Anaesthetics are currently used on an ad hoc basis within the Australian abalone aquaculture industry, and are only available under veterinary prescription. Any use outside of veterinary prescription is a breach of law. There is a need to develop and apply information already available on the use of anaesthetics on abalone to Australian cultured species, and to identify and research gaps in that information. The aim of this project is to develop anaesthetics for use in the abalone aquaculture industry, with the ultimate aim of accumulating sufficient information for application to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) for product registration. Applications to the APVMA to register chemicals require exhaustive documentation of product safety, product quality, efficacy, environmental safety and an analysis of potential residues so that export restrictions can be addressed. Once this information is collated and submitted to the APVMA, registration will allow farmers to apply their choice of anaesthetic with confidence that their use is efficacious, safe, and will not affect exports. Providing a choice of registered anaesthetics for abalone growers will improve husbandry practices and provide certainty when exporting to international markets and developing the Australian market. The Australian Abalone Growers’ Association (AAGA) has identified this as a priority for research, and it will contribute to the Finfish Theme Business plan directly through production interventions impacting on product quality, and the A, B, Sea Theme Business plan. It is innovative in that it combines both the requirements of a PhD, namely independent scientific research in a new area, with the practical outcome of providing information required for product registration with the APVMA.