diseases, 3rd edition.

This 0.5 FTE postdoc will fit within the Marine Finfish theme and has targeted outcomes meeting with AS-CRC Research Program 1 – Value Chain Profitability, Output 1.3 Removal or reduction of key production constraints in selected aquaculture systems. The focus in this area will be on Milestone 1.1.3 Strategic disease management approaches and technologies developed, and 1.3.5 Production efficiency gains from genetic, health management and nutritional interventions quantified to inform long-term strategies and estimate commercial benefits.