Project number: 2009-315.16
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $38,000.00
Principal Investigator: Susan Gibson-Kueh
Organisation: Aquaculture Council Of Western Australia Inc
Project start/end date: 31 Jul 2011 - 29 Aug 2012
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Aquaculture health and biosecurity are complex multidisciplinary areas that require specialized human resource development (van Beek 1997). There is a wealth of lessons to be learnt from more established aquaculture industries. As each industry is unique in fish species farmed and local environmental issues, there is a need to process information into a practical biosecurity plan.

The Western Australian aquaculture industry is regionalized, with large distances between centres of activity. Ready access to veterinarians with expertise in fish and shellfish is rare, often resulting in heavy losses. There is a need to
increase/consolidate knowledge amongst fish farm managers & operational staff in aquaculture health. Involving local veterinarians will improve access to fish health services. The workshops will create greater networking allowing fish farm managers and their local veterinarians the small pool of veterinarians within Fisheries and Universities with experience in fish and shellfish health

The above need is consistent with WA industry's RDE priorities, FRDC's environmental program theme 1

Objectives

1. Develop & run 2-day workshops on biosecurity, aquaculture health and emergency response targeted at fish farm managers, key operational staff and their local veterinarians, to critically review current operations using available information, identify gaps and develop a biosecurity action plan for future improvements
2. To further develop the technical network using the plan developed to improve fish health and biosecurity on farm
3. Run 1 day follow-up workshop, six months after final 1st workshop to review progress and decide what, how to go from here.
4. Publish online biosecurity tool kit for the australian aquaculture industry

Final report

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