Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Bonamiasis In Farmed Native Oysters (Ostrea Angasi)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$380,091.22
Summary
Bonamia ostreae and Bonamia exitiosa are significant pathogens of oysters that cause high mortality rates and substantial economic losses to the oyster farming industry globally. As such, both pathogens are listed by the OIE (the World Organisation for Animal Health). In Australia, infection by a Bonamia sp. was responsible for the devastation of experimental aquaculture of the Native Oyster Ostrea angasi and adjacent wild beds in Victoria in the early 1990s. Indeed, surveys have found Bonamia s ....Bonamia ostreae and Bonamia exitiosa are significant pathogens of oysters that cause high mortality rates and substantial economic losses to the oyster farming industry globally. As such, both pathogens are listed by the OIE (the World Organisation for Animal Health). In Australia, infection by a Bonamia sp. was responsible for the devastation of experimental aquaculture of the Native Oyster Ostrea angasi and adjacent wild beds in Victoria in the early 1990s. Indeed, surveys have found Bonamia sp. in Native Oysters in Tasmania, WA, and NSW and recent monitoring of apparently healthy stock on Victorian aquaculture sites has determined that prevalence of this Bonamia sp. is high and once again is causing clinical disease. While the pathogen was identified as Bonamia sp. its relationship to the OIE-listed species, B. ostreae and B. exitiosa, is unclear. It is important to determine the identification of the Australian Bonamia to species level, to establish whether or not it is the presumed exotic species B. ostreae, B. exitiosa, or a different species endemic to Australia. Identification of the Australian species will clarify Australia’s international obligations as a member country to the OIE, with respect to reporting and international trade. Moreover, the conditions that trigger clinical disease are unknown. Identification of the risk factors associated with the onset of disease in infected oysters is needed to implement control strategies to minimise the impact on production and industry value. This information is essential for the development of improved biosecurity and farming practices that mitigate against disease caused by Bonamia and provide industry and regulators with management and control strategies.
Objectives: 1. Obtain nucleic acid sequence and compare with other, described Bonamia sp. and determine their taxonomic relationship and ensure that available diagnostic tools are suitable. 2. Improve understanding of Bonamiasis infestations in Native Oysters including the determination, under controlled conditions, of the stressors that induce clinical disease in sub - clinically infected oysters. 3. Develop a biosecurity plan and farm management practices to manage the risk of infestation and the mitigation of clinical infection with Bonamia sp. Read moreRead less
People Development Program: 2014 FRDC International Travel Award - Ruth Eriksen
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$5,983.67
Summary
Harmful algae pose a serious threat to human health, with significant economic implications for aquaculture and wild-harvest sectors. The IOC Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms (2013) identified “likely intensification of problems associated with eutrophication and stress on coastal marine ecosystems”. Priorities identified included “developing and enhancing expertise for monitoring purposes”, and ”the pivotal role of taxonomy in scientific research, monitoring and management acti .... Harmful algae pose a serious threat to human health, with significant economic implications for aquaculture and wild-harvest sectors. The IOC Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms (2013) identified “likely intensification of problems associated with eutrophication and stress on coastal marine ecosystems”. Priorities identified included “developing and enhancing expertise for monitoring purposes”, and ”the pivotal role of taxonomy in scientific research, monitoring and management activities” related to HAB events.
Recent Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PST) events in Tasmania affected many seafood sectors (wild harvest and aquaculture), resulting in an estimated wider economic loss of $25 million, and on-going risks to trade. Industry and regulators highlighted the need for timely and accurate identification of potentially harmful species, and the value of phytoplankton testing as a cost-effective predictive early-warning tool. Identifying the presence of HAB species typically triggers further levels of testing, and/or active management strategies to reduce risk. The PST Review (FRDC 2012/060) defined international best practice, including access to “technically competent laboratories, and laboratory scientists and taxonomists.” The review specifically identified the IOC training course, and the importance of proficiency testing programs for analysts and laboratories involved in phytoplankton identification and research. Taxonomists need to be familiar with all potentially toxic species, especially in light of changing environmental conditions, and range expansions of marine species.
SafeFish have indicated that contemporary information on IOC standards and protocols are urgently needed to develop standardised methods for counting and identification, and ASQAAC ranked this as the highest priority at its recent meeting (April 2014).
Objectives: 1. Attend IOC training course at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, in August 2104. 2. Report to SafeFish and ASQAAC on best practice techniques for identification and enumeration. 3. Contribute information to the development of national standard protocols for phytoplankton monitoring, and inform NATA accreditation and proficiency testing program protocols. 4. Communicate any new initiatives or methods presented at the IOC to all interested stakeholders in Tasmania (e.g through Shellfish Futures), especially those supportive of this application. 5. Apply taxonomic knowledge to current FRDC projects at IMAS. Read moreRead less
Systematic Revision Of The Australian Fishes Of The Family Pomadasyidae
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Study the fishes of the family Pomadasyidae in the scientific collection of the Australian Museum Sydney & the National Museum Melbourne
The development of the Fishnames project has been an ongoing concern for industry and the Fisheries Research Development Corporation.
The terms of reference (ToR) have been developed and wll be provided to workshop participants for consideration and feedback. The ToR include:
1) Report that details recommended changes to the objectives of the Fishnames process.
2) Changes to the Fishnames process.
3) The composition of the Fishnames committee.
4) Brie ....The development of the Fishnames project has been an ongoing concern for industry and the Fisheries Research Development Corporation.
The terms of reference (ToR) have been developed and wll be provided to workshop participants for consideration and feedback. The ToR include:
1) Report that details recommended changes to the objectives of the Fishnames process.
2) Changes to the Fishnames process.
3) The composition of the Fishnames committee.
4) Brief ‘user friendly’ summary of the project and outcomes suitable for publication on the FRDC website. Objectives: 1. Recommend changes to the objectives of the Fishnames process. 2. Chang to the Fishnames process. 3. The composition of the Fishnames committee. 4. A brief ‘user friendly’ summary of the project and outcomes suitable for publication on the FRDC website Read moreRead less
A Program To Develop A Consensus As To "marketing" Names Of Fish Throughout Australia And To Publicise To The Trade And To The Public These "marketing" Names
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Enable production of a list of Australian and imported commercial fish, showing the scientific names, local names in each State and a suggested marketing name for each variety
Develop And Promote The Australian Fish Names Standard (AS-SSA 5300) And Ensure Reaccreditation As A Standards Development Organisation
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$123,936.00
Summary
Use of standard Fish Names achieves outcomes that are consistent with the aims of industry and governments: 1. Reduced mis-reporting improves fisheries monitoring, stock assessment and sustainability. 2. Reduced confusion over fish names increases efficiency in seafood marketing, consumer confidence and industry profitability. 3. Improved accuracy in trade descriptions and labelling enables consumers to make more informed choices when purchasing seafood and reduces the potential for ....Use of standard Fish Names achieves outcomes that are consistent with the aims of industry and governments: 1. Reduced mis-reporting improves fisheries monitoring, stock assessment and sustainability. 2. Reduced confusion over fish names increases efficiency in seafood marketing, consumer confidence and industry profitability. 3. Improved accuracy in trade descriptions and labelling enables consumers to make more informed choices when purchasing seafood and reduces the potential for misleading and deceptive conduct. 4. Improved traceability results in more efficient management of seafood related public health incidents (including recalls) and food safety.
The commitment to standardizing Fish Names in Australia has been undertaken since the late 1970s. Strategic investments by the FRDC and SSA leadership on standardizing Fish Names culminated in the development of the Australian Fish Names Standard AS-SSA 5300-2007(AFNS).
Public and consumer confidence is vital to the well being of Australia’s seafood industry. Standard Fish Names remove confusion, strengthen consumer confidence, create market efficiency, underpin effective fisheries monitoring and improve management of food safety.
The AFNS contains agreed names for over 600 commercially important domestic and imported species of fish, and over 4,000 other domestic fish species. The process of assigning these agreed names involved the expertise of several of the world’s best fisheries taxonomists and other key stakeholders.
Development of the AFNS is underpinned by rigorous procedures agreed to by government, industry and other stakeholders and which are administered by SSA and its Fish Names Committee.
SSA is one of only 5 Standards Development Organizations (SDO) accredited by Standards Australia.
SSA has ongoing commitments to Standards Australia (including annual accreditation and audit costs) which must be met to maintain its accreditation as an SDO. Failure to do so will result in the Australian Fish Names Standard ceasing to exist and all files, etc passed on to Standards Australia.
Objectives: 1. 1. Ensure FRDC is accredited by Standards Australia as a Standards Development Organisation. 2. Continually improve the Australian Fish Names Standard AS SSA 5300 and underlying procedures to meet market, regulator and stakeholder needs and expectations. 3. Review and update Fish Names Procedures to incorporate improvements identified in the annual Standards Australia audit and feedback from stakeholders. 4. Improve the Fish Names website including the graphic design, usability and SEO (www.fishnames.com.au) 5. Provide a Fish Names Hotline service to support the adoption of standard fish names. 6. Promote the usage of Australian Standard Fish Names to the broader seafood industry. 7. Development of an alternative funding mechanism for the Administration of the Australian Fish Names Standard. 8. Undertake activities to further promote the uptake of fish names as agreed with FRDC (additional objective). Read moreRead less
Upgrade Of National Fisheries Database To Include Images An Common Names Of Australian Fishes
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$315,422.00
Summary
Management decisions should be based on good quality data. Any steps taken to improve an inadequate baseline will eventually improve data quality and the subsequent cost effectiveness of obtaining these data. Any part of the baseline where confusion can arise should be identified and improved as soon as possible. The fisheries coding system knees to be enhanced to improve its functionality to clarify names and assist users when obtaining or vetting fish data. It will also prove an important ....Management decisions should be based on good quality data. Any steps taken to improve an inadequate baseline will eventually improve data quality and the subsequent cost effectiveness of obtaining these data. Any part of the baseline where confusion can arise should be identified and improved as soon as possible. The fisheries coding system knees to be enhanced to improve its functionality to clarify names and assist users when obtaining or vetting fish data. It will also prove an important baseline for a variety of other industry uses. The resources are presently available to improve this baseline and these may not be available in the future. It also coincides with a period of activity whereby the names our seafood will be standardised and legislated. The project is timely and should be completed now.
In addition to the commercial fishing industry, fish names are frequently referred to by an extremely broad variety of groups including administrators, aquarists, editors, educators, lawyers, legislators, recreational fishermen, scientists, seafood consumers and writers. The need for a standard list of common names of Australian fishes was eloquently flagged by eminent Australian scientist, Gilbert Whitley, some thirty years ago (see attached excerpt from his paper, appendix 4). A national nomenclatural standard covering all Australian fishes is long overdue - no such standard presently exists for secondary commercial any bycatch species. CAAB has now been adopted as the industry wide coding system but would be considerably more useful if it contained standardised common name information and an image of each species.
The unavailability or inconsistency use of common names of fish has created a problem for all sectors of the seafood industry. It has also led to serious confusion when interpreting catch return sheets and fisheries data based on common names. Even the guidelines of this application form (ie Project title and identification) request the use of the approved marketing mane of each species. However, most secondary commercial and almost all bycatch species have not been allocated a single approved common name.
Whereas the process of establishing single names for the main commercial species has been contentious, it is likely to be much simpler for the remaining fishes. If approached properly, the task only needs to be done once. The final product should be definitive work on the common names of Australian fishes requiring minimal alteration in the future.
The recently published Australian Seafood Handbook has created many enquiries from governmental and commercial groups wanting to gain access to images held in the CSIRO fish image library. However, in it s present form, this image collection cannot be accessed cost effectively.. The bulk of the collection is in celluloid format and the digital component has bot been assigned to a search and retrieval oriented database. Hence, it is presently grossly under utilised. A logical step is to digitise the collection and make the images freely available on the CAAB website, simultaneously improving accessibility and making CAAB more user friendly. Objectives: 1. To compile a draft list of common names of all Australian fishes for consideration by the Fish Names Committee and other stakeholders groups. 2. To scan and database high quality, digital images of Australian commercial and bycatch fishes and demonstrate their value in product promotion through associate websites and posters. 3. To upgrade the fisheries coding system website (CAAB) to include common names and images of Australian, fishes, enabling both easy and free access by industry. Read moreRead less
Upgrade Of National Fisheries Database To Include Images An Common Names Of Australian Fishes
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$17,693.64
Summary
Management decisions should be based on good quality data. Any steps taken to improve an inadequate baseline will eventually improve data quality and the subsequent cost effectiveness of obtaining these data. Any part of the baseline where confusion can arise should be identified and improved as soon as possible. The fisheries coding system knees to be enhanced to improve its functionality to clarify names and assist users when obtaining or vetting fish data. It will also prove an important ....Management decisions should be based on good quality data. Any steps taken to improve an inadequate baseline will eventually improve data quality and the subsequent cost effectiveness of obtaining these data. Any part of the baseline where confusion can arise should be identified and improved as soon as possible. The fisheries coding system knees to be enhanced to improve its functionality to clarify names and assist users when obtaining or vetting fish data. It will also prove an important baseline for a variety of other industry uses. The resources are presently available to improve this baseline and these may not be available in the future. It also coincides with a period of activity whereby the names our seafood will be standardised and legislated. The project is timely and should be completed now.
In addition to the commercial fishing industry, fish names are frequently referred to by an extremely broad variety of groups including administrators, aquarists, editors, educators, lawyers, legislators, recreational fishermen, scientists, seafood consumers and writers. The need for a standard list of common names of Australian fishes was eloquently flagged by eminent Australian scientist, Gilbert Whitley, some thirty years ago (see attached excerpt from his paper, appendix 4). A national nomenclatural standard covering all Australian fishes is long overdue - no such standard presently exists for secondary commercial any bycatch species. CAAB has now been adopted as the industry wide coding system but would be considerably more useful if it contained standardised common name information and an image of each species.
The unavailability or inconsistency use of common names of fish has created a problem for all sectors of the seafood industry. It has also led to serious confusion when interpreting catch return sheets and fisheries data based on common names. Even the guidelines of this application form (ie Project title and identification) request the use of the approved marketing mane of each species. However, most secondary commercial and almost all bycatch species have not been allocated a single approved common name.
Whereas the process of establishing single names for the main commercial species has been contentious, it is likely to be much simpler for the remaining fishes. If approached properly, the task only needs to be done once. The final product should be definitive work on the common names of Australian fishes requiring minimal alteration in the future.
The recently published Australian Seafood Handbook has created many enquiries from governmental and commercial groups wanting to gain access to images held in the CSIRO fish image library. However, in it s present form, this image collection cannot be accessed cost effectively.. The bulk of the collection is in celluloid format and the digital component has bot been assigned to a search and retrieval oriented database. Hence, it is presently grossly under utilised. A logical step is to digitise the collection and make the images freely available on the CAAB website, simultaneously improving accessibility and making CAAB more user friendly. Objectives: 1. To compile a draft list of common names of all Australian fishes for consideration by the Fish Names Committee and other stakeholders groups. 2. To scan and database high quality, digital images of Australian commercial and bycatch fishes and demonstrate their value in product promotion through associate websites and posters. 3. To upgrade the fisheries coding system website (CAAB) to include common names and images of Australian, fishes, enabling both easy and free access by industry. Read moreRead less