A Supply Chain Assessment Of Marine Vibrios In Oysters: Prevalence, Quantification And Public Health Risk.
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$29,995.20
Summary
Levels and presence of pathogenic Vibrio spp. associated with oysters do not correlate with the presence of faecal indicator organisms currently used to monitor presence of enteric viruses and bacteria. Consequently, marine vibrios represent a risk to public health that has not been rigorously assessed and is currently not monitored.
Presence of marine vibrios may affect foreign market access. Japan and Denmark specify levels of V. parahaemolyticus in oysters of <100 organisms/gram. In ....Levels and presence of pathogenic Vibrio spp. associated with oysters do not correlate with the presence of faecal indicator organisms currently used to monitor presence of enteric viruses and bacteria. Consequently, marine vibrios represent a risk to public health that has not been rigorously assessed and is currently not monitored.
Presence of marine vibrios may affect foreign market access. Japan and Denmark specify levels of V. parahaemolyticus in oysters of <100 organisms/gram. In some European countries, raw seafood is rejected if Vibrio spp. are detected. California has banned raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico as part of a strategy to minimise V. vulnificus related illness (Food Safety Network 6/1/05 see archives.foodsafetynetwork.ca/fsnet/2005/1-2005/fsnet_jan_6.htm#story). Currently, the SA industry has little systematic data to satisfy foreign inspection requirements, despite the fact that a recent small-scale survey of SA oysters indicated levels of pathogenic vibrios exceeded 100 per gram (see Lewis etal, 2002. FRDC project 2002/409 report). Whether these levels persist to retail under current industry cool-chain practices is not known.
Analysis of numbers of marine vibrios and their potential to cause disease will allow: 1. Evaluation of risk and development of an appropriate monitoring systems (i.e. frequency, intensity of sampling, temporal variation etc.). 2. Minimisation of risk through development of recommendations for harvest and post-harvest handling processes. 3. Provision of defensible data for foreign food inspection agencies. 4. Support of programs that aim to improve consumer confidence.
Government and industry development priorities addressed include: 1. SA Fisheries and Aquaculture R&D Strategy (2002-2007). The SA Food Act (2001) will leverage the seafood industry towards higher quality control and food safety procedures. Through an enhanced capability to satisfy local and overseas market demands, a premium product may attract a higher commodity prices. 2. Food safety issues identified by this project also fall well within the current and future SAORC and the FRDC strategic and R&D plans. Specifically, SAORC has identified the need to determine optimum storage temperature regimes for post harvest oyster product that enhance food safety. Understanding the impact of storage on numbers and viability of marine vibrios associated with oysters is one aspect of this overall aim. 3. The SA Seafood Industry Development Board aims to maximize industry growth by encouraging whole-of-chain management practices to ensure ultimate market access and success. Objectives: 1. To determine numbers of marine vibrios and total viable counts of bacteria associated with oysters harvested from South Australian waters, across the annual growing cycle. 2. To determine numbers of marine vibrios and total viable counts of bacteria present in seawater associated with South Australian oyster leases during the annual growing cycle. 3. Obtain unequivocal evidence for the presence of potentially pathogenic strains of Vibrio spp. associated with South Australian oysters, seawater associated with oyster leases and retail product. 4. Provide information about the effects of current harvest and post-harvest handling on numbers of pathogenic marine vibrios. Read moreRead less
SCRC: SCRC Honours Scholarship H4.3 The Effects Of Feeding Alternative Protein Sources On The Intestinal Mucus Layer And Mucosal Architecture In Yellowtail Kingfish (Rebecca Forder; Student Matthew Bransemer.)
National People Development: Building Education And Training Pathways For Research And Development Adoption
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$64,080.00
Summary
There is a relatively small number of universities, education and training providers offering programs in the fishing and aquaculture industries. There is an absence of consolidated data on, for example who they are, how active they are, the programs they offer, and course participant commencements and completions. The extent to which these providers keep abreast of the latest R&D outcomes, how and where they access information on R&D outcomes and the degree to which the content of their traini ....There is a relatively small number of universities, education and training providers offering programs in the fishing and aquaculture industries. There is an absence of consolidated data on, for example who they are, how active they are, the programs they offer, and course participant commencements and completions. The extent to which these providers keep abreast of the latest R&D outcomes, how and where they access information on R&D outcomes and the degree to which the content of their training/education programs include the latest research outcomes is not known.
Understanding the current state of play in the provision and uptake of industry-related training programs will provide valuable information that can be used by FRDC and the fishing and aquaculture industries to make more informed decisions on how to most effectively ensure new R&D outcomes are accessed and used in current course content at universities and in vocational education and training. This could be, for example by developing incentives and close working partnerships with a cadre of active training providers best positioned to include both new industry practices, procedures, etc and the required underpinning knowledge in their training programs.
Due to the time and cost involved in updating course materials there is a limit to the extent well established training and education programs can be continually updated to include the latest R&D outcomes. A related project activity therefore is to confirm with the industries their most critical and emerging jobs and functions and marry these to the most recent R&D outcomes. These are considered to be of the highest priority for inclusion in some capacity in training and education programs.
Objectives: 1. Describe the current situation for delivery of higher and vocational education and training for the seafood industry, including identification of major providers,courses being offered and trends in demand. Content to include available courses, participant numbers, demand, and commencement and completion data 2. Identify how current and/or recent research is extended through vocational and higher education training systems. This will included assessing the range and extent of existing industry training and education courses which make reference to R&D outcomes from FRDC, and feedback from providers about how they retain the currency of their courses and knowledge of teaching staff. 3. Determine those critical jobs and functions in the seafood industry where currency and performance relies on understanding and/or application of R&D outputs. 4. Determine key issues or innovations addressed through FRDC's research portfolio that align with critical jobs and functions in the seafood industry. 5. Provide recommendations to increase currency of training and education with a focus on improving pathways to adoption of knowledge and technologies generated through FRDC's investment in R&D; including development of a plan to improve how FRDC RD&E outputs can delivered through a RTO through a commercialisation agreement. This plan would identify the major RTO/s that FRDC should develop agreements/partnerships with. Read moreRead less
Objectives: 1. Study effects of diving habits on actual & possible diving related disease; incidence, hearing loss, bone disease, neurological disorders & respiratory damage in abalone divers in NSW, SA, WA, Vic & Tas. 2. Give educational seminars on diver safety & health
National Seafood Industry Leadership Program: 2009-2011
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$276,179.00
Summary
The need for this project has been suggested in the above sections but there is further evidence of need provided by the goals of the FRDC’s People Development Program. The program states the need to develop the capabilities of the people through building capacity through a three year National Seafood Industry Leadership Program (NSILP).
This project will directly contribute to the delivery of the People Development Program 2008 – 2013 prepared for FRDC by Jo-Anne Ruscoe. The NSILP will ....The need for this project has been suggested in the above sections but there is further evidence of need provided by the goals of the FRDC’s People Development Program. The program states the need to develop the capabilities of the people through building capacity through a three year National Seafood Industry Leadership Program (NSILP).
This project will directly contribute to the delivery of the People Development Program 2008 – 2013 prepared for FRDC by Jo-Anne Ruscoe. The NSILP will ensure outputs that address some of the goals and objectives of the People Development Program:
1. enhance industry leadership within all sectors; 2. build industry capacity to drive change to achieve goals
The Industry Leaders Enhancement Project has parallel drivers and will specifically address
1. The shortage of industry leaders in all sectors of the fishing industry. 2. The need to develop people within all sectors who have the skills to effectively contribute to debate and policy development for significant challenges, including access to fish resources. 3. The opportunities for people in industry to develop skills that are going to directly improve business profitability and sustainability. 4. The contribution in the uptake of formal training, and in particular apprenticeships. 5. The enhanced knowledge of decision makers in a complex industry through accurate information and knowledge.
It is clear that the current program delivers outcomes for the industry regarding leadership activity. The following graduates have taken significant leadership steps at a national and sector level:
Sean Savage Kane Williams Stanley Lui Katherine Sarneckis Greg Carton Donna Fewings David Mills Nick Paul Tanya Adams Neil Green Inga Davis Duncan Worthington Brad Crear Heidi Mumme Jonas Woolford Scott Walter Melanie Snart Andrew Baker Helen Jenkins Louise Nock Geoff Blackburn Jo-Anne Ruscoe James Newman Chris Calogeras Joe De Belin Christian Pike Alan Snow Objectives: 1. 1. To revise National Seafood Industry Leadership Program in line with the program review conducted in 2008 2. 2. To revise the National Seafood Industry Leadership Program incorporating the above with knowledge held by Rural Training Initiatives and the evaluation conduct during the delivery of the 2008 National Seafood Industry Leadership Program. 3. 3. To redistribute skills sessions and industry knowledge exchange sessions to ensure that sessions are provided with sufficient time for participants skills to be enhanced thus increasing the Sydney residential session by a single day 4. 4. To graduate a minimum of 15 new leaders per annum. These leaders to reflect diversity of the industry and if possible include all sectors of the industry. Read moreRead less
Financial Assistance For Technical Education Of Personnel To Be Engaged In The Fishing Industry Of WA
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Provide financial assistance as an incentive for young men to undertake a basic course of training before going to sea on fishing vessels
Belonging and sexual citizenship among gender and sexual minority youth. In the context of well-documented threats to the mental health and well-being of minority young people, this project will examine the experiences of two different generations of gender and sexual minority youth growing up in Australia, and the sources of support they have found most useful. Innovative contextual analysis will involve documentary and archival research alongside individual and group interviews. Through a focu ....Belonging and sexual citizenship among gender and sexual minority youth. In the context of well-documented threats to the mental health and well-being of minority young people, this project will examine the experiences of two different generations of gender and sexual minority youth growing up in Australia, and the sources of support they have found most useful. Innovative contextual analysis will involve documentary and archival research alongside individual and group interviews. Through a focus on the promotion of well-being and participatory citizenship in a rapidly changing social world, the findings aim to contribute new theory concerning transitions from youth to adulthood, improved methodology for the study of marginal and sometimes hard-to-reach populations, and better quality policy and practice.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100829
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$353,000.00
Summary
The effects of parental education on child health outcomes. This project aims to understand how public education policies can improve health. Common economic analysis of returns to education fails to capture the critical secondary beneficial effects of parental education on future generations’ health. These positive effects are systematically undercounted in the cost-benefit analysis of Australia’s investment in education. This project will use Australian datasets and natural experiments to iden ....The effects of parental education on child health outcomes. This project aims to understand how public education policies can improve health. Common economic analysis of returns to education fails to capture the critical secondary beneficial effects of parental education on future generations’ health. These positive effects are systematically undercounted in the cost-benefit analysis of Australia’s investment in education. This project will use Australian datasets and natural experiments to identify how parental education affects the health outcomes of the second generation. This project expects to provide policy recommendations to maximise health, wellbeing and economic outcomes for Australia.Read moreRead less
Travel Bursary To Attend The AquaVet Program At Cornell University, In Massachusetts, USA
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$8,000.00
Summary
up-skilling as an aquatic veterinarian as well as exposure to the most recent research and best practice in aquaculture and fisheries in North America. This knowledge and experience gained would be directly reflected back onto projects that Panaquatic participates in as well as our aquaculture clients present and future. Objectives: 1. Attendance at in the AquaVet program, an intensive 4-week aquatic veterinary medicine course conducted by Cornell University, in Massachusetts, USA ....up-skilling as an aquatic veterinarian as well as exposure to the most recent research and best practice in aquaculture and fisheries in North America. This knowledge and experience gained would be directly reflected back onto projects that Panaquatic participates in as well as our aquaculture clients present and future. Objectives: 1. Attendance at in the AquaVet program, an intensive 4-week aquatic veterinary medicine course conducted by Cornell University, in Massachusetts, USA Read moreRead less
SeSAFE - Delivering Industry Safety Through Electronic Learning
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$692,000.00
Summary
The fishing industry ranks amongst the highest risk industries in Australia for safety, yet there are considerable barriers to basic safety training, including:
• Cost – operators cannot afford it • Time – Courses are infrequent throughout the year. This does not meet the operational needs of the industry, where workers may be required at short notice. • Location – Courses are usually delivered in major cities. This makes access to the training difficult for many workers .... The fishing industry ranks amongst the highest risk industries in Australia for safety, yet there are considerable barriers to basic safety training, including:
• Cost – operators cannot afford it • Time – Courses are infrequent throughout the year. This does not meet the operational needs of the industry, where workers may be required at short notice. • Location – Courses are usually delivered in major cities. This makes access to the training difficult for many workers, including once they are at sea. • Context – Courses are usually delivered in a classroom setting with activities related to survival in emergency situations at sea. They do not address general workplace safety such as manual handling, electrical safety, fall protection, noise, fatigue, hazardous substances, personal protective equipment (PPE), etc. • Access – The internet is rarely available at sea, making access to safety training and information impossible for much of the time workers are fishing. • Demographic – workers in the fishing industry are largely represented by young, early school leavers with a high sense of adventure and risk appetite. Learning must be structured with this in mind to ensure the learner is engaged and the lessons are delivered effectively. • Culture - the information both subliminal as well as overt sent out about safety.
The electronic LMS, which is the fundamental base for this project, is to be designed to address all of the above barriers, and provide a structured, cheap, easily accessible and timely safety course, in a manner which is readily absorbed and understood by the crew member undertaking the course. The training modules are to be delivered online and offline, making them accessible anywhere at any time and can also be tailored to specific industry sectors, while retaining the core units, and aim to achieve best practice in all aspects of WHS.
RIRDC initiated a project (attached) due to significant knowledge deficiencies in the area of commercial fishing occupational health and safety data and of the existing circumstances of the industry. The gaps in knowledge have arisen due to previous difficulties in collating and interpreting data, which have resulted from disaggregation of State data, creating difficulties in data analysis at the national level; availability of state data; and the nature of the fishing industry which results in many participants not being included in official statistics or records.
The report found that there was a lack of awareness of occupational health and safety, or safety culture, and that it still fails to be effectively dealt with across all States of Australia. The OHS data identifies that the claims for fatal injuries in aquaculture and non fatal in marine (or wild capture) fisheries are both increasing. The most ‘at risk’ group in the industry are those between the ages of 20 to 24 years, with those aged 45 – 54 years being the next most at risk group, who will receive injuries from non powered hand tools to their upper bodies. Objectives: 1. Design and trial the electronic Learning Management System in the Northern Prawn Fishery, and up to three other Australian domestic fisheries. Monitor the uptake, utility, and determine feedback on ease of use and applicability from the trials, to help make necessary modifications before distribution to others. 2. Create linkages and pathways for the LMS to be taken up by industry associations and agencies to be used in championing the improvement in safety culture and training with on-ground fishers. 3. Based on the trials, facilitate further development of 'fishery specific' modules via assistance from the PI and technical input from consultants (365 Solutions) to improve efficiency of the program and direct relevance to specific fisheries/sectors and/or agencies. 4. Utilise information from existing in-progress and under development safety projects funded by FRDC to ensure that the LMS is designed to optimise adoption and uptake by industry. 5. Identify and, where feasible, implement mechanisms to integrate the LMS into the overall marine safety program aimed at changing the culture and behaviour towards safety of the fishing industry. Read moreRead less