Seafood CRC: a business plan for the Australian barramundi industry

Project number: 2008-751
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $3,550.00
Principal Investigator: Graham Dalton
Organisation: Australian Barramundi Farmers Association (ABFA)
Project start/end date: 8 Jul 2008 - 24 Jul 2008
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Waste
Reproduction
Nutrition
Marketing
Fisheries Management
SPECIES
Barramundi

Need

The Business Plan is needed to define the priorities and allocate the financial and human resources available to the Asutralian Barramundi Farmers Association.
The previously developed Strategic plan listed a large number of important projects, but these now need to be prioritised after consideration of:
. available resources
. what is critical to industry development now
. what can be put off until more resources are avaialble
. what can or will be done elsewhere in the wider industry even if the ABFA does not allocate the resources.
The business plan will enable budgets to be set and industry development to be undertaken with a reasonable consideration of what is achievable.
Perhaps most importanlty for a management plan. this will identify what is not going to be attempted.
The industry and Association will be able to focus its efforts on what can be achieved. It will ensure resources are allocated efficiently and effectively.

Objectives

1. The development of a business plan, agreed by the Association and key industry stakeholders, that identifies the key strategic priorities to be achieved in the next three years, allocates responsibilties for managing the plan and identifies the financial and other resources required.

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-925982-07-7
Author: Graham Dalton
Final Report • 2010-06-01 • 200.33 KB
2008-751-DLD.pdf

Summary

Objective:

The development of a business plan agreed by the ABFA and key stakeholders that identifies the key priorities to be achieved over the next three years, allocates responsibilities for managing the plan and identifies the financial and other resources required.

Related research

All research
research
Industry
Industry
Industry

Seafood CRC: Development of a genetic management and improvement strategy for Australian cultured Barramundi

Project number: 2008-758
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $31,132.58
Principal Investigator: Nicholas A. Robinson
Organisation: Flinders University
Project start/end date: 29 Nov 2008 - 30 Mar 2009
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Stock Assessment
Reproduction
Husbandry
Aquaculture
SPECIES
Barramundi

Need

The Australian barramundi industry (through ABFA) have long appreciated the potential for improving the sustainability and profitability of production through the appropriate implementation of genetic management and improvement of the species. However, previous attempts to develop a coordinated national strategy for this species have not met with success due to a poor understanding of possible models by which a breeding program within the industry can be implemented, the resources required for implementation and the potential benefits that will arise from a successful breeding program. ABFA views the investment in the Seafood CRC as an opportunity to catalyse efforts towards an industry wide approach to the sustainable and economically viable genetic management and improvement strategy for cultured barramundi.

ABFA prepared a TO for the proposed scoping study identifying the following needs and researchable constraints to the development of a barramundi genetic management/improvement strategy:

• lack of a broad, industry wide, understanding of the potential benefits (and risks) associated with genetic management and improvement
• a lack of a clear understanding of the resources (human, economic, infrastructure and genetic) required for the implementation of genetic management and improvement in this species
• gaps in knowledge required for the implementation of genetic improvement including key genetic parameters and economic weights of traits that could be improved.
• limited information on the genetic status of existing hatchery broodstock and thus their potential as founder stocks for genetic breeding programs
• lack of clear guidelines on appropriate genetic improvement strategies

Objectives

1. To review existing barramundi-related genetic knowledge to identify relevant research and where the R&D gaps preventing instigation of barramundi breeding programs presently exist
2. To develop research options that will fill the knowledge gap currently impeding commencement of targeted breeding programs. This will be achieved through consultation with CRC R&D providers and industry.
3. To identify, through direct engagement with industry and R&D providers, the levels of infrastructure and resources that are available to undertake collaborative genetics related R&D
4. Undertake a genetic audit of available hatchery stocks, using established genetic marker systems, to provide a census of captured genetic variation and genealogical relationships among broodstock. This information will be essential for establishing commercial breeding programs, and could be used to identify suitable broodstock for CRC related research, if supported by the commercial company owning the fish.
5. To identify opportunities for additional industry investment in barramundi genetic improvement and related research through consultation with both ABFA and non-ABFA barramundi farmers and other industry groups and the stakeholders in the CRC Breeding for Profit Research Theme.
6. Undertake a prioritisation exercise to identify traits that should be targeted in future R&D and selection programs based on estimation of the economic weights of key traits and consultation with industry members.
7. Conduct a benefit cost analysis of the effective and appropriate implementation of genetic improvement strategies
8. Identify ABFA training needs in genetic management and improvement and raise awareness of the potential benefits of genetic improvement to the industry
9. Utilising all the information gathered in 1-8 above, identify one or more strategies for the implementation of a nationally coordinated genetic management and improvement program for cultured barramundi. The strategies to be prioritized, and implementation plans drafted, in consultation with ABFA.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-9805789-1-1
Author: Dr Nick Robinson & Dr Dean Jerry
Final Report • 2009-03-01 • 1.40 MB
2008-758-DLD.pdf

Summary

The aim of this study was to review existing Barramundi-related genetic knowledge to identify relevant research and where the R&D gaps preventing instigation of Barramundi breeding programs presently exist. They identified and prioritised the research and steps that need to be taken to establish a sound program for genetic improvement of Barramundi farmed in Australia. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with selective breeding were analysed, a risk analysis performed and suggestions for risk management made. Barramundi genetic knowledge and constraints to Barramundi genetic improvement were reviewed. A research and development strategy, linking research topics into larger collaborative projects, was developed to address these issues. Some basic options for selective breeding were modelled and the benefit-costs compared. The models predict that even under these basic options, selective breeding would be profitable and of high benefit to the industry.

The study predicts that the continuously improved seedstock supplied by an industry wide selective breeding program for Australian Barramundi should stimulate expansion, raise profitability and improve international competitiveness of the industry.