Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Enhancement Of Emergency Disease Management Capability In The Queensland Department Of Primary Industries And The Redclaw Crayfish (Cherax Quadricarinatus) Industry
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$11,755.00
Summary
Few major disease incidents have occurred in Australian aquaculture, and as a result, State/Territory departments and industries have relatively little experience in incident management for emergency aquatic animal diseases. No jurisdiction to date, has conducted a large scale response to eradicate an exotic disease in aquaculture, and thus expertise in these areas is limited. In the absence of real-life emergency events to provide "on-the-job" training, simulation exercises provide a practica ....Few major disease incidents have occurred in Australian aquaculture, and as a result, State/Territory departments and industries have relatively little experience in incident management for emergency aquatic animal diseases. No jurisdiction to date, has conducted a large scale response to eradicate an exotic disease in aquaculture, and thus expertise in these areas is limited. In the absence of real-life emergency events to provide "on-the-job" training, simulation exercises provide a practical alternative to expose staff to aspects of emergency management.
The need for these exercises can be summarised as follows: 1. Both government and industries have relatively little experience with real emergencies 2. In some jurisdictions, there are no emergency plans extant and there is a lack of clarity about the roles and responsibilities of various individuals and departments especially where fisheries are managed separately from terrestrial animal industries. 3. The lack of previous disease incidents has lead to complacency within several industries 4. Lack of experience with emergency management will invariably lead to a delayed response to a disease emergency, and that in turn may lead to a greater spread of the disease, loss of Australia's disease free status and severe impacts on export industries.
All simulation exercises are initiated by requests from clients - both industry and government. Both the QDPI and the redclaw crayfish industry have requested the proposed exercise and actively support this proposal. The proposed exercise has also attracted interest from the NSW Department of Fisheries, the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries and the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries, all of whom have requested to send observers to the exercise. Objectives: 1. To examine and test the skills and abilities of the participants in group problem solving and decision making skills. 2. To increase the participants' knowledge of the communication routes to be used in an emergency disease response by working through a scenario which mimics a real emergency situation. 3. To improve the participants' ability to manage tasks by prioritising a number of competing demands during the operational phase of an emergency response. 4. To increase participants' understanding of the operational effects of specific requests to field staff operating at infected premises. 5. To familiarise participants with operating practices on a redclaw crayfish farm and to enhance the identification of methods of disease control applicable to this industry. 6. To identify key issues for future development of emergency management in a range of subjects including planning, communication, staffing and resourcing. Read moreRead less
Otolithic Age Determination Of Mature Southern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Maccoyii)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Collect otoliths from SBT >130 cm. Determine time & periodicity of otolith band formation, hence seasonal & yearly growth rates. Validate otolith age determination methods developed from juvenile SBT for mature SBT. Age determination method independent of
Direct Otolithic Ageing Of Southern Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus Maccoyii (Castlenau), Exploited By The Australian Fishery
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Validate CSIRO-developed otolithic ageing techniques. 2. Determine timing & periodicity of otolith check formation, hence growth season at different ages & geographical areas. 3. Method to partition into age classes independent of modal analysis & that derived from growth curves ex tag data
Parameters For Stock Yield Assessments In The Developing Orange Roughy And Blue Grenadier Fisheries
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Determine, for both orange roughy and blue grenadier, age and age/length relationships, age at recruitment and maturity, and estimates of total mortality from which natural mortality may be estimated
Study Of The Reproductive Biology Of The Southern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Maccoyii (Castlenau)) Off The Coast Of Australia
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Determine the age at first maturity for SBT from Aust waters. Update, enlarge knowledge & expertise relating to examination of SBT gonads. 2. Further knowledge of pattern & process of development of gonads, strategy of spawning, & fecundity in relation to age/size
Preliminary Feasibility Study On The Use Of New Age-pigment-based Methods For Age Determination Of Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus Cygnus)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$27,170.00
Summary
Objectives: 1. Preliminary feasibility study on the use of new age-pigment-based methods for age determination of western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus)
Development Of An Artificial Neural Network For Automated Age Estimation
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$132,072.00
Summary
Current age determination methods, even when aided by image analysis software still depend on interpretation by an experienced "reader". The process of ageing is also laborious, time consuming and hence, relatively expensive. For production ageing, where there is an ongoing requirement for age estimates, there is a problem of consistency of interpretation. At present, when readers change, there is a substantial training and verification period needed to ensure that the new reader is interpretin ....Current age determination methods, even when aided by image analysis software still depend on interpretation by an experienced "reader". The process of ageing is also laborious, time consuming and hence, relatively expensive. For production ageing, where there is an ongoing requirement for age estimates, there is a problem of consistency of interpretation. At present, when readers change, there is a substantial training and verification period needed to ensure that the new reader is interpreting otolith structure in a consistent and correct manner. Automatic ageing would have the primary advantage of being a far more objective method than is possible with even the best training, reducing discrepancies both between readers and organisations. This factor will increase the precision of estimates and therefore provide greater confidence for the stock assessment process. Benefits associated with the development of this technique also include the reduced sample processing time which would increase the number of samples able to be processed and hence, reduce the cost.
The pilot project which has been completed has demonstrated the potential for artificial neural networks to objectively and consistently classify samples of some species. With refinements of the system, it should be applicable to any species for which production ageing is required. Objectives: 1. Compare the effect of different forms of data input on the performance of an ANN model for automatic ageing. 2. Compare the effect of different forms of ANN models on their performance. 3. Develop a protocol for the application of an ANN model to the process of automatic ageing. Read moreRead less
Australian Society For Fish Biology: Scientific Networking, Early Career Development And International Engagement
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$96,000.00
Summary
In the face of mounting pressure on Australia’s marine and freshwater ecosystems, there is a need for robust scientific information to support the sustainable development and management of our aquatic resources. The ASFB is Australasia’s premier professional association for fish and fisheries researchers. The annual science conference and associated workshop/s makes an important and tangible contribution to skill development of people involved in fish and fisheries research and management, part ....In the face of mounting pressure on Australia’s marine and freshwater ecosystems, there is a need for robust scientific information to support the sustainable development and management of our aquatic resources. The ASFB is Australasia’s premier professional association for fish and fisheries researchers. The annual science conference and associated workshop/s makes an important and tangible contribution to skill development of people involved in fish and fisheries research and management, particularly offering students and early career researchers opportunities to present their work, interact with peers and develop collaborative links. The ASFB has a strong commitment to promoting and communicating science, encouraging sustainable management practices, encouraging excellence in fisheries research, and recognizing outstanding contributions of scientists and professionals through various awards and scholarships. In addition the ASFB has recognised the need for increased international engagement in particular via increased active involvement with World Council of Fisheries Societies. This proposal is seeking sponsorship support for the annual science conference in 2016 (Hobart), 2017 (Western Australia) and 2018 (location to be decided but possibly Victoria) and a series of conference associated awards that support student travel and recognise research excellence. The proposal addresses three people development program goals, namely (i) to encourage knowledge transfer and R&D adoption (ASFB annual science conference) and (ii) to recognise and promote achievements (ASFB student research awards) and (iii) to enhance industry leadership (bringing together a range of people for the annual conference). These activities will encourage participation and exchange of information and provide an opportunity to develop networks and collaborations with outside organisations. In addition this proposal seeks support for one senior ASFB office bearer to attend the 7th World Fisheries Congress (WFC) in Busan as part of an Australia-New Zealand team bidding to host 8th WFC in 2020.
Objectives: 1. Provide a forum for researchers, managers and stakeholders to meet to discuss issues relevant to fish and fisheries science and management 2. Support, encourage and recognise achievements of early career researchers 3. Support and encourage student participation at ASFB's annual science conference and key international conferences 4. Increased international profile of ASFB via greater participation in activities of World Fisheries Council and planning for World Fisheries Congress Read moreRead less