Spring 2009 by Tim Walker

Volume 23 No 3 – Spring 2009

Silver perch still attractive Ecofish expansion underway Moreton Bay park oyster plan Man-made wetland for barra Herbal medicines for ornamentals Southern bluefin breeding triumph Market-oriented certification Grouper research diversifies crop

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Contents

12 45

Editor-in-chief Dr Tim Walker Regular contributors David O'Sullivan John Mosig Dave Field Subscription/editorial Austasia Aquaculture PO Box 658, Rosny, Tas. 7018 Ph: 03 6245 0064 Fax: 03 6245 0068 Email: AustasiaAquaculture@netspace.net.au Advertising Megan Farrer Design/typesetting Coalface Production Pty Ltd Prepress & Printing Geon Group Copyright © by Austasia Aquaculture. Contents cannot be reproduced without permission. Statements made or opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Turtle Press Pty Ltd (ABN 98 506 165 857). Austasia Aquaculture magazine (ISSN: 0818 552) is published by Turtle Press Pty Ltd (ABN 98 506 165 857) for the promotion of aquaculture in the Australasian and Asian regions – inclusive of farming in marine, freshwater, brackish and hypersaline waters. Reader's contributions are encouraged on the clear understanding they will be subject to editorial control and, if accepted, will appear in both printed and online versions.

32 FA R M P R O F I L E

F E AT U R E

Silver perch still attractive to

Southern bluefin tuna hatchery

experienced growers

Ecofish Barra expansion underway

Low cost barra farm

Grouper research to help diversify Queensland’s crop mix

NAC

boosting quarantine success for ornamentals

Traditional herbal medicines – Cover photo A montage of photos taken from stories contained in this issue. Captions and photo credits as per the details inside.

and New Zealand RESEARCH

Eskdale Trout – Spreading the production risk

for aquaculture – in Australia

oyster production in

a ‘man-made wetland’

Clean Seas Market-orientated certification

Plan allows for expanded Moreton Bay marine park

success – a world’s first for

Australia’s peak 24

State of the art water treatment –

industry body

Award Modernisation

at Taronga Zoo’s seal and penguin exhibit

Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 1

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Silver perch still attractive to experienced growers N

ow that the NSW government has closed its Grafton Research Station – long regarded as the centre for silver perch research – and abandoned the freshwater extension service, the question has been raised: is the silver perch sector the forgotten aquaculture? Not according to Paul and Joan Trevethan at Howlong in NSW’s Eastern Riverina. Established nine years ago, they have just made a significant investment in reducing costs, bringing fish to the market 12 months earlier by over-wintering fingerlings. The scale of the investment certainly suggests confidence in the species as a worthwhile diversification. The Trevethans incorporated their silver perch farming with their cropping and olive growing in 2000 after doing the three year aquaculture course delivered by Grafton TAFE. The farm consists of eight ponds measuring 100m by 40m at the surface and a depth of 1.5m sloping to 1.8m at the deep end. The internal batter is a workable and erosion proof 4:1. Each pond holds approximately 3.5ML. The stock are protected by total exclusion bird netting set above the ponds with sufficient clearance to carry out feeding, harvesting and pond maintenance operations. Water levels are maintained at 150mm by internal standpipes. The outgoing water from the bottom draining ponds is picked up in channels and taken to the re-cycling reservoir from where it can be used on the 10ha of olives or the pivot irrigation system. Each 0.4ha pond has two x four-paddle 1kW three phase aerator. The water itself is sourced from a 12m deep water table. Bore pumps supply just under 2.5ML a day and the property has a license for 540ML a year. “The water quality is spot on,” says Paul. “We’re

around a pH of seven, hardness is 9mg/L and alkalinity 60mg/L. The water comes out of the ground at 22°C with a DO of 3mg/L. So why wouldn’t you put in a recirculation unit?” he asks. Pond temperatures reach 20°C around mid November and fall back below that around early April. This leaves only four to five months of optimum growing time. With the temperature control offered by the re-circulation unit the Trevethans expect to be able to cut the last summer off the pond growing. This will reduce the fixed cost of fish spaces on the farm and increase the productivity by a third. Paul’s not prepared to comment too deeply on the economics of the savings until there’s a season ‘under their belt’. Larvae are raised to fry stage in a 0.2ha plankton pond. Initially the plan is to raise larvae purchased from recognised hatcheries in the region. “The genetics would probably be better than anything we could breed ourselves at this stage and we can be very busy from time to time. You can get 100K larvae in the boot of a car; all we’d have to do then is manage the plankton bloom.” They will leave the fingerlings in the pond to take full advantage of their growth during the summer months until the weather falls away in April. By then, Paul and Joan reckon the fish will range between 5g and 15g. They will be graded into the tanks in the shed and fed. Grading will be ongoing throughout the winter. Once the pond water reaches 20°C the fingerlings will be returned to the cheaper-to-operate growout ponds. Based on the research, they should be between 80g and 180g at this point; Paul is working on an average of 120g. Fish are marketed from December to April; none are sold over winter. “I’ve no

From the top: Paul & Joan Trevethan look forward to higher production from their investment in facilities to over winter silver perch. The delivery & return lines are situated between the rows of tanks, away from the working area. The new indoor production system is attached to the existing purging system and packing area. A sample of the Kaldnes K1 fluid filter bed beads.

Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 3

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From left: Peter demonstrating how the air stones will sit off the bottom of the production tanks and the bio-filter. Ben & Matt enjoy a break from joining up the components of the system.

desire to work the ponds with heavy equipment in the middle of winter and the fish don’t handle well when the water’s cold. Besides, there’s usually more productive things to do around the farm,” Paul explains. Paul says that there’s little choice in silver perch diets and high protein diets such as Murray cod rations may be necessary to get maximum growth from the young fish in the tanks. In the meantime he uses Ridley’s native fish diets. Whilst confident, he does concede that there’s a lot to learn about growing silver perch in tanks. Whilst the plan for the fingerlings is straightforward he reckons that, come the periodic reviews of the farm’s operation, refinements will inevitably be found to wring further production and market gains from the investment. Recirculation facility The 100KL, temperature-controlled recirculation system is housed in a 30 x 15 insulated shed. Designed by Ben Pope of Fresh By Design (FBD) in conjunction with Peter Koller (AGK Technology) and fish vet Dr. Matt Landos , the system has back-up pumps and alarm systems wherever necessary. Peter, Matt and Ben have been working together on similar projects for four years now and have found several 4 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

synergies in the partnership. The system is uncomplicated and incorporates the company’s acquired knowledge. Comprising of 6 x 9,000L, 7 x 5,000L and 7 x 2,000L aquaculture tanks supplied by FBD, water is gravity fed to the 40µm Faivre drumfilter that passively removes suspended solids. Dissolved wastes are removed in a moving bed biofilter. The biofilter, set in the ground, holds 20m3 of water. Enough biomedia (Kaldnes K1 beads) is added to initially allow around 100kg of feed to be introduced daily. This can be lifted to around 140kg a day by addition of more media to maximum capacity Aeration/oxygen The biomedia is aerated as are the growout tanks and sump by two blowers (one is a backup) delivering 1200LPM. The aim is to keep the water as near as possible to saturation. Being set 100mm off the bottom, the airstones allow waste material to leave the tank with the exchanged water via the bottom drainage slots in the standpipe rather than it being kept in suspension within the system. The biofilter water is kept in motion via air distributor crosses set off the bio-filter floor. The aeration creates a gentle upwards current – without which the biomedia would snag together – and

ensures even distribution of the water across the biomedium. The Moving Bed Process® allows the biomedia to self-clean as the media rub gently against each other. And by removing the exhausted nitrification bacterium it encourages new growth. The new filtering film is vigorous and helps maintain a robust and self-cleaning system. The biofilter is flanked by a sump that acts as a water reserve. Should the pumping system fail, for whatever reason, the spare water storage acts as a buffer for the water in the system’s delivery and return lines. There is also a submersed backup pump in the sump should the above ground pumps fail. Water levels in the tanks are controlled; the tanks can be drained to two thirds of their capacity for ease of harvesting or to treat ailing fish. Water temperature is controlled by a ‘Fresh By Toyesi’ reverse cycle heater/ chiller plugged into the delivery line. Operating water temperature is 24°C. Both air and water temperature will be controlled with passive de/humidification. In the summer, Paul jokes, they’ll probably have the doors open at night to cool the place down. Peter says oxygen injection, when required, will be fitted to the existing system with

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From left: Looking into the new system nearing completion. Peter pointing out how the airline is incorporated in the water delivery lines for tidiness.

simple low head technology with an emergency system for each tank in the event of equipment or power failure.

Combined experience The design of the facility draws much on the combined experience of all three consultants, addressing important aspects for day-to-day operation such as harvesting and grading plus simple things like plenty of inspection ports in both the pressurised 150mm delivery and the 225mm gravity fed return pipes. This enables the lines to be cleaned to remove fouling build-up. The biofilter can also be by-passed should any treatment be required, particularly treatment with formalin and antibiotics.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you have thorough hygiene built into the design of the system you could do away with expensive to buy and costly to run UV and ozone equipment,â&#x20AC;? Peter explains. Every consideration has also been given to making the system uncomplicated and cost effective to use. Things like allowing adequate space to move around the tanks with fish handling equipment and the simplicity of the operation all make life Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 5 TeralbaAd_PP01_21apr09.indd 1

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regular wholesalers who will take everything we can push through the purging system. The demand for fish is strong. We have been selling for six years now and the buyers know our fish. It has given us the confidence to invest”.

Olives are part of the Trevethan’s diversification program.

However, he has some advice for anyone contemplating investing in the silver perch industry. “There are three things to consider. Firstly you have to have the markets in place. Secondly you need the experience; and thirdly be prepared to invest in a quality system. If you put in an ordinary system you’re struggling from the start.” Sound advice indeed. easier for anyone operating the farm. Peter’s entry into aquaculture goes back to 1998 when he set up AGK Technology to provide equipment and services to the industry. His first container load of equipment arrived in time for WAS99 in Sydney and AGK has been a regular part of the industry ever since. He and Ben came together in 2005 in a mutually beneficial partnership. Ben is a graduate of the aquaculture course at UTAS and holds a Bachelor of Science degree. He worked in commercial plumbing for a couple of years while at the same time setting up his own re-circulation system growing barramundi. With the confidence this gave him he formed Fresh By Design in 2003.

To ensure a complete aquaculture service to their clients, they enlisted the professional assistance of Dr Matt Landos. Matt’s know-how as a fish vet is widely recognised and he adds another dimension to support the development of this project. As Peter puts it: “We learn from each other.” The future Paul has served the warmwater fish farming sector on many occasions in his role as President of the Murray Region Aquaculture and on the executive of the NSW Silver Perch Growers Associations. So how does he view the future?

The Trevethans have put in the hard yards and with confidence in their own ability and the future of the seafood markets they have made a major commitment to silver perch production in Australia. by John Mosig Paul & Joan Trevethan can be contacted by phone on 02 6026 5276 or by e-mail on p.trevethan@albury.net.au. Ben Pope of Fresh By Design can be contacted by phone on 02 4868 1762 or via their website at www.freshbydesign.com.au Peter Koller of AGK can be contacted by phone on 0407 007 410, or by email on agktech@netcon.net.au

“The markets are there,” he says. “We have

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Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 7

Yumi collects a 7kg Murray Cod broodfish from one of the ponds. The Ecofish RAS shed is in the right hand background.

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Ecofish Barra expansion underway SE Queensland’s premier recirculation aquaculture farm Ecofish is set to become even bigger with a new shed that will increase production to more than 300TPA. An emphasis on water quality and fish health is the reason for the success of this farm which is growing Murray cod and barramundi for the live markets of Sydney and Brisbane. 8 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

(Maccullochella peelii). We also changed the fish management procedures, put on new staff and really focused on improving water quality and fish health.”

n 2003 Rod Missen moved from Victoria to take over a recirculation aquaculture system at Glenview on the Sunshine Coast, some 60 minutes drive north from Brisbane. The farm had been built with equipment and tanks imported from Europe and had unsuccessfully tried to grow Eels (Anguilla spp.), Silver Perch (Bidyanus bidyanus) and Barcoo Grunter (Scortum barcoo).

Anyone involved with recommissioning a closed down facility will knowingly smile at Rod’s understated explanation. But he’s now reaping the benefits. Rod has seen production increase each year to be now between 100 and 120 tonnes/yr.

“The facility had been shut down from 18 months,” explains Rod, “So we cleaned it out, redesigned some of the recirculation systems (including increasing the filtration and the utilised liquid oxygen) and changed the culture species to barramundi (Lates calcarifer) and Murray cod

“We wanted to ensure we had year round sales so we went for the two species. The barra take between 9 and 12 months to reach our harvestable size of 600-800g. The cod reach the same size in around 12 to 18 months as they seem to have more cyclic growth rates. At our water

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temperature of 26°C, the barra grows more consistently to sell all year round whilst sometimes we need to hold a percentage of the cod back to ensure we can sell each week.” The existing filtration system utilises standard European technology when it comes to intensive recirc systems and is engineered to meet the metabolic requirements of 42 tonnes of standing stock and up to 460kg of feed per day. The filtration system consists of solids filtration, biological filtration (submerged), degassing, pH control, UV disinfection, oxygen injection, a heating unit and a pumping system. The filtration system provides optimum culture conditions for a year round stable environment. The new filtration system has been designed around the same lines with further refinement, with less moving components and an emphasis on efficiency; it offers a proposed 30-40% drop in electrical consumption per kilogram of fish product. The European manufactured fibreglass tanks have a locally made polyliner and, whilst square, their rounded inside corners give the same characteristics of a fully round tank. “These tanks have a great water volume to surface area ratio so we are not wasting lot of space in the shed. They have central water outlets with stainless steel screens and with appropriate fish stocking densities the solid wastes all flow out the drains so they tanks can be self cleaning.” Both bore water and pond water (rainwater runoff) are used with UV sterilisers to ensure they are free of pathogens. With twenty 2,000L juvenile tanks and twentysix 22,000L growout tanks, Rod estimates that he has more than half a million litres moving through his systems. As with any commercial recirc system there is a requirement to introduce fresh water on a daily basis, whether due to evaporation, solids removal or to maintain water quality. Rod says about 10% of the water volume is replaced per day, most of which is removed from the drum filter. The effluent water runs through a settlement pond, thence into wetlands and

finally into the supply pond for reuse. “To comply with EPA and Council requirements we have minimal water leaving the property.” Health Management Ensuring that his fish are always healthy is Rod’s main focus. The process starts with obtaining high quality stock from his selected hatcheries. “We get our cod from Noel Penfold at Murray Darling Fisheries (Southern NSW); and source our barra from Andrei Perez at WBA Hatcheries in Adelaide.” “The juvenile stock are required to have health certificates prior to entering the quarantine system.” In further efforts to ensure healthy stock, Rod has employed veterinarian Matt Landos (Future Fisheries Consulting) who visits at least every three months. Matt’s fish veterinary service ensures good health management and the production forecasts are met. The juvenile fish are kept in the smaller tanks for 2-3 months where they are fed up to five times a day. After reaching 20-50gm they’re graded and transferred into the growout tanks where the feed rate is reduced to three times/day. “We use the Skretting Gemma diet for the juveniles and the Skretting Barra Nova diet for the growout. By buying in bulk we are able to overcome some of the costs with buying feed from Tasmania. The 25kg bags are on pallets and handled with forklifts to reduce pellet damage. We store

From top: Ecofish owner Rod Missen with two 800g fish grown in less than nine months. Some of the recirculating tanks in Ecofish’s 1,700m2 facility. Note the autofeeders on the tanks. This juicy 800g Ecofish Murray Cod was served in a Thai deep fried style at the premier seafood restaurant Fish on Parkyn, Mooloolaba, Qld.

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Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 9

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A delicious dish of Ecofish Barramundi with a Mediterranean warm salad served at the Noosa Food and Wine festival in 2008 on site at Ecofish as part of the regional gourmet trail.

Yumi (left) and Jed handling a 5kg Barramundi broodfish.

the bags in a cold room and usually have an eight week maximum turnaround.” The fish are sampled for growth rates every fortnight. When grading and handling is required the fish are sedated in order to reduce stress on the stock. Small fish can go through an Apollo roller grader which sorts into various sizes from 0.5gm – 100gm. Fish larger than 200g, are put over a shuffle board for hand grading. “Keeping the fish at the same grade reduces stress and aggression and allows for improved feeding levels. We probably grade each fish up to five times before harvest for market,” Rod says.

Ecofish’s transport truck can easily take up to 2.1 tonnes of fish on the 12 hour trip into Sydney.

One of the noticeable things about his farm is how well everything is set out and how smoothly everything operates. “We have just three farm staff including myself so we have pretty good productivity (average output/ person exceeds 30 t/year). When we expand into the new shed which will allow us to grow another 200 tonnes, we’ll only need to add one more staff member.”

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That will take productivity to over 70 tonnes per worker! Both the Murray Cod and Barramundi are sold live (a small amount of barra is also sold chilled) to wholesalers located in Brisbane and Sydney. All Ecofish’ farmed products are marketed through wholesalers. Rod says it is important to understand the market place and the business of selling fish. “By understanding the wholesaler’s business and how your product fits into the wide range available from the seafood industry, you end up with a better understanding of how to manage the marketing of the

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product to ensure a profit. “The success of the business is measured by the nett profit and return to shareholders,” he continues. “Typically aquaculture has been shunned upon by financial institutions; however, we were able to fund our expansion program through the Bank. The cash flow of an aquaculture business with weekly sales can be quite advantageous when compared to more typically seasonally based agricultural production.” Rod says that he is not changing much in the new facility which is expected to come onstream by the end of this year. “The new production system has a strong emphasis on improving efficiency, with a considerable drop in the expected electrical consumption, no heating cost during the winter period due to improved thermal management and with the investment in technology of a fish pump and feed robot in order to improve worker productivity.” “I used to think that a facility with 100TPA would be fairly profitable, however, I think that 300TPA will give us a new economy of scale.”

Key Management Decisions for Ecofish include: • Increased use of biofilters and liquid oxygen to allow higher stocking densities to be maintained. • Focus on fish health management, quarantine and monitoring. • Increased worker productivity allowing for reduced costs • Year round sale of live fish into markets to maintain prices. Key Performance Indicators include: • Culture System utilised: RAS with liquid oxygen • Growth rate (from stocking to market): Barra <12months, Cod<18 months (0.02g to 800g) • Survival rate: 80% from first stocking to sale size • Av. stocking density: 100kg/m3 (range is 50kg to 100kg/m3) • Annual harvest: 100-120 tonnes (30-40% Cod, remainder Barra) • Production rate: 200kg per 1,000m3 (growout system volume) per year • Water use: 200L per kg produced per year • Power use: 0.85kW/h per 1,000kg produced per year

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• FCR: 1.2:1 (number of kg of food to produce 1kg stock) • Productivity: >30 tonnes per Effective Fulltime Unit (240 days,

For more information contact Rod Missen, 12 Freshwater Court, Glenview Qld 4553, email: enquiries@ecofish.net.au

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FA R M P R O F I L E A working platform which has some baskets stored on it; it holds around 3,000 baskets when full. Photo by QOGA.

Plan allows for expanded oyster production in Moreton Bay marine park It is great to see good sense prevail – an Oyster Industry Management Plan for Moreton Bay Marine Park has been developed to support and promote the small but historically significant oyster farming industry in Moreton Bay. The oyster farmers now have confidence for long-term investment which should see their production increase. 12 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

he Sydney Rock Oyster (Saccostrea glomerata), also known as the Moreton Bay Rock Oyster, has been cultivated in Moreton Bay since the 1860s. In 1874, the first oyster licences were issued in the form of dredge sections, in which specified areas were allocated to lessees.

Tony Carlaw, president of the Queensland Oyster Growers Association (QOGA), says the industry peaked in the 18921893 season when 18,000 sacks (probably around 100 dozen per sack) where ‘exported’ from Moreton bay. “By export, I assume it means sent interstate, as Queensland used to send oysters as far

away as Perth in the late 1800s,” Tony explains. “They were sent by sailing ship; the oysters were stowed above decks in hessian bags and wet down during the trip.” Since then the Queensland oyster industry has gradually declined due to factors such as mudworm disease and increased production from New South Wales. Until 1920 wild oysters were dredged from the deeper waters or harvested from naturally occurring ground banks. By 1936, Queensland oyster growers were relying on spat coming from New South Wales and were using ‘furniture’ (culture

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structures) to farm oysters. There was little change in the techniques used until the last decade when farmers started to use single seed or individual oysters sourced from hatcheries/nurseries. Nearly all of Queensland’s Sydney Rock Oyster farmers are located in Moreton Bay (three leases are in Hervey Bay) and there is some wild harvest of tropical oysters in the north of the state. Current oyster farming operations consist of three interrelated stages, each of which may require different water conditions and/or different locations: • Spat collection/nursery areas (spat settlement usually between December and March on stick batteries and PVC collecting slats) • Growing spat to a mature size (furniture includes sticks, trays, BST adjustable longlines, rack and basket systems, and subtidal systems) • Maturing and fattening the oysters (harvesting occurs mostly between August and April). In the 1990s the industry was worth $1m or so per year. However, in recent years production and value have declined further; in 2006/7 just 141,000 dozen were produced, well down from the 213,000 just three years earlier. The oysters from Moreton Bay are sold in a range of different sizes – generally Bottlers (<45mm), Bistro (50-60mm) and Plate size (>60mm) – to meet market requirements. Bottlers make up 54% of the product marketed at an average price of $3.35 per dozen (15% higher than 2005–06). The highest value product ($6.96 per dozen) is the plate size and they make up 12% of the product sold. Prices for this size increased by more than 20% per dozen. Bistro oysters at $5.49 per dozen accounted for 15% of production. The average price per dozen oysters increased by 6% from $3.56 per dozen in 2005–06 to $3.79 per dozen in 2006–07. Industry is still having problems with obtaining sufficient QX disease-free stock from New South Wales to avoid mortalities from that disease. In addition there are losses of shells from unknown

Adjustable longlines of oyster baskets allow the grower to choose how long the oysters stay submerged. Photo courtesy of DPI&F.

Low tide at a line of wooden oyster trays covered in mesh to exclude predatory fish.

Timber trays with mesh bottoms are nailed out on the rails.

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disease factors. However, according to Tony, theft continues to have the biggest effect on oyster production. “On some farms close to Dunwich there are many small thefts,” he explains. “These are mostly over weekends when the farmers are not on the leases. Although it’s generally just a couple of dozen oysters taken each time, sometimes much higher numbers are stolen. A few years ago we had considerable problems with ‘professional’ thieves who could take up to 20% of a lease overnight.

Frpm top: A mixture of plastic oyster trays and baskets. Photo courtesy of DPI&F. A boat loaded with timber trays ready to be nailed out on the racks. These trays are home made with 50mm by 25mm timber sides. The trays are 2m long by 1m wide. Plastic mesh is then nailed or stapled to the bottoms. Photo by QOGA.

“Now we are working with Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) and police on this; usually there’s a quick response to our phone calls and some arrests have been made.” Perhaps the greatest holdup to industry expansion has been legislative with growers being concerned they could be ‘kicked out’ of the Moreton Bay Marine Park (MBMP) without adequate compensation. Thus no large operations have been established; industry is mostly small scale farmers selling less than 10,000 dozen

oysters a year. In 2008 there were 106 oyster leases covering just 435 hectares, comprising 0.001% of the total area of the Marine Park. Of these, over twothirds didn’t produce any oysters at all. The 3,400km2 MBMP extends 125 km along the Queensland coastline, from Caloundra to the Gold Coast seaway. Declared in 1993 the MBMP uses and activities are regulated by the Marine Parks (Moreton Bay) Zoning Plan 1997 (the Zoning Plan) which provides for the ecologically sustainable use of MBMP and protects its natural, recreational, cultural heritage and amenity values. The four contemporary oyster growing areas are at Moreton Island, North Stradbroke Island (includes Myora and Canaipa), Pimpama River and Pumicestone Passage – all within Habitat or Conservation zones. Private structures within Habitat and Conservation zones are inconsistent with the purpose of these zones and, as such, are not permitted within the MBMP. However, oystering (including the furniture used in

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the industry) was acknowledged as a historical activity when the MBMP was established and oyster growers were recognised as bona fide users of Moreton Bay’s resources. The MBMP Oyster Industry Management Plan provides long term confidence to the industry. It allows oyster farmers to operate more efficiently in the MBMP and it is expected to attract new investors to the area to help meet demand for the oysters. Potential for expansion Industry believes that there’s significant potential for growth in Moreton Bay due to the strong demand for local rock oysters in domestic markets; demand currently exceeds supply. “Less than 10% of oysters consumed in Queensland are grown locally,” says Tony. “We have a lot of Pacific (Crassostrea gigas) competition from South Australia and Tasmania; these are of a bigger size and also cheaper than our Sydney Rocks. We also have frozen half-shell Pacific Oysters coming in from New Zealand.” Other farmers are also excited by the increased prospects as it seems ‘all the cards are lined up’ for a major production expansion. Reasons for this include: • All four major growing areas have been classified under the Australian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program. • The Moreton Island growing area (20% of the total) is also on AQIS’s general list of export-approved shellfish harvesting areas (the AQIS audit was conducted in May 2007). • There have been recent advances in New South Wales in the selective breeding of Sydney Rock Oysters for faster growth and disease resistance. • A hatchery facility for bivalve shellfish (including Sydney Rock Oysters) has also been established in Hervey Bay. “I think that having access to large quantities of good quality single seed oysters is a major reason for the increased confidence,” Tony continues. “The local hatchery provides small seed which need to be held in nurseries in NSW before being stocked by our farmers at around

3mm. However, a nursery is being established by Jane Clout on Moreton Island which will make it even easier for our farmers to stock local seed.” The hatchery-bred stock are performing well compared to the wild caught oysters, so more farmers are stocking at higher levels than they have in past years. “Increased production will come from these farms,” says Tony, “And we are also seeing new people coming into the industry. There has always been a changeover of around 4-5 leases per year. Now, however, more investors are buying leases and it is likely that some farms will be consolidated into larger operations.” Tony says that with the move to single seed hatchery-bred stock there has been a need for existing farmers to buy culture equipment (furniture). “Most new leases are using baskets on lines due to the high flexibility this system gives. However, the initial capital investment is quite high ($20/basket, as well as several thousand for the lines). Thus all of us are small scale. We have looked at buying seed in bulk within the Association to give some savings but we are missing the economies of scale that come with larger leases, such as bulk purchases of furniture, mechanisation of grading and so on.” Tony notes that there’s still a wide range of culture techniques. “For example some longlines have adjustable line heights whilst others, like ours, are kept at the same height; we simply change growing areas to get them growing well in our fattening areas. With the adjustable height lines the growers lower them for more shell growth in winter and raise them to fatten in summer (more meat). “Another difference is in the types of posts. Some use the plastic coated posts, others like us have tubes which slip over the posts and others still wrap the posts in plastic sheeting. The culture methods are evolving to find best way or ways to do it here. Nevertheless I think we are slowly starting to move in same direction which will see differences in culture techniques become smaller.” This also opens the way for mechanisation.

From top: These bag lines contain several different types of types oyster baskets. Photo by QOGA.

Shovelling the oysters out onto plastic trays. Photo by QOGA.

This lease has been fenced to provide some protection from recreational boats. Photo courtesy of DPI&F.

A plate of delicious Moreton Bay oysters, Bistro size on the left, Plate size on the right. Photo by QOGA.

Tumblers nailed out to the rails. The pipe bearing allows them to rotate or tumble as the tide rises and falls. Photo by QOGA.

Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 15

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Important Publications > Queensland Oyster Industry Development Plan (2005) DPI&F website – http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/16413.html > Queensland Oyster Industry Development Plan: Implementation Report (2007) DPI&F website – http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/16413.html > QSWAMP sampling guideline DPI&F website – http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/extra/pdf/fishweb/FAMOP005.pdf > Policy for maximising oyster production: management of non-productive areas (2007) DPI&F website – http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/18748.html > Queensland Oyster Industry Development Plan 2008-2009 DPI&F website

are transferred into larger mesh baskets with lower stocking numbers so the similar sized oysters have plenty of room to grow. Once they are in the larger baskets you still need to grade every 3-4 months.” From top: This smaller grader is used onboard the boat. It is powered by a 12 volt motor. A windscreen wiper motor from an old car is ideal for the job. Growers use high pressure fire fighting pumps to wash the mud off oysters. These pumps don’t last much more than 2 or 3 years due to corrosion. Photos by QOGA.

“Jane Clout has purchased an expensive grading machine that certainly reduces the time to grade. This is a major difference with the stick method where you probably only graded once (when the oysters were chipped off the sticks and put into trays or baskets) before the final market grade which is still undertaken by hand. You need to grade the small single seed at least every two weeks for the first three months they are stocked on your farm. The most common method is plastic rotating cylinders in which different sized holes are cut or different meshes are placed around the cylinders. The oysters fall into different grade bins. They

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16 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

Tony says that as in other oyster growing states where single seed are used, there is an improvement in the shape of the oysters. “There is no doubt there is better shape than stick oysters. Also they seem to be growing faster, we get them to bottle size (45mm) in less than 2.5 years and up to plate size (over 60mm) within 3 years.” Development Plan In recognition of the industry’s potential, DPI&F collaborated with the Queensland Oyster Growers Association in 2004 to develop a Queensland Oyster Industry Development Plan. It was developed after an industry workshop that identified key issues restricting growth of the Queensland rock oyster industry (in Hervey Bay and in Moreton Bay). This plan has been updated several times since then; the latest was in 2008. Some of the major actions resulting from this evolving development plan include: • Implementation of a policy for maximising rock oyster production through a reduction in latent effort and reallocation of unused oyster areas. • Production of a QX information brochure to give growers a greater knowledge base regarding this disease. • DPI&F finalised a Memorandum of Understanding with NSW DPI to allow for increased sharing of information on disease outbreaks and investigations.

• All growers must be part of the QSWAMP water quality sampling group or an equivalent. • Greater communication between industry participants. • An oyster aquaculture management plan. In May 2007, the DPI&F approved a ‘use it or lose it’ policy which specifies an annual minimum production level for oyster areas. “The level has been set at 300 dozen oysters per hectare per annum per,” explains Tony. “When the DPI&F was consulting with us on this it was recognised that production levels vary depending on the location of the oyster area and culture methods. We believe the annual minimum production level can be achieved by oyster farmers regardless of the location of their oyster area/s or culture method.” Tony says that most QOGA members are very happy with the changes and developments. DPI&F in collaboration with QOGA updated the oyster industry development plan in 2008 to build on the progress of the first plan and help strengthen the industry into the future. This can only lead to further improvements in production. Thus, it seems certain we will soon be seeing a lot more high quality Queensland grown Sydney Rocks in the marketplace. By Dos O’Sullivan. For more information contact Tony Carlaw, Queensland Oyster Growers Association, 88 Timothy St, Macleay Island, Qld 4184. Tel: 07 3409-4048, email: afcarlaw@bigpond.net.au

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Low cost barra farm a ‘man-made wetland’

ony Hensler runs Julatten Barramundi just out of Mossman in Queensland’s far north. The farm was designed and built in 1998 and the 20 x 0.08ha and 4 x 0.24ha ponds produce 85 tonnes of fish a year.

Situated 400m above sea level, temperatures are moderate compared to the coastal flats. During winter pond temperatures fall to 20°C for a short period; they peak at 32°C during the height of summer.

From top: Tony checking the power board. Aerators can be set to operate during the off peak, or longer if circumstances dictate. One of the settlement ponds at Julatten Barramundi. The ponds cover an area roughly the same size as the production ponds. One of the strategically placed pumps that enables Tony to shift water around the farm as it is needed, to either replace evaporation or as part of the regular weekly water exchange program.

Water supply is a combination of stream – a pump-out pit has been dug 10m from the local creek – and stored water. Although the farm is in the wet tropics and receives nearly 3m a year of precipitation, the rainfall is not constant. Monsoonal rains set in during late December to early January and last until April with sporadic rains continuing through the winter months until August. It is the ‘dry’ spring period that can be the most difficult time. Coming into summer, before the rains have started in earnest, the flow in the creek can be low. To avert any adverse impact on the farm’s operation Tony has installed some back-up options. Reserve water is stored in the settlement pond system covering 2.5ha, an adjacent natural lagoon and a 15ML header dam that can be gravity fed to the production ponds. Water is exchanged on a weekly basis – approximately 25% in each pond. The lagoon and the settlement pond regenerate the water and the header dam and the creek replace what little nett evaporation there is. The 4ha lagoon is an environmental wetland. Tony can go down there in the early morning or evening and watch the platypuses at play. Production cycle Tony stocks the ponds in October with 130mm fry from Barramundi Gardens (AA 23-1). Fingerlings are stocked in 6m x 3m x 1.5m holding cages until they reach 250mm to 300mm. After grading by eye, three thousand are then stocked in the pond the cage is Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 17

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When the DO levels get that low I feel we lose production. The fish can’t metabolise the feed and water suffers because of it. It’s a management thing. Sometimes we just have too many fish on the farm if the market is slow or we can’t harvest because of the weather. “At times like that I sometimes think we are pushing production from the bottom up. Stagger the stocking so that we can flatten out those peaks and maximise growth rates rather than always be trying to catch the maximum amount of growing temperature,” Tony says.

in; the others are distributed amongst other ponds as they come available. There they stay until reaching 8001000g when they are thinned out and the partial harvest sent to market. Another cull occurs at 1.3-1.5kg with the remainder grown out to >2kg. Tony tries to hold the pond biomass to <45t/ ha. Each 0.8ha pond receives half a tonne of lime per season. This is reflected in the stability of the pH swings. In ponds that can be carrying high phytoplankton loads, pH varies from 7 in the morning to 8.5 in the afternoon.

From top: Part of the lagoon system has been created by damming off an old water course. The results are practical, beneficial and pleasing to the eye. Another arm of the lagoon system. The 15ML header dam can be seen further up the slope. Settlement ponds support a wide range of nutrient stripping plants, including duckweed. A pond being dried between production cycles. The bottoms are scraped clean periodically.

18 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

The fish are held on the farm over winter and harvested during the next summer and winter to make way for the oncoming crop. This can take some management. Fish are growing at their maximum when they are young and require constant attention. Feeding rates are high and DO levels better than 75% of saturation are required to maximise metabolism. Tony is the first to admit that this is not always possible when the ponds are still carrying a high biomass loading “When the phytoplankton loads build up the DOs can be as high as 10mg/L to 14mg/L in the middle of the day and down to 2mg/L in the early morning.

If the farm has any problems with the fish it is usually during the dry spell from August until the monsoonal rains arrive. The water is warming up (2327°C) and feed input and metabolic activity is increasing. That’s when the protozoans (Chilodonella and Trichodina mainly) can cause trouble. Tony runs as much fresh water through the ponds as he can, but if this doesn’t work he falls back on the old standby: formalin Feed Tony uses Ridley’s Aquafeed and is very happy with it. “I work out the FCR based on dividing the feed we buy in over the 12 months by the fish we ship out,” he says. “This is the easiest but not the most accurate.” Feed costs have increased considerably over the year. Firstly it has to be brought up from Brisbane, but other ingredients have also climbed in face of global commodity shortfalls. Tony says it only seemed like yesterday he was paying $1,200t delivered; now he pays nearly $2000/tonne. During the peak growing season – between October and April – the farm demand feeds an average of 750kg per day, six days a week. In the winter once the water temp drops below 23° this comes back to five feeds a week. Feed is held in cool storage to prevent the breakdown of key ingredients that become unstable in the heat and humidity of the tropics. The cages are all netted and the fish, by

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the time they are liberated in the open water, are safe from predation by all but the resident sea eagle. Each pond has 2 x 1hp air injector aerators. The farm has 3-phase power to the ponds and the whole system is backed up by a 100kVa generator. Tony says during Cyclone Larry the power was off for three days: “We would have been out of business without the genny.” Indeed, aeration is one the two biggest outlays (the other is feed) incurred in running Julatten Barramundi. Power charges have just gone up 15% and are predicted to rise another 15% this year. Queensland allows alternate energy producers to put power back into the grid. Tony says he’s considered alternate energy sources, including solar and wind but solar was problematical considering the monsoonal cloud cover in the region. On the other hand, being on a ridge, harvesting wind energy would be an advantage at certain times of the year. The farm’s security system, should the power go down, is connected to a house alarm and a flashing red light system that can be seen from anywhere on the property. Even if an aerator trips the security system comes into play. Harvesting is by drag net. The fish are put straight into an ice slurry. The ice is bought in; it’s marginally more expensive than producing their own but a lot less hassle. The fish are not purged. Tony says that over the last eight or nine years he can count the complaints about the taste of the fish on the fingers of one hand. “It was more to let us know. They still placed an order for the next week.” Marketing Whole fish are sold through five wholesalers at about $10/kg at the farm gate. Sales peak at the traditional seafood market bonanzas of Christmas and Easter. “The Christmas sales will last over three to four weeks when we’re flat out; the Easter sales a fortnight. “We can be doing three or four tonne a

From top: A dedicated nursery pond with four aerators and eight cages. A typical production pond with the two aerators moving a strong current through the juvenile cage. Note the excellent quality of the water. A view of the farm from the advantage of the header dam.

week during these peaks. After the Christmas rush sales will settle down until Easter then gradually fall away to between 800kg and a tonne a week over a couple of months in mid winter before picking up again as they climb towards Christmas. It averages out at 1,700kg a week over the whole year,” he says. Water manipulation is very much a part of the success of the production program. As Tony describes it, the farm is really a man made wetland. Nutrients are being stripped on a continuous basis through natural biochemical activities in the settlement system and the lagoons. The farm is blessed with a healthy fall and water which, once pumped up to the high ground, can be gravitated. Tony is able to move water all over the farm to where it will do the most good. The combination of tropical rainfall and options of creek and bore water, plus the rejuvenated water from the various water storages ensures suitable water throughout the year.

With just two people running the farm, Julatten Barramundi is a good example of how a well laid out and well managed operation can constantly produce fish for the market ... even in the face of escalating costs. By John Mosig Tony Hensler can be contacted by phone on (07) 4094 1316, or by email on toneshel@bigpond.net.au Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 19

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Eskdale Trout Spreading the production risk

he trout industry in Victoria is undergoing a major rationalization. Reduced stream flows, higher average summer temperatures and the impact of the recent devastating bushfires have taken their toll. The management at several farms has changed. One such farm is Loral Hill Trout Farm at Eskdale in Victoria’s Upper North East on the Murray catchment. The first settler to the region surrounded his homestead with Loral trees and the name became the name for the district. Having sat idle for several years, the trout farm was leased three years ago by the nearby Hume Weir Trout Farm at Albury and is managed by Luke Benfield, brother of Hume Weir’s manager, Mathew Benfield.

As Matt describes it, the two farms are

peratures were only 21.5°C.

complementary: “This is an untouched piece of country. Beautiful bushland going back up into the mountains. Beautiful water. A bit cold in the winter – it snows on the hills behind us – but the temperatures are terrific for us in the summer which is when we are under pressure down at Hume Weir. It’s a perfect mix and match for our operation. At least one place will be productive at any one time of the year.”

Winter temperatures are, however, lower than those experienced at Hume Weir. Luke estimates that they lose, between April and September, over four months of productivity at Eskdale when water temperatures fall below 10°C. This last winter has been particularly severe with extremes of 4°C!

Water is diverted from Back Creek, a tributary of the Little Snowy. While it is a small creek, the flow is constant and the creek is well shaded. Summer temperatures haven’t exceeded 19.5°C at the inlet since they took on the farm. Matt says even at the outlet, after it had been through the farm, the water tem-

The farm

Having been left in mothballs for several years the farm needed an upgrade and Luke and Matt have been busy making the farm more efficient.

The farm is gravtity-fed and has a 3ML diversion license; water is re-cycled during the summer when metabolism is at its highest. There’s a flow-through hatchery, a nursery and a growout section. The four rows of 5m-wide raceways are made of concrete, each one 18m long x 1m deep. Three banks of raceways follow the fall of the land down to three earthen ponds and finally the settlement ponds. All fish producing areas are bird proofed. There are no post-harvest facilities; harvested fish are chilled and taken to Hume Weir for processing. As the opportunity arises and time allows, Luke has been ‘wine glassing’ the bottom of the previously square bottomed raceways, to make cleaning easier.

20 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

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One innovation that came about as much by accident as design has been the nutrient stripping in the settlement pond. Nutrients in solution are removed by duckweed and organic material in suspension is settled out at the same time. Luke rakes out the duckweed and lets it dry draped over crates. Once dried, the cows will eat it and, as he says, there’s not much left. Duckweed is highly nutritious. It contains up to 45% crude protein by dry weight, with higher concentrations of essential amino acids than most plants. Duckweed meal (dry form) also has low fibre content but high levels of vitamin A and pigment, particularly beta-carotene and xanthophyll. This makes it an especially nutritious food source for cultured animals such as fish, ducks, chickens, pigs and ruminants. Soya bean meal has traditionally been used for protein substitutes with satisfactory results. Duckweed produces more protein per square metre that soybeans. Therefore duckweed has the potential to replace soy meal in a variety of products. Water supply The most important aspect of any aquaculture operation is to secure the water supply. The old delivery line from the weir on Back Creek was in poor shape. The first thing Matt and Luke did was to lay a new 450mm delivery line from the

diversion weir replacing crude concrete joiners with sealed cherry bins.

The water to the hatchery and the house was an open channel. This caused a lot of trouble with the autumn leaves and other debris. It’s been replaced with a new 520m x 150mm delivery line. A 15mm stainless steel screen is used to filter undesirable fish and crayfish from the farm. The local rivers are home to river black, known locally as slimies (Gadopsis marmoratus), and Murray crays (Euastacus armatus). Finally, the weir itself – after obtaining a public works permit – was made more secure and easier to manage to ensure that the full 3ML allocation could be taken onto the farm. A Mace data logger that records the flow of water onto the farm was installed. It also acts as an alarm system. Connected to the alarm on the farm, Luke’s mobile phone and his laptop, it emits a warning signal should the water flow vary from the pre-set rates at which the farm is operating. Water cooling Water that’s 21.5°C at the outlet is recycled at 19.5°C after passing through an Iceman water cooling tower Matt picked up secondhand. It operates 24 hours a day in the summer,

1. Luke with a sample of the rainbow trout grown on the farm. 2. Looking down the delivery header channel that services the nursery raceways. 3. Harvesting fish at Loral Hill. 4. Luke points out where the new sloping batter is going to start in the re-vamped raceways. 5. A view of the hatchery at Loral Hill. 6. The nursery raceways are covered to protect the young fish from the solar rays ands to provide protection from aerial predators. 7. The fish counter can monitor fish from 1g to 350g. 8. Luke has found that having your own earthmoving equipment on a trout farm saves a lot of money and maintenance isn’t held up as it sometimes is waiting for contractors to catch up to their workload. 9. Gateways inserted in the races help crowding fish for harvesting and keep fish separating during grading. 10. The diversion weir on the Back Creek at Eskdale.

Water taken from the settlement pond Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 21

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1. One of the fishout ponds at Loral Hill Trout Farm.

45cm below the duckweed (which shades the water as well as remove the nutrients in solution) is pumped to the top of the tower where it is sprayed by a rotating bar across a circular corrugated vertical cylinder. At the same time, a fan driven by a 10kW motor forces air down the space between the corrugated cylinder and the outer wall of the tower

2. The flow monitor and controller is powered by solar energy. 3. Matt with the water cooling tower that is used to maintain lower water temperatures during stress periods. 4. The Back Creek has one of the most reliable stream flows in the district. 5. Duckweed removes nutrients in solution in the settlement pond so the water can be re-used

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(ie over the trickling water). Thus working along the same principles as a Coolgardie safe, a 10% reduction of water temperature is the result. The cooling tower enables Luke to double the amount of water he has available during the summer, in effect doubling the productivity of the farm. Production cycle

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Trout spawning commences in early June. Due to the low water temperatures hatching can take 8-9 weeks but by early September the fry are ready for their first grade. They’re stocked in the first bank of raceways at 100,000 each. As they grow, they are graded and the larger fish moved down the line to the next bank of ponds. Grading is regular and by the end of spring the fingerlings have been graded into three size cohorts. Eventually, by the end of the summer growing period, they are spread right across the farm and into the earthen pond system. Even the slowest growing fish have reached market size by the end of the second summer. As fish reach market size they are harvested to make way for the others to grow on. Matt says that having two hatcheries under two totally different water temperature regimes is double advantage: “It spreads the work load between the two

FA R M P R O F I L E

farms and provides a back-up in case something goes wrong at one of them.”

Translocation restrictions on moving live fish from one farm to another between states is currently preventing Hume Weir and Loral Hill extending the benefits to their growout fish. “Once permits are in place to move the fish between farms we’ll really see production grow,” he says. Economics Normally a 3ML diversion license would be considered sub-economic. However, by incorporating the operation of Loral Hill with Hume Weir Trout Farm and adding innovations of their own, the Benfields have made the combined operation greater than the sum of its parts. Matt says the biggest costs across the two farms are food, labour and power. Even though Loral Hill was gravity fed initially, the same as Hume Weir, the power cost associated with re-cycling water, aeration and oxygenation mounted up. The two farms operate with a labour force of five with three of that workforce in the family. At the moment, Luke confides, the monetary return of those family members doesn’t really match the hours they put in. Markets Loral Hill sells its produce through Hume Weir – either processed or fresh – to regional outlets along the Murray (as far as Corryong and Yarrawonga), south to Shepparton and north to Wagga and Canberra. The trout go not only to the pubs and clubs, but also local butchers. With commercial harvesting of finfish banned in NSW and Victoria, options to obtain fresh fish in inland Australia are limited so local butchers are finding regular clientele for both fresh and smoked trout. The farm also sends fresh fish to the Melbourne and Sydney wholesale markets.

Hume Weir Trout Farm is one operation that has sought to spread the risk by widening its production options. By operating the two farms under the one umbrella, yet retaining the operational integrity of each, production can be maintained at optimum conditions at one whilst the other is on reduced rations because of water temperatures

either above or below critical limits. This is not unlike the strategy employed by cattlemen of yesteryear who’d use alpine (and, in winter, snow-covered) pastures to fatten cattle in the summer. The Benfield’s old-style solution to a modern dilemma is working just fine. By John Mosig

South Australian Aquaculture Opportunity The South Australian Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries is inviting applications from suitably qualified individuals/ companies to undertake the farming of: • aquatic animals in a manner that involves regular feeding • bivalve molluscs • algae A total of 150Ha will be made available in the Fitzgerald Bay aquaculture zone, located near Whyalla on the Eyre Peninsula, at the top of the Spencer Gulf. Completed applications must be lodged with PIRSA, Aquaculture Division by 30 October 2009. Copies of the application form and information documents are available by contacting PIRSA Aquaculture by email at pirsa.aquaculture@saugov.sa.gov.au or can be found on the website www.pir.sa.gov.au/aquaculture/regulatory_services

As the Victorian trout industry comes to grips with climatic conditions never before encountered over the long term, Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 23

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Traditional herbal medicines

boosting quarantine success for ornamentals With over 30 years of experience, KB Haw is well known for his success in the highly competitive business of ornamental fish wholesaling in South East Asia. His work with herbal medicines is producing great results in the ornamental export trade and trials on his special mixtures are obtaining supportive results from a number of research institutions.

Bags being filled with oxygen in the packing area of the facility.

he Aquacultural Fresh And Marine Exploratory (AFAME) company is situated in the north central part of Singapore, close to many ornamental and aquaculture facilities but, most importantly, just only 20 minutes away from the Changi International Airport. Owned by ornamental enthusiast and herbal medicine specialist KB Haw, the company has been at the forefront of fish conditioning research for more than 30 years. KB says that his success comes from a combination of passionate hard work, the sourcing of quality fish from reliable dealers and conditioning the fish with herbal formulations.

From small beginnings in his backyard, KB’s holding and transhipment facility covers more than 4,500m2 and has areas simulating conditions from sheltered to ‘open -sky’ environments. The main aim of KB and this research station, is to achieve a near-perfect yield of fish at quarantine and stocking, without the use of antibiotics or harsh aquaculture chemicals. There are currently over 500 tanks of various constructions, including the traditional glass as well as fibreglass and the newer polycarbonate tanks. Tank 24 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

volume ranges from 200L to over two tonnes of water. To aid in health management whilst quarantining or treating fish stock, the tanks are all clean bottomed and have no biofilter in them. Water is sourced mainly from an open well but AFAME also has access to two bores and a potable water supply. The well and bore water is reliably acceptable for holding fish; pH varies from slightly alkaline to mildly acidic depending on the weather and hardness ranges from 150 – 250ppm.

Calico fantailed goldfish await shipment in this main holding tank. The fish may stay in this tank for a day or up to a month, depending on their country of origin and corresponding quarantine regulations.

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Water is brought into the facility via a 16 tonne central biotank; from there it can be pumped to any part of the complex. Water exchange relies on a positive flow system with pipes radiating out and then split into supply pipes that run throughout the ceilings of the building. Small pipes (16mm) drop down from the ceiling into each tank and have a stop tap to regulate the inflow of fresh water. A 50mm white PVC discharge pipe is situated about 7.5 cm below the rim of each tank to remove excess water. Water exchange for each tank is limited to an estimated 5% per day. KB believes large water exchanges can cause sudden changes in water chemistry and deleteriously stress the fish. The facility employs 14 people, of which three do all invoicing, freight arrangements and organising of health certificates; the remainder work exclusively with the fish. Quarantine operations KB’s facility holds the fish under strict quarantine conditions readying them for transhipment. He handles over 2,500 different fish species from all over the world, as well as breeding lines diversified by colour and size. Tropical and wildcaught fish are held at the facility for 14 days, while goldfish and Koi have a 28 day quarantine period. However, the length of stay can also depend on the receiving country’s specific quarantine regulations, as some nations allow a quarantine period to be served in part in the country from which they are shipped.

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There is heavy aeration of each tank. KB reckons this is essential for maintaining good water quality, especially given higher stocking densities than would normally be found on a farm. The facility uses a 1 kilowatt air pump with the air being delivered throughout the buildings by main pipes of 10cm diameter, from which smaller pipes and eventually airlines with regulatory valves bring the air to the tanks. The heavier the aeration required the more open the valves and/ or the more lines that are used. Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 25

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From left: In the fibreglass tank room, the aeration setup can be easily seen as airlines dropping vertically from a larger air pipe; Some fish enter and leave the facility the same day, but are always repacked with fresh water and oxygen before being placed in boxes; The goldfish are being counted into the holding baskets. This is also an opportunity to closely inspect the fish for quality control purposes.

Some fish are re-packed for immediate shipment on arrival but those that require a longer stay are fed a maintenance diet. The food is sourced locally and stored in a cool area away from the humidity of the fish rooms. The pellet is a high protein, shrimp-based product that is treated on arrival with in-house vitamin and mineral supplements developed to enhance the nutritional balance of the food. All tanks with fish are treated with KB’s special herbal formulation. Indeed the whole quarantine and stocking area has taken on a fragrant, earthy smell of a garden in blooms. It must work as

there’s not any cross infections amongst his tanks for 30 years. And survival rates during holding, packing and transport have been significantly improved. Marketing The most popular fish held at this facility include goldfish, Koi, live bearers (such as guppies, platys, swordtails and mollies), gouramis and barbs. Some cichlids are handled such as the discus, and tetras are also sold in good numbers. The total fish holding capacity is 500,000 tails. All fish at AFAME are netted by hand and transferred to inspection bays. KB

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says that the careful hand netting of the fish also provides an opportunity of quality control, giving the worker the chance to inspect each fish, checking for deformities and evidence of disease. All fish that are not deemed fit for market are discarded. Depending on the type of fish, random samples are regularly inspected with some being sent to a government approved laboratory for a certificate of health. It is a requirement that a sample must be sent from each batch imported of goldfish and Koi. The majority of KB’s fish are sold to the huge Northern Hemisphere market, into countries such as Japan, Serbia, Italy, Macedonia and elsewhere in Continental Europe. Up to 300 boxes of fish are shipped out per week, some of which travel to Australian wholesalers. This is a lot of fish since AFAME pack 200% to 300% more fish per litre of transport water than most other ornamental fish exporters. KB says that his herbal treatments allows the higher stocking densities even during transport to market which sometimes may be up to 80 hours tank to tank. The successful use of his herbal treatments in the ornamental fish trade has resulted in KB developing them for use throughout the aquaculture industry. A different approach to treating fish health A large part of the success of AFAME is attributed to the development of the ‘G100 protocol’, a system of boosting the immune system of fish using traditional herbal medicines that KB has been

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developing since the 1970s. “I have always been intrigued by age-old folk medicine that has been passed down through generations”, he explains. “This knowledge also extends into areas of livestock management including fish husbandry. In order to gain better earnings from market, we experimented with techniques to help with wild fish catching, resting and recuperating.” After talking with a wild fish collector from Indonesia who recommended the use of semi-dried banana leaves and cured catalpa leaves to help fish recover from stress, KB started working on his own herbal conditioning treatments for fish diseases. “We were able to obtain a consistently higher cure rate by 20% to 40% compared to standard treatments being used in the industry such as antibiotics, formalin and malachite green.” KB continued collecting knowledge and samples of different herbal extracts suggested by local indigenous people from tropical and temperate Asia including garlic, onion, radish, ginger, citrus, ginseng, willow, clove, Indonesian Melaleuca and, even coffee.

shock and extreme reactions to stress or other more chemical treatments. We have now achieved a survival rate of around 98% with fish held and conditioned at this facility.” An added bonus is a significant reduction in the need to purchase expensive chemical treatments, as well as reducing the likelihood of exposing staff to potentially hazardous chemicals and liquids. University studies While the quarantine facility can do basic microscopic diagnosis, the research work to fully develop and substantiate KB’s claims required a more sophisticated laboratory and independent testing. With the support of the Singapore government (through innovation and development grants) research has been completed at several universities (as yet unpublished). KB says there is also collaborative research occurring in quite a number of other countries. “As it has been rated biodegradable, noncarcinogenic and fit for human consumption, the herbal treatment has also been trial tested on a range of fish used

“The strangest cure I was ever told about involved faeces and urine,” he says. No elaboration is forthcoming!

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The biggest breakthrough was the discovery of a saponin extract from a river plant used for cures in traditional animal and human medicine. Saponin is a glycoside widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom, and, in some cases, can be highly toxic. However, some sources of these compounds are now widely in human medical technology due to its antifungal and immuno-stimulatory effects.

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Thirty years of development has been applied to KB’s G100 which is a combination of purified tannins, essential salts and trace elements, and it is now used exclusively on a weekly basis at the AFAME facility. “We use it to improve water quality and boost overall fish immunity by a routine of adding the treatment to each tank weekly. The G100 protocol greatly minimises infections,

in the food industry, including salmonids, sea bass (Lates calcarifer), grouper, carps and tilapia.” KB is also involved in a joint project with the Chinese government to replace the use of antibiotics and ‘toxic’ medications such as malachite green by using ‘natural components’ to improve fish health. Although the G100 is not yet manufactured for widespread use outside of his own facility, KB is hoping that, pending the results of all the research being done, the treatment will be available to the industry in Asia within the next five years. In the meantime, he’s determined to continue his search for more treatments that can deliver ‘natural’ medicinal support for the aquaculture industry. By Louise Willis For more information contact KB Haw, Aquacultural F.A.M.E. (S) Pte Ltd, 15 Seletar West Farmway 1, Singapore 798123. Tel: +65 6481 1266, Fax: +65 6482 0598, email: kbhaw@aquabridge.com

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State of the art water treatment at Taronga Zoo’s seal & penguin exhibit Imagine a water recirculation system that handles 2.7 million litres of water per hour! At Taronga Zoo’s new award winning Great Southern Oceans exhibit more than 1,000m2 of sophisticated systems provide crystal clear waters for seven spectacular pools containing seals, sealions, pelicans and penguins.

eed Constructions Australia were contracted to build and commission the zoo’s new extensive $40 million Energy Australia Great Southern Oceans exhibit opened in July 2008. Alex Halliburton, General Manager – Capital Works & Infrastructure at Taronga Zoo, calls the exhibit “the most significant development in Taronga’s history”. He says the facility will support successful research, education and breeding programs, while further spreading the message of conservation. Walter J. Pratt Pty. Ltd., Water Treatment, Hydraulic Services and Environmental Contractors have been specialising in unique water management projects since 1967. They were contracted by Reed to design and install the Life Support Systems (LSS), a project that took over 5,000 man-hours and involved more than 10 specialists. Seals, Sea-lions & Sea-birds Australian Sea-lions, Australian Fur-seals, New Zealand Fur-seals, Californian Sealions, Leopard Seals, Penguins and Pelicans live in seven special exhibits emulating their natural habitats and offering spectacular viewing for visitors: The pools don’t carry an aquaculture facility’s biomass but animal health and 28 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

display purposes require water of the highest quality. Thus state of the art water treatment systems were required. In the exhibit, Taronga visitors become Antarctic submariners. From a research submarine display, underwater viewing panels reveal the graceful swimming of penguins and leopard seals. The largest panel weighs 4,000kg and is 1.62cm thick. For optimal viewing these acrylic panels have a high light emittance and a special refractive index creating an outlook that real submariners would envy. A key element of the exhibit’s design is the sea water retaining structures. The pools were specially designed to be durable, withstand salt diffusion and huge amounts of pressure. To improve the pool lining properties, slag was added to the concrete mixture. It refines the pore size leading to reduced salt penetration, but also improves the long term durability. During the more final stages the zoo used different waterproofing membranes to stop the water from escaping.

Top: Little Penguins seem to ‘fly’ through the water when seen through viewing windows at the bottom of their custom-designed pool. Photo by Adrian Pratt. bottom: Large (2.1m diameter) RK2 Protein Skimmers are sized to accommodate the large flows and high turnover rates of the pools. Photo by Wayne Elliot

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With a total pool volume of 2,500m3, the fabric of the pools was also designed to cope with huge amounts of pressure. The special concrete withstands a pressure of 50MPa, which is two and a half times that of domestic construction concrete.

The Taronga Zoo display is home to the only Leopard Seals in zoos in the world where people can appreciate their awesome power and intelligence. Photo by Adrian Pratt.

Life Support Systems Vital to the ‘Great Southern Ocean’ is its state of the art life support system. Water is treated and recycled in six plant rooms covering 1,000m2 underneath the exhibit. The system copes with an amazing throughput of 2,700m3 of water per hour, equating to 65,000 peoples’ daily water demand in just 24 hours of operation.

“This allows a residual disinfection dosing system can be manually selected on an as needed basis for dosing with sodium hypochlorite,” explains WJP specialist Joe Clancy. “In addition, flocculant dosing of the common water storage with lanthanum chloride is used to remove to help prevent algae growth.” Most of the pumps have variable frequency speed drives to assist in controlling water flow. The support system is quite rare in its design with the protein skimmers (foam fractionators) being unusually large with a 2.1m circumference. The protein skimmer remove organic material with one protein skimmer serving each of the display exhibits; they draw the water directly from the exhibit and it returns to the exhibits through the de-gas tower to eliminate undissolved oxygen. Each RK2 Systems protein skimmer contains ProMinent ozone generators and RK2 venturi pumps.

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Rigid control of pH, chlorine, ORP, algal and pathogens is maintained by a series of ozonators, disinfection and flocculant dosing systems, whilst water clarity is maintained with sand filters, protein skimmers and de-gassers (removes fine air bubbles). A sophisticated computer monitors and controls the water systems including PLC (Programmable logical control) and SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) systems.

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A vacuum cleaning pump complete with integral strainer is used in each pool with several vacuum plugs and a remote start switch. The process is manual and involves staff entering the pool for cleaning. Research on biomedia & other projects

From the top: The 1,260m3 of seawater in the Leopard Seal pool is turned over every 1.5 hours through a protein skimmer, ozone treatment, de-gasser and a sand filter. Photo by Adrian Pratt.

Performance and Habitat Pool, Centrifugal Pumps and Lint Baskets. Photo by Wayne Elliot.

Whilst the ozone is important for sanitising the exhibit water, there also needed to be de-gas towers built in to the structure from concrete; these tanks are used as gas destructors to ensure no ozone enters the exhibit to poison the animals. The de-gas towers have Axial Aerofoil Ventilation fans, whilst the degas media is made from 2 H-TKP-media which is designed to ensure clarity in trickling filters and in submerged fixed bed reactors. Horizontal and vertical value pressure or sand filtration systems (Astral public swimming pool filters) with manual shunt backwash draw their water from the balance tank and return it directly to the exhibits and holding pens. The sand is specially sieved to between 0.8 and 1.8mm and provides a greater surface area for filtration than regular sand. Approximately 50m3 of replacement water is required every hour to make up for losses in the system through cleaning filters, evaporation and blow down. 30 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

W J Pratt are now upgrading the existing marine mammal enclosure and adding new aquaria at the Melbourne Zoo. A highly sophisticated exhibit (called Stories from the Sea) will incorporate all the latest technology available. New exhibits will include sharks, rays, penguins, seals and a variety of native fish. And the penguin pool will house both marine mammals and fish in future so the filtration and monitoring system have to be first class. “In order to perform trials on bio-balls versus bio-blocks for the Melbourne Aquarium Project our company purchased an operating Goldfish farm in Dixons Creek, Victoria,” Joe says. “We then engineered and built an intensive aquaculture system with two biofilters. We filled one with bio-block and one with bio-balls. This trial lasted some three years and allowed our in house engineers a chance to develop a ‘hands on’ understanding of aquaculture and particularly bio-filtration, U.V. sterilization, bag filters, D.O. rates and so on. We have enhanced and continued to run the farm which includes six acres (2.4 ha) of extensive ponds. “Reverse Osmosis and membrane filtration are starting to become more affordable,” he notes. “As the technology grows and the costs come down we would expect for this plant to become a viable option when considering filtration needs for aquaculture installations.” By Dos O’Sullivan. For more information contact Joe Clancy, Project Manager, Walter J Pratt Pty Ltd, Tel: 03 9848-6933; www.wjpratt.com.au

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The Arno Bay state of the art tuna breeding facility from the air. Photo courtesy of Clean Seas.

Southern bluefin tuna hatchery success a world’s first for Clean Seas Clean Seas Tuna is gearing up for another season of spawning southern bluefin tuna following a breakthrough year which has seen fingerlings hatched, fed live feeds, weaned onto formulated pellets and then ongrown in tanks to reach in excess of 100g after only two months of culture. This could lead onto an industry harvesting over 40,000 tonnes a year of hatchery bred SBT.

ince 1993, the fattening in seacages or ‘pens’ off Port Lincoln (South Australia) of Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT, Thunnus maccoyii) has been by far the fastest growing sector in Australian aquaculture. By 2000/2001 tuna farming had surpassed pearl oysters as the most valuable aquaculture species when production reached over 9,000 tonnes, worth over $260 million (farm gate prices in excess of $28/kg).

aggregation of harvest in the July to September 2007 period. Production increased from 7,588 tonnes to 9,777 tones and value to over $186.7 million. In December, 2005 Clean Seas Tuna Limited listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

Due to the high Australian dollar and increased overseas competition for bluefin tuna, demand in the exports markets slowed over the past few years with prices falling; however, the industry is still very valuable.

Clean Seas’ major shareholder, the Stehr Group was established in the early 1970s and is now recognised as an Australian leader and international pioneer in tuna fishing and offshore fish farming. In November 2007, US-based international food giant Simplot – the company behind the widely recognised John West brand – became shareholders in the company.

In 2007/08 there was a major increase in SBT harvest due to an abnormal

Already a major producer of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) and mulloway

32 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

(Argyrosomus hololepidotus) fingerlings, Cleans Seas has added SBT to its impressive production program. In March 2008 the company became the first organisation in the world to create an artificial breeding regime for SBT. Then in April this year it produced more than 50 million fertilised eggs with continuous spawning of broodfish over 35 days, a first in the world for this species. Good quantities of the resultant fish are still growing at the company’s world class facilities at Arno Bay, about 1.5 hours drive north from Port Lincoln. Whilst this meteoric rise has been stagemanaged by Clean Seas Chairman, Hagen Stehr AO, he is quick to point to the input from a wide range of Australian and international organisations.

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“Technically, this breakthrough is testimony to the passion, expertise and commitment of an international team led by Clean Seas’ Broodstock Manager Miles Wise and Hatchery Manager Adrian McIntyre.

A Southern Bluefin Tuna broodfish being lowered through the roof and into the hatchery. Photo courtesy of Clean Seas.

“We must acknowledge our appreciation for the contributions made to our endeavours by the following Australian organisations – AusIndustry; Seafood CRC; Fisheries Research and Development Corporation; University of Sunshine Coast; South Australian Research and Development Institute; Flinders University; New South Wales Department of Primary Industries; Northern Territory Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources; and the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute.” Hagen paid specific tribute to University of the Sunshine Coast team’s work on spawning induction and spawning dynamics. “They were heavily involved in the high tech reproductive work with our broodfish, as well as undertaking genetic evaluations to monitor the spawning success of specific fish.” USC’s Prof Abigail Elizur says, “This is a triumph of planning and persistence with great Australian entrepreneurs. Clean Seas Tuna have broken the mould and have shown that it is biologically possible to spawn giant tuna”. Dr Len Stephens, Managing Director of the Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) summarised the breakthrough as innovative and the first step to commercialisation, “We now have the potential to commercially open a new path to revolutionise the tuna industry and see captive Australian tuna aquaculture grow to a multibillion dollar sector. This is what great science is all about – taking a risk. I commend Clean Seas Tuna and the participant scientists for thinking outside the square and pursuing this very impressive challenge.” Len, who linked scientists to Clean Seas Tuna through the collaborative nature of the CRC scheme says: “The unique partnership between our CRC participants is

just another example of how connecting Australia’s brightest and most talented researchers together can produce results of a such an incredible magnitude.”

The transport helicopter heads back to the seacages for another broodfish. Photo courtesy of Clean Seas.

Scientists from the University of Dusseldorf, the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research and the US-based Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) also supported the breeding program. The IATTC comprises 16 member nations jointly responsible for the conservation and management of tuna and other species taken by tuna fishing vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Perhaps the most useful international collaboration was with Japan’s Kinki Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 33

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University (located in Wakayama prefecture near Osaka) which began in September 2008 when the two world leaders in Bluefin Tuna propagation joined forces to achieve common goals through the exchange of successful tuna propagation and husbandry technologies.

From the top: Feeding Yellowtail Kingfish. Once a semi-moist pellet has been developed, SBT will be able to be fed in the same way. Cleans Seas CEO Hagen Stehr watching one of his crews harvest Yellow tail Kingfish. Photos courtesy of Clean Seas.

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The collaboration agreement was the benchmark of the Japanese government’s Global Centre of Excellence (GCOE) program involving the internationalisation of technologies and techniques abroad. Kinki University was the sole university to be invited by the Japanese government to participate in the GOCE Fisheries program in recognition of the scientific work established by the late Professor Dr Harada. Kinki University’s northern bluefin tuna (NBT, Thunnus thynnus) hatchery technology program commenced in 1970 and resulted in the spawning of NBT under natural ocean conditions in net cages off Wakayama in 1979 and the first successful completion of the tuna lifecycle in 2002 by Professor Dr Kumai. Kinki Uni are the only one in the world selling closed cycle NBT to the aquaculture market, the captive bred tuna weigh around 1 kilogram and 40 cm in length. Hagen has long been impressed and inspired by Kinki University’s achievements in northern bluefin breeding, propagation and commercialisation. Collaborative between the two groups will result in faster progress in the understanding of bluefin propagation.

total harvest of up to 10,000 tonnes. “We have been producing more than 1.25 million yellowtail kingfish fingerlings a year for more than five years. So we believe we have the technology to produce large quantities of SBT fingerlings; after all a fingerling is a fingerling (with similar requirements). All the major hurdles have been jumped. Now it is a matter of cranking up our infrastructure which will mean a huge capital input. If we can produce 1million SBT fingerlings, then they could be grown to more than 40,000 tonnes in seacages over three years.” Hagen is not intimidated by such big numbers. “It can be scary stuff for some people as we will need many more growout areas. We would need probably more than $100 million all up for the cages and the huge boats to service them. We would need 800-900 people to growout that amount of fish. And then there is the feed supply. In Port Lincoln around 60,000 tones of pilchards are fed each year; that is not sustainable.” Work is being undertaken (by the Seafood CRC) into moist formulated pellets which should see the FCR reduced down to 3.5. Even so some 140,000 tonnes of formulated feeds would need to be fed to produce the 40,000 tonnes of SBT!

Hagen believes the reduction of the dependency on wild caught fish will be a reality for SBT within a few years. “Soon we can have the ability to significantly increase Australia’s SBT annual production within the next few years without impacting on wild tuna stocks,” he explains. “We will also dramatically grow the aquaculture industry on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.”

World class hatchery at Arno Bay Clean Seas’ Arno Bay purpose-designed breeding facility was initially developed with the funding assistance of a Federal Government Commercial Ready Grant (AusIndustry) and Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. Ongoing research is supported by the Fisheries Research Development Corporation (FRDC) and Seafood CRC Ltd, under a seven-year participation agreement.

The current Australian quota for SBT is 5,200 tonnes which is probably just under 250,000 fish at an average of 15kg. Over a 4-6 month period these fish are fattened to around 40kg for a

According to Hagen, expansions are continually being made and they have spent more than $30 million to date. “When we purchased the site there was a small scale hatchery operating. Since

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then we had to build roads, upgrade the electricity, put in sewage treatment and water supplies. There are laboratories, offices and accommodation, stores and workshops. In fact we had to create a whole new town and we have two 500KVA diesel generators to run the whole thing; that is enough to run much of Arno Bay.” Whilst he can’t give many technical details due to the propriety nature of operating such ground-breaking research, Hagen proudly says that the hatchery is state-of-the-art, designed by their own staff and specialists from an international aquaculture engineering company. “We have the biggest broodstock tank in the Southern Hemisphere, if not the world. Our tank is much bigger than several Olympicsized swimming pools and has stateof-the-art systems and equipment to take our fish on a long journey, all within the confines of our tank.” The hatchery has the ability to change the environmental conditions in which the broodfish and then the fingerlings live. “We tightly control the water temperature and salinity. We have large pumps to assimilate the tides and water flows and we have lighting to mimic the sun, moon and the stars. We are able to make it a tuna utopia.

and systems. We have been very fortunate to achieve the 35 days breeding in such a short period of time (in comparison with the Japanese work); however, we have had a lot of support from some of the best scientists around Australia.”

The long road to success in Clean Seas’ SBT production cycle

Helicopter flights for broodfish The successful program has seen a number of successful milestones being achieved (box insert). In October 2006 the international media showed pictures of the helicopters that first lifted around 10 mature SBT weighing as much as 200 kilograms from the sea and then lowered them through a five metre by five metre access hatch in the roof of the giant breeding facility at Arno Bay.

Early 1990s Sea pen ranching of SBT commercialised, including Stehr Group

A second batch were transferred in December 2006 and a more recently in May without loss. These fish are more than 12 years old and will join others in the breeding tank as broodstock for the company’s world-first commercialisation of aquaculturebred SBT later this year. Hagen says the fish were being airlifted at that time because of the seasonal compatibility of ocean and tank water temperatures and so they also would have six months to integrate with the breeding cohort which is already ashore before the next breeding season in October/November.

“We start the fish in environmental conditions exactly like those off the continental shelf and then ‘take’ them west around Cape Naturaliste (south west corner of Western Australia) and then up north into a staging area off Geraldton. Then we take the fish into the spawning area and give them exactly the right conditions for spawning. This journey takes some 120 days in the tanks.”

“The fish we are transferring have been carefully selected over a long period by divers and scientists observing them in their sea cages. Up to 15 divers, scientists and aquaculture technicians were involved in the highly complex airlift.”

The transfer of the fish into the sea cages is depending on prevailing environmental conditions, mostly water temperature. Hagen says that it is difficult to know exactly when this will happen next season. “We are still writing the book. With each day we are constantly refining our techniques

Divers were located in the sea pens at depths of 5-10 metres to muster the tuna and aquaculture technicians directed the airlift operation whilst scientists monitored the health of the multi-million dollar fish. A medical team was also on-site to ensure the health of the divers.

1961 Hagen Stehr begins commercial tuna fishing in Australia

December 2005 Clean Seas Tuna listed on Australian Stock Exchange Early 2006 Upgrade of Arno Bay Hatchery (onshore breeding facility) October 2006 First mature SBT broodfish collected & transferred to hatchery by helicopters December 2006 Second airlift of broodfish March 2007 Conditioning for spawning under controlled environmental conditions and hormone injection November 2007 International food giant Simplot take strategic shareholding in CST March 2008 Artificial breeding regime results in first hatching, sperm bank established September 2008 Partnership with Japan’s Kinki University, first to produce Northern Bluefin Tuna in hatchery March – May 2009 Continuous spawning by its captive Southern Bluefin Tuna broodstock over 35 days; Production of more than 50 million fertilised SBT eggs and 30 million larvae; Fertilisation of more than 90 per cent of eggs; Production of fingerlings which grew to about 2.5 cm in about 28 days; Fingerlings started on live feeds (Rotifers, Artemia) and then weaned onto particulate pellets May 2009 Third batch of SBT broodfish airlifted into hatchery June 2009 Hagen visits Europe & Japan to discuss breeding of Northern Bluefin Tuna Oct/Nov 2009 Planned next scheduled spawning at Arno Bay December 2010 Planned first batch transferred for sea growout (will stock at 5cm, 5-6g) Summer 2013 Planned first commercial harvest of hatchery-reared SBT (40 kg).

Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 35

FA R M P R O F I L E Clean Seas Tuna breeding facility. Photo courtesy of Clean Seas.

Hagen says a temporary air traffic control system had to be set up to monitor wind conditions and aircraft, as well as working with the spotters to guide the helicopter’s delivery of the tuna through the roof of the breeding facility. “It was a very expensive, extensive and complex operation but we used a detailed plan to ensure our very valuable assets enjoyed the journey and arrived in great shape. The only thing we were missing was the flight attendants!”

Sustainability “This world breakthrough is what we have been working towards for the past five years and realises a dream I have had for more than a decade,” Hagen says. “Clean Seas will now have the ability to stimulate and then satisfy consumer demand for greater quantities of SBT, and we can potentially produce the fish year-round.” Hagen is confident that this first batch will be the first of many. “We have had significant advances in knowledge

Fish Farm and Fish Feed Managers In our pristine waters of South Australia we grow magnificent Yellowtail Kingfish, Mulloway and Southern Bluefin Tuna from brood stock to markets across the world. Our business is booming and we need yet more motivated and skilled leaders / managers to ensure our planned growth achieves our targets of environmental sustainability and productivity. If you think you need this challenge and have the skills

required for the production and commercialisation of SBT as a sustainable resource. We now (end of June ’09) have baby tuna that are 98 days old and up to 25 centimetres long (140g) and within a year they could weigh up to ten kilograms each, and in three years they could be as large as 40 kilograms. I feel like a proud grandfather to these tiny southern bluefin tuna – and a proud father to a new world of sustainable premium seafood production. No one has done this before but we are confident of our success. “Aquaculture will increasingly meet the world’s growing demand for preferred fish species via environmentally sustainable programs such as ours,” he predicts. “We must work with the environmental groups to ensure a sustainable future for our fisheries, and the future is definitely with aquaculture production.” By Dos O’Sullivan

and drive necessary then contact our Marine Operations Manager, Chester Wilkes: chester@stehrgroup.net

36 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

For more information contact Hagen Stehr, Chairman, Clean Seas Tuna Limited, PO Box 159, Port Lincoln SA 5606. Tel: 08 8621-2916, Fax: 08 8621-2990, Mob: 0400 920-020, email: stehr@stehrgroup.net

SEAPA Multipurpose Basket Range

FA R M P R O F I L E

Developed by the innovators of the original injection moulded oyster basket, the new SEAPA Multipurpose Basket Range offers more versatility than ever before. Drawing on more than 10 years of experience in manufacturing and farming with the SEAPA Longline Range of products, the latest range provides farmers with an even greater amount of flexibility for on-farm use. As the name suggests, the Multipurpose Baskets have been designed for use in a variety of applications including; • • • •

Hanging on adjustable longline systems Staking through the end caps for use on fixed rack and rail Fixing with floats for use in floating systems Interlocked and roped together for use in subtidal systems

“Every farmer has their own particular way of farming, many utilising existing infrastructure that is perfectly serviceable,” says SEAPA Marketing and Sales Manager Shaun McCarthy. “Our goal is to provide a product with enough flexibility to allow farmers to continue to use this infrastructure, and make a significant difference to their efficiency at the same time.” Efficiencies are realised through the ease of handling and access to stock utilising the Multipurpose Auto Cap which can facilitate full automation if desired. The larger size of the Multipurpose Baskets is also a benefit as they can hold more stock than a standard Longline Basket, thereby increasing a farms carrying capacity and allowing farmers to handle more stock per individual unit. While the Multipurpose Baskets have been based on technology used primarily for oyster cultivation, there is also potential for use with other aquaculture species. The baskets have an assembled width of 400mm, height of 220mm and come in 3 lengths; 650mm, 850mm and 1100mm, with the larger sizes creating significant interest in a number of new areas. SEAPA Multipurpose Baskets pack flat for efficient transport, but are quickly and easily assembled and stack neatly together in order to minimise the required storage space on land and on the water. SEAPA baskets can also be produced in a range of colours as desired, upon request.

For more information about the full range of SEAPA products, please visit the SEAPA website at www.seapa.com.au or call

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Austasia A stasia Aq Aquaculture ac lt re | Spring 2009 37

F E AT U R E

Market-orientated certification for aquaculture in Australia and New Zealand Demand in Europe for seafood products certified as environmentally friendly or sustainable is increasing so much that third party certification is mandatory for most supply chains into supermarkets. After a recent study tour Dos O’Sullivan reports that a similar situation is likely to develop here in Australia and New Zealand

s part of the ISS Institute / DEEWR (Dept of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations) Trades Fellowship, sponsored by the International Specialised Skills Institute Overseas Fellowship Program (www.issinstitute.org.au), I undertook 5 weeks of training and study in Ireland, Scotland and England.

It is no secret that European and North American retailers are now considering ‘green issues’ more often when purchasing seafood and other products. The reason is not rocket science – a growing

38 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

majority of their customers are recognising the value of eco-certified products. Highlighting its growing importance, seafood certification was the basis of key note sessions and papers at recent international conferences and workshops in the EU and USA (a session is also planned for AA10, to be held in Hobart May 2010). The environmental branding of seafood product has been underway for some time in Australia and New Zealand; most people will be familiar with ‘Turtle

Friendly’ or ‘Dolphin-friendly’ Tuna. These claim that no turtles or dolphins are injured or killed during the Tuna catching process. But such certification is now moving mainstream with a plethora of programs using third-party certifiers for a wide range of foods and beverages, some with big advertising budgets. For example, both McCafe coffee and Lipton’s tea are certified by the Rainforest Alliance (www.rainforect-alliance.org/). Savvy consumers will know that their McCafe

F E AT U R E

or Lipton drinks have been produced in a way that conserves biodiversity and ensures sustainable livelihoods for the workers and land holders involved. Peter Marshall, Chief Executive of Global Trust Ltd, one of the world’s leading seafood certification business (see box insert), says that there has been a major shift in the market focus. “The market is no longer focussed on superior product quality assurance,” he explains. “It used to be companies striving to show they were the so-called ‘best in class’. Now the focus is firmly on reassurance. Companies are defending their claims on a wide scope of issues including animal welfare, EMP (environmental management planning), social impacts and effluent management, amongst others. This needs to occur right along the production chain from raw materials to finished goods (the so called ‘net to plate’ or ‘water to waiter’ schemes we have in Australia).” Most certifiers will acknowledge this emphasis on proving sustainability has not been primarily driven by the end consumer; it’s been the lobbying work of environmental non-government organisations (ENGOs; eg. WWF – World Wildlife Fund for Nature) that’s been the key. “There is no doubt there is a rapidly increasing ENGO focus on influencing consumer choices,” explains Peter. “For example, Greenpeace had a campaign entitled ‘If you think you are sustainable – Prove it’ which forced companies from a range of industries to actually document their environmental sustainability systems.” The ENGOS have mostly concentrated

on the larger supermarket chains where they can get more ‘bang for their buck’. In the EU and the USA recent surveys shown that between 75-90% of all food sales (including seafoods) are through supermarkets; seafood sales through traditional fishmongers are just 8-10%. To this end the supermarkets are getting tougher with their demands – many of the leading brands have introduced sustainability criteria in their purchasing process. Any producer can make the claim that they’re doing things the right way. Proof comes however from independent thirdparty certification against nationally or internationally recognised standards. “There has also been a move from simply certifying for products or processes to certifying for provenance (regional) as

well as for social acceptability. The certification program now needs to address all four components.” Peter says that certification can also help a company’s bottom line. “Any good quality management system should result in direct benefits to the company in cost efficiency. For example, our experience with aquaculture farms in Europe and North America has shown that there are real cost-saving and valuemaking opportunities from adopting formal standards and systems. These include reduced complaints through improved product conformity and consistency, improved identification and correction of poor quality, reduced down time through preventative maintenance planning, improved customer relations, increased market share,

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preparation, adoption and revision of standards that address social and environmental practices. The ISEAL Alliance provides technical and peer support to new and emerging standards systems to ensure they build on previous experience and best practice.

reduced cost of waste disposal, improved fuel efficiency, reduced fuel wastage, reduction in packaging costs and new income streams through turning wastes into valuable by-products such as compost.” What are Standards? The International Organisation for Standardisation’s (ISO) definition for a Standard is thus: ‘A prescribed set of rules, conditions, or requirements concerning definitions of terms; classification of components; specification of materials, performance or operations; delineation of procedures; or measurement of quantity and quality in describing materials, products, systems, services or practices.’ Global Trust gives a simpler definition: ‘It is a requirement that is determined by a consensus of opinion of users (stakeholders) that prescribes the accepted best criteria for a product, process, test or procedure.’ The standards process can be very

complicated, with a spider’s web of different organisations and bodies, often using different terms or nomenclature; however, at its simplest it involves three levels: 1. The Standards Owner / Holder establishes quality standards and/or regulations (many of these are IS065/ EN45011 accredited, the international program for product and process certification). 2. The Accreditation Body sets and polices the requirements for thirdparty certification systems, including certifying of the auditors. 3. The Certifying or Auditing Company (or individuals) undertake the audits. The legitimacy of any standards initiative is determined in part by the suitability of the process through which these standards are developed, adopted and implemented. For this purpose the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling (ISEAL) Alliance’s Code of Good Practice specifies general requirements for the

Healthy Stock = Healthy Profits

Certified surface area: 14075mm2 per unit

40 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

ly ent nd epe ured y d In as or me borat a la y b

Bio Filtration

When constructing or developing a standard, the process can be broken down into six or seven basic components (examples are provided for a standard on shellfish food safety): • Principle or objective – To deliver a safe product to the consumer. • Protocols or criteria – Products shall not contain levels of natural contaminants that are harmful to human health (can be according to legal reference). • Indicator of performance – Natural toxin levels. • Assessment frequency – Every harvest batch? Every week? (according to legal reference). • Minimum standard –e.g. Legal limit is 0.6ug/g (MRL). • Measurement criteria or Means of Verification – Testing by an ANTA approved or laboratory employing an accredited method. • Approval – Accredited method and/or government appointed reference laboratory & method. At present there are only two international schemes for certifying wild fisheries – Marine Stewardship Council (originated by Unilever and WWF) and Friend of the Sea (FotS). Both are in use in Australia and New Zealand – Clean Seas Aquaculture has FotS, whilst NZ Hoki, SA Lakes & Coorong Fishery, WA Rock Lobster all have MSC certification (serveal other fisheries are under assessment). Both schemes refer to the 1995 UN FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries as a cornerstone reference.

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According to Global Trust’s Dave Garforth, there have also been a number of alternative methods developed to assess a fisheries’ or state’s ability to comply with the FAO Code, e.g. Rapfish. “Whilst these methods do not currently form accredited standards, they may be of value to industry for internal assessment,” he explains. “Stemming out of these and similar scoring systems against the FAO Code, it is likely that new fisheries standards will evolve as credible alternatives to the existing certification programs on the marketplace. There are also a number of certification programs that focus on responsible practice. These include the Seafish Responsible Fishing Scheme, IFFO Responsible Sourcing Standard and Irish Seafood Stewardship Program (in development).” On the other hand the market has been inundated with aquaculture certification programs: • Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) Best Aquaculture Practice • Global GAP • Certified Quality Aquaculture Standards (eg. CQS/CQM/CQT) • Friend of the Sea • Organic Standards • ISO14000 • Safe Quality Food (SQF) • BRC Global Food Standard There are also some emerging programs such as the WWF Standards which are currently establishing the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. The WWF published their report Benchmarking Study: Certification Programmes for Aquaculture – Environmental Impacts, Social Issues and Animal Welfare in 2007 saying: “In response to the growing public awareness of the negative impacts of modern aquaculture development, an increasing number of market-oriented certification schemes for aquaculture products are being developed and established. The basic concept behind such product labelling schemes is to provide economic incentives to producers and the industry to adopt more sustainable production practices while safeguarding or

enhancing access to consumer markets. The programmes also are in response to the fact that many of the main importing nations’ retail markets are demanding more sustainably produced seafood.”

thic assessment, effluent discharge, waste reduction/recycling, chemical containment, emergency response, prevention of escapes, feed sustainability, energy management.

Global Trust also undertakes benchmarking studies on standards. According to this work, many standards are saying the same thing with around 80% commonality with particular focus in different areas depending on origin and the desired key communication points in each case. For example, the MSC is interested in the environment and social justice; it is not concerned about food safety which is the primary focus of the BRC Global Food Standard.”

The key to being an effective standard is having criteria with indicators of performance that are measurable and quantifiable. Peter says this critical so that the certified company can translate their achievements into a communication strategy with specific claims. For example, using the shellfish example above: “Our oysters are certified safe to eat,” (i.e. they have natural algal toxins below the MRL of 0.6ug/g). Obviously for food safety, other indicators such as E. coli (indicators of sewage pollution) would also be used.

Peter explains that industry will choose which standard best suits their needs going forward. This depends on activity, supply chain position and existing market position. Companies supplying global retailing giants may have little choice as more and more retailer organisations are requesting suppliers to become certified to specific standard programs. In other markets, there may be no specificity. Alternatively, smaller high end suppliers may seek to use certification to differentiate products and services. Organic certification is an example of this.

Perhaps one of the most long established schemes is that for Certified Quality Salmon owned by the Bord Iascaigh Mhara or BIM (Irish Sea Fisheries Board). This originated from a Code of Practice for Irish salmon farmers which was first developed in 1989 and revised in 1994. In 1997, this had been translated and re-written through technical committee consultation as an accredited Standard.

A range of parameters generally included in standards and certification programs include: • Product or process differentiation • Food safety • Quality management (sometimes claiming the quality of aquaculture products is superior to that of wildcaught fish) • Organic or natural (additive or residue free, low level inputs) • Welfare for target animal as well as surrounding species • Chemical free • Eco-label and responsible procurement policies • Provenance (national or regional) traceability • Social acceptability (workforce, local inhabitants, coastal heritage) • Environmental – environmental impact assessment, biodiversity, benAustasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 41

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Global Trust Certification Ltd Global Trust (www.GTcert.com) is an ISO65/EN45011 Seafood Specialist Certification body offering Certification Services internationally for a range of Standards including the BRC Global Standards, Marine Stewardship Standards (MSC), EcoLabel Standards, Organic Standards and Responsible Fishing Standards, Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Traceability Standards. Global Trust offers ISO Certification Services for: • Food and Agriculture Products • Fisheries and Aquaculture Products • Eco-Declaration and Verifications • Carbon Impact and Off-Set Verifications • Forestry Products • Consumer Goods • Corporate Social Responsibility • Chain of Custody and Traceability Global Trust also operates a number of private and national Quality Programme Initiatives as well as offering standards development services to Standards Bodies.

The program continues to evolve and now includes: • Freshwater Standard (mostly for hatcheries and nurseries) • Saltwater Standard (growout operations) • Packing Standard • Cold Smoked Salmon Standard • Organic Standard • Eco-Standard. Similar schemes are also offered for Trout, Mussels and Oysters. Major components include: • Traceability from hatchery to market, fish welfare, fish health, site selection and maintenance, bio-security, husbandry practices, environmental compliance, staff competence and training • Fish processing, hygiene, HACCP, 42 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

•

• •

•

product specification, systems approach to quality, Environmental aspects, particularly site selection and management, feed management and nutrient impact reduction Nature and biodiversity, including cultural heritage Waste management and reduction, including recycling, re-use, benthic and effluent management and impact reduction Systems integrity, prevention of escapes, prevention of chemical spills, contingency planning Resource management (raw materials in feeds) and conservation, including energy and water.

The schemes are also being used in Ireland, Canada, USA, UK, Holland, France and activities in operation in many other countries through benchmark projects. What are the benefits? Certification is a cost to the business. The candidate company has to pay for the auditor to observe and report on how they meet certain requirements. The fees also contribute to the overall administration and maintenance of the accredited standards and procedures. Most of these certification schemes are voluntary, so what makes the companies incur the sometimes substantial costs involved? Most managers of certified companies say that the main reason is to build trust with their stakeholders; these could be the government, the end consumer or community at large. “It provides certainty in uncertain times,” explains Peter. “It is important to remember that certification doesn’t mean problems won’t happen; rather the certified company can expect fewer problems and also have the methods in place to quickly identify the cause of the problems and ways to overcome them.” Other benefits of certification include: • Market access (marketplace requirement) • Compliance with Government requirements or guidelines • Quality system results in farm

improvements (knowledge of process gives an edge, look for cost efficiency, focus on helping bottom line) • Additional promotion – eco-label or organic • Better price (most noticeably with organic) • Provides a tool to assist the company meet specific objectives. Most producers agreed that consumers would choose seafood products certified as environmentally friendly over uncertified products; however, these products don’t usually command a higher price. The exception are aquaculture products (such as Atlantic Salmon) that are certified organic which consistently command a premium of up to 50% over comparable uncertified product (with the economic downturn, a 20-25% premium is now more common). It is usually the standards owner or the certifying body that promotes the system. For example, the Marine Stewardship Council has promoted their fisheries sustainability program so well that key markets around the world (UK, Germany, USA and Japan) will only take MSCcertified product (box insert). Consequently, market access is the most observable benefit at present – in Australia the two main supermarket chains (Woolworths and Coles) have polices for their purchases of sustainable seafood and all of the minor chains are also working on similar policies. So does McDonalds (box insert). The Seafood Trust Eco-Label is the world’s first aquaculture eco-label certification program that has been accredited to ISO65/EN450011. The program is administered by Global Trust, and can be implemented at all stages of the supply chain from egg/ova to plate with a focus on traceability and consistency through out. “It shows the company has demonstrated their commitment to delivering the best quality seafood in the world,” says Peter, “And their commitment to the highest of environmental standards, low impact farming and conservation when producing and processing seafoods.” Cooke Aquaculture, one of North

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MSC– Blue Eco-label for Sustainable Fisheries The MSC Standard for Sustainable Fisheries (www.msc.org) has an impressive rollout – over 700 certified facilities along the chain of custody, and over 2,000 MSC blue-label seafood products (these range from prepared seafood meals to fresh fish from the fish shop). UK retailers (almost 300 products at Nov’08): • M&S – public support, 5 year target of 100% MSC fish. • ASDA sets 100% MSC fish target for its range of fresh and frozen seafood. • Sainsbury’s pledged to be number 1 for MSC. • ASDA, Morrisons, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco all have certified their fresh fish counters. • Iceland, Aldi, Lidl Co-op & Somerfield all have at least one product. German retailers (>320 products at Nov’08): • Edeka will only offer sustainably sourced fish by end of 2011, focussing on products with the MSC label for wild capture. • Friedrichs state ‘Our sourcing is dependent upon the kind of demand that the MSC creates.’ • Lidl committed to gradually increase their offer of MSC products in 3,000 outlets. • 58% of Iglo Germany’s fish carry the MSC logo. North American retailers (>300 products at Nov’08): • World’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, committed to sourcing 100% MSC certified seafood by 2011 (wild – fresh & frozen). • Target now offering 15 seafood private label products with the MSC ecolabel in more than 1,600 outlets. • Loblaws Canada’s # 1 retailer, 1,100 stores coast to coast launches “Presidents Choice” MSC product line, committed to sourcing MSC certified seafood for all departments. • Wholefoods Market, world’s largest organic food retailer, committed to sourcing and promoting MSC certified seafood in all stores across the U.S.

was discussed at an OCED fisheries certification workshop in April (2009) with invited specialists from around the world on capture fisheries, aquaculture and Ecolabelling certification.” The FAO have developed ‘minimum substantive criteria’ for ecolabels that will be presented at next meeting of Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in March 2010. Global Trust has benchmarked a number of standards, including the Seafood Trust Program against these criteria. “This is part of the continuous development and evolution of standards,” Peter states, “which should be reviewed and up-dated with new knowledge and experience on a regular basis. For example the Certified Quality Salmon Committee would meet between three and six times a year depending on requirements.” Producers in both Australian and New Zealand often complain that there is not a level playing field for their certification, mainly because the vast majority of imports are not certified. On the other hand with exports there is often a raft of

Japanese retailers (>140 products at Nov’08): • Aeon is actively promoting action to provide sustainable seafood products together with their customers. • JCCU COOP commitment to offer MSC-certified products to COOP members in order to promote sustainable and well-managed fisheries. Australian or New Zealand producers and retailers include ALDI, Birds Eye, Friedrichs, Geraldton Fisherman’s Co-op, John West (A & NZ), Sanford, Sealord (A & NZ) and Talley’s.

America’s largest salmon producers has had their hatcheries, saltwater farms and processing facilities audited over the past few years. What is better – national or global standards? The experts agree that there isn’t room for dozens and dozens of seafood

certification schemes. “There is a lot of talk about the proliferation of all kinds of standards and schemes causing some confusion, particularly with the end consumer,” says Grimur Valdimarsson (FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture Dept) Italy. “There is a popular view for a ‘minimum environmental standard’ against which to certify fisheries (seafood). This Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 43

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McDonalds’ Policy on Sustainable Fisheries Excerpts from http://www.crmcdonalds.com/publish/csr/home/search.html?query=fish Because fisheries are under increasing economic and environmental pressures, McDonald’s recognises its responsibility to help protect the health and productivity of fisheries. High-quality whitefish is important to their menu worldwide. McDonald’s Australia purchases approximately 1.2 million kilos of fish a year. Globally McDonald’s purchases less than 1% of the total whitefish population. Primarily, McDonald’s suppliers source fish from different parts of the world including the Bering Seas, Alaska, New Zealand, and Chile. The main whitefish species that McDonald’s fish suppliers use are Pollock, Cod, Hake, and Hoki (New Zealand and Chilean).

different requirements and certifications needed to gain access to specific markets. Thus there is strong interest in establishing certification systems in both countries. However, people can’t agree on the process. Some suggest we should do our own standards, others think it is better to adapt international schemes for our purposes. An example of the first group is Seafood Service Australia’s Ted Loveday who with Australian Made Scheme Ltd is promoting a scheme where Australian seafoods would be marketed under the ‘Australia Made’ logo with other products, both primary and manufactured. The ‘Australian Sustainable Seafood’ brand

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Ph/Fax: 02 4982 6086 44 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

McDonald’s has been monitoring the conditions of these fisheries since 2001. Following that effort, McDonald’s worked with Conservation International (CI) to develop an evaluation process for their suppliers to help gain a snapshot of the fisheries from which they source. McDonald’s has been using this stoplight system since 2004. It is used to move fish purchases away from unsustainable sources. As verified by the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC), McDonald’s standards are consistent with the MSC’s Principles of Environmentally Responsible and Sustainable Fishing. The vast majority of McDonald’s fish is already sourced from MSC certified fisheries. McDonald’s is supporting remaining

would be used by the aquaculture, fishing, processing, processing, transportation, storage, labelling and sales sectors for a whole of value chain certification. Others suggest it is best to use one or more of the global systems. Dr Sasha Courville, Executive Director of the ISEAL Alliance, has worked with or examined most of the food certification systems in place. She happily gives this advice: “Don’t re-invent wheel and make a local or national system. Examine the different standards, choose the one or ones best suited and then determine national or regional performance indicators for that standard(s). Then link them together or bolt onto the basic standard.”

supply fisheries, working with the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, to seek additional verification of their own sustainability through MSC or other credible, third party certification programs McDonald’s Global Fish Forum – a mix of McDonald’s supply chain and corporate citizenship leadership, fish purchasing managers in our local markets, and Conservation International representatives – reviews the ratings, shares updates on global sourcing, investigated alternatives for stressed species, and develops recommendations for species usage in their supply chain. McDonald’s international fish team is currently developing sustainability standards in relation to farmed fish.

system is required, integrating or coordinating international or global schemes and allowing regional or national schemes to link in. “Social and environmental standards systems are poised to play a critical role in addressing global sustainability challenges. For this to happen, we need a globally agreed understanding of best practice that will set the bar for all standards systems to meet, exponential scaling up of the impacts of these systems and unparalleled cooperation among standards systems.” What ever system we choose, there is no doubt that certification of our seafood the end consumer.

Sasha says that ISEAL is working to assist standards owners to integrate and coordinate with others to obtain some agreement on equivalency between the standards. “We are looking to make it easier for the consumer, retailer and producer recognise the better schemes for themselves, and avoid some of the ‘Turf Wars’ which are occurring with different Standards Owners or Certifying Bodies saying their systems are better than others.”

Ted Loveday, SSA, E: tedloveday@

Sasha, like Grimmur, believes that a meta-

seafoodservices.com.au

By Dos O’Sullivan. For more information contact: Peter Marshall, Dave Garforth, Global Trust Ltd, E: info@GlobalTrust.ie Dr Sasha Courville, ISEAL Alliance, E: sasha@isealalliance.org Grimur Valdimarsson, FAO, E: Grimur. Valdimarsson@fao.org

FA R M R E SP ER A ORFC I LH E

Flowery grouper broodstock, commonly known as tiger grouper in SE Asia. Photo QDPI&F

Grouper research to help diversify Queensland’s crop mix T

ropical aquaculture is fast becoming a major seafood sector with researchers at the Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries’ (DPIF) Northern Fisheries Centre (NFC) important contributors to this growth. A recent success has been the closing of the breeding cycle of flowery and gold-spot grouper. Another has been the breeding of coral trout in captivity for the first time in Australia and a similar outcome is being sought for the iconic Queensland groper (giant grouper).

The project goes back to 1998 when the Department identified the potential of farmed reef fish to link in with the live fish export trade to Asia. The first step was to establish the Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement Facility at Cairns on the Far North Queensland (FNQ) coast. Dr Richard Knuckey is the Principle Scientist leading the Tropical Marine Finfish (TMF) team. His 2IC is Adam

Reynolds. With a background in the barramundi industry, Adam is well versed in broodstock husbandry and larval rearing.

fingerlings have been supplied to local farmers for growout trials and the first farmed grouper have been eagerly devoured in restaurants in Sydney.

Because of their high value, one of the first species tackled was barramundi cod (Chromileptes altivelis) a.k.a. hump-backed grouper. “Broodstock were hard to come by,” says Richard. “We could get females to come into condition, but could not get coordination with the males to produce fertilised eggs.” It proved too much of a battle ... the researchers gave up.

Richard and his team have been encouraged too by their recent successful spawning of coral trout, justifying the Department’s expenditure on tropical reef fish. While Richard admits there’s still work to be done on fine tuning the technology, he feels that readily marketable and fast growing reef fish are where the future lies for tropical aquaculture.

Instead the focus shifted to their other primary species, flowery grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) plus the goldspot grouper (E. coioides) and, more recently, the Queensland groper (E. lanceolatus) and coral trout (Plectropomus leopardus).

The grouper species (i.e. serranides, including coral trout species) are protogynous in as much as they change from females to males. This presents some difficulties and steepens the learning curve as each species vary in aspects of population biology. For instance, Queensland groper recently suffered a spate of mortalities in the wild and were found

Success has come so completely with flowery and the gold-spot grouper that

Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 45

RESEARCH

washed up over a five month period. Of the 40 dead fish over 100kg, only fish up in the 180kg range were males. Nevertheless, the team believe that by conditioning in tanks they can advance the timing of this ponderous sex change considerably.

as well (20% to 60%). “One day we may collect 100 ml, the next day 600 ml,” Richard says. “The gold spot cod present more opportunity. No one can use 20 L of eggs at the one time. Each species has its own peculiarities.”

Water treatment

Coral trout are also frequent spawners, but the fertility of the eggs is up around the 70%. Richard obviously has a soft spot for the coral trout. “They’re easy to work with and smaller fish at maturity. We can work with 1 to 2 kg females and they show less aggression than the groupers.”

The facility itself was a huge investment. Trinity Bay, on which Cairns is situated, carries a body of estuarine water rich in colloidal clay. Seawater for the hatchery is drawn from this estuary, filtered through sand filters, ozonated and foam fractionated before a final filtration down to 1µm through a bag filter. Filtered water is then stored in four 50 tonne tanks along with two tanks of freshwater for adjusting salinities during treatments of broodstock fish. The broodstock and larval rearing tanks use recirculation systems employing foam fractionation and UV to bombard any potential harmful pathogens and bacteria. The submersible bio-filtration is a blend of crushed coral and bio-straws, a combination not only nitrifying the ammonia but also providing a buffer against pH swings. Incoming broodstock are quarantined and given a freshwater bath to remove protozoans. The protocol has worked well except in the case of a euryhaline gill fluke that was able to withstand the freshwater treatment. Fecundity

From the top: Tropical crayfish are another of the species for development in FNQ by the DPIF. Microalgae production Adam and Mathew cannulating a Queensland groper broodfish Metamorphosing Gold-spot larvae now weaned onto formulated diet (note the beltfeeders) All in hand, assessing growth of juvenile gold-spot grouper

46 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

Fecundity is high. Flowery grouper for example can produce 15 million eggs from a spawning tank over a four day lunar spawning cycle with a fertility rate of over 90%. Even better, the thermal trigger can be manipulated, as can the lunar cycle, to extend the breeding season over six or eight months. The eggs are small – 0.8mm – and, given the high fertility, researchers only need to keep 300 ml at a time. Gold spot grouper on the other hand are more frequent and spontaneous spawners and have a more variable daily output. The eggs have a lower fertility rate

The Queensland groper is different again. Several large (over 100 Kg) fish collected from the wild are being held as well as a cohort of smaller fish that should grow into longer-term breeding stock. Overseas’ work suggests that collecting immature stock from the wild and raising them in captivity enourages earlier maturity: the females at 20kg, the males at 40kg. Male female ratio Social manipulation is another device used to trigger spawning with hierarchy a crucial issue for grouper species. Experience has shown that mixing the females around until the ‘right’ combination is found creates the harmony conducive to spawning activity. The male/female ratio is usually 1:4 with just one male run in the 30 tonne tanks (the larger 60 tonne tanks have the space to run more males as well as females). In the case of the smaller maturing coral trout the researchers will run several males. Adam says that once harmony is achieved amongst the females it doesn’t matter if one or two females morph into males. In the case of the flowery grouper the preferred size ranges are 5kg females with 8-12 kg males. With gold-spot cod being a smaller fish (not growing much over 15 kg) the equivalents are 2-5kg femailes and 8-10kg males. Gold-spot females may start to change into males and then slip back into becoming a pseudo female. This can be overcome by a light injection of hormones to ‘push them over the edge’. Using fish

RESEARCH

they have bred at the Centre, and closely observing the broodstock, researchers are able to keep their gold spot breeding teams efficiently productive. Males and females are visually identifiable from the females’ extra vent between the anus and urethra. Adam says that in a hierarchical species like flowery grouper, gender can be controlled by controlling the population mix. “Establishing a dominant male switches on hormonal pathways that suppress sex change.” Temperature manipulation Cairns sits on latitude 16°S with the sun passing directly overhead twice a year on its journey between the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn. Using the Southern Hemisphere winter solstice as the shortest day, researchers manipulate the thermal range so the broodstock undergo a compressed winter of 23°C and a longer summer of 28°C with a short ramp period when the temperature is lifted or lowered 5°C. Spawning is triggered by the rising temperature and day length and synchronised by the lunar cycle. It usually takes place on the new moon, although spawning has been recorded on the full moon. Egg collection Fertilised eggs are collected in skimmer boxes fitted to the tops of the tanks. The draw-off from the bottom of the tank is reduced during spawning periods to push more water through the screened collection boxes. The boxes are monitored first thing in the morning and any eggs collected are removed to the incubation tanks. Gold spot grouper tend to spawn in the late afternoon to the early evening while the coral trout and the flowery grouper start spawning in the late evening and go through to 9pm and later. The eggs develop rapidly in the warm temperatures and larvae hatch within 24 hours from spawning. Feeding Newly hatched larvae are clear and very delicate. Unlike larvae from robust species such as salmon – with their large yolk

reserve – grouper larvae have very low energy reserves and must feed as soon as their mouths open. A dedicated team works hard to provide a range of minute zooplankton for the growing larvae. These include microscopic (80 µm) copepods for first feeding larvae. Copepods, tiny crustaceans, are the natural diet for larvae in the wild but are difficult to culture. As the larvae grow, the size of the feed increases. Super-small then large strain rotifers follow copepods before Artemia and formulated micro-diets are added. By the time they are ready to metamorphose they are close to fully weaned. One of the peculiarities of grouper larvae is their elongated dorsal spine. It develops at day 9 and has quite a serrated edge. It grows to be longer than the body of the developing larvae until day 25, when it begins to recede to become part of the body of the fish at metamorphosis, around day 35. It can be a problem in the tanks if the spines become entangled like ‘fishvelcro’. Richard says they watch stocking densities and aeration turbulence closely to avoid this. Metamorphosis used to take place at 45 days; the shorter timeframe from hatching to metamorphosis is due to an improved understanding of the larvae’s nutritional requirements. At metamorphosis – which can extend over five to seven days – cannibalism becomes a problem with early morphing larvae, now fry, turning on their slower developing siblings. Grading the larvae from the fry has its difficulties and a system had to be developed whereby the fish are not stressed. Farming attributes Species selection for these trials was based on market value and suitability to Queensland conditions. Such conditions require fish species able to grow in landbased marine ponds similar to those on existing prawn farms. Several prawn farmers have already switched to barramundi given market pressure from cheap imported shrimp from South East Asia. Grouper display the white muscled

From the top: The 100L hatching tanks with the bio-filtration system beneath. Overview of the green water production tanks at NFC Anjanette Johnson, Larval Biologist at the Northern Fisheries Centre, monitoring rotifer production. The replicated experimental larval rearing tanks (300L and 900L). Note the individual degassing columns and flow meters for each tank.

Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 47

RESEARCH

feed has been developed production can be scaled up. Queensland groper is expected to follow once seedstock production is constant. As a faster growing species, it is expected to replace the other two as the preferred species grown in marine ponds. With a smaller yolk sac the timescale to get the coral trout feeding is smaller. However, as Richard quickly points out, coral trout have an established brand image here and in Asia. As quick maturers, they’re also an attractive candidate for improved performance and conformation through genetic selection.

Clockwise from above: Mezzanine level of the broodstock facility showing the 7 30T tanks and 660T tanks (obscured from view) Quarantine holding tanks. Richard adjusting the artemia harvesting system. Regular monitoring is all part of the job. Adam sampling juveniles.

blocky flesh favoured by the market and Queensland groper can put on 3kg in a year in the ponds. Whilst not renowned for eating qualities once they approach their stupendous mature weight of up to 300kg, young fish are as good eating as any of the reef species. Whilst Richard and Adam say they don’t

play favourites, the easiest to work with for temperament are the flowery grouper. By comparison the techniques for gold spot grouper are more straightforward and it has proven itself to be very robust in both the nursery and in the growout ponds (even when the pond salinity fell to 5 ppt ina big ‘Wet’). Several farms already rear some flowery and gold spot grouper; once an efficient

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Call: 0409 727 853 48 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

The future The twin aims of the NFC program have been to develop the marine aquaculture industry of tropical Queensland and provide the existing industry with alternative species to prawns and barramundi. Richard reckons the second goal has been achieved with the Centre producing gold-spot and flowery grouper in semi-commercial quantities and well on the way to doing the same with coral trout. He is also confident that, once sufficient conditioned broodstock are available, the cycle for Queensland groper can be closed as well. Gven ready access to broodstock, the Centre can also hold a wide genetic diversity, a huge advantage when developing more efficient genotypes for farming. Richard believes there is an untapped resource right across tropical Australia for aquaculture development. “An industry partner will certainly get Department support. We are already growing out flowery and gold-spot grouper and have two emerging species in the pipeline. There are still some husbandry issues to sort out, but by and large we’re underway.” By John Mosig Dr. Richard Knuckey can be contacted by phone on (07) 4057 3709, and by email on Richard.Knuckey@dpi.qld.gov.au Adam Reynolds can be contacted by phone on (07) 4091 9313, or by email on adam.reynolds@dpi.qld.gov.au

Pond based Aquaculture – advent of a fish cage Fifteen years ago Tooltech Pty Ltd designed and manufactured a most versatile plastic grow-out tray, complete with clip-in lid and other accessories, for Cameron of Tasmania‘s large oyster farm. The versatility and many features of this lidded tray ensured that it quickly became very popular for the farming of not only oysters, but also other shellfish such as scallops, abalone and pearl oysters, throughout Australia. rust, corrode or break down like metal but lasts for many years and is easily cleaned of marine biofouling if necessary. To further enhance this novel use of the lids, Tooltech is planning to provide an even quicker and more economical method of assembly, eliminating the need for cable ties. To do this, a specially configured plastic extrusion accessory – into which the lids will slot – is in the process of being designed and tooled. The Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries Northern Fisheries Centre in Cairns use the lids to configure the pond cage with polypipe flotation and are currently looking at conducting broodstock diet trials with the cages. Its popularity and use spread to other parts of the world – and it is now being used in several overseas countries, particularly the USA, New Zealand, UK and France, and other parts of Europe. In more recent times, the tray’s robust lid, which is moulded in 8mm and 20mm mesh, has found an alternative and most practical use. Initiated by Good Fortune Bay farm manager Rod Pelling at the Kelso Barramundi fish farm near Townsville, the lid was cleverly and

economically used to construct cages. Lids are cable-tied together, attached to flotation and then placed in large ponds next to paddle aerators. Several thousand fingerlings (barramundi, Cobia etc.) are housed in each cage and grown out for their required period. Many other farms have since followed suit and are using similar methods. The farmers are enthusiastic about these cages, particularly as they are easy and economic to assemble. Plastic does not

TTP Plastics By Design PO Box 209 Carole Park Qld 4300 Australia Tel: 617) 3271 1755 • Fax: 617) 3271 3298 Email: rbreakwell@ttpplastics.com.au Web: www.ttpplastics.com.au

A prototype of the extrusion was displayed at the annual Australian Prawn and Barramundi Conference and Trade Show held recently in Townsville. TTP Plastics Marketing and Export Manager, Reg Breakwell, said that the accessory is expected to be available later in September. For further enquiries contact Reg by email: rbreakwell@ttpplastics.com.au or phone: (07) 3271 1755, or 0408 740 883

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1800 469 495 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 49

N AT I O N A L A Q U A C U L T U R E C O U N C I L

NAC Australia’s peak industry body From the National Aquaculture Council, Chief Executive Officer, Justin Fromm

irst of all I would like to thank Austasia Aquaculture for giving the National Aquaculture Council (the NAC) the opportunity to file an editorial in its magazine. Austasia Aquaculture’s reach into every sector of our industry gives the NAC an opportunity to provide industry with information about Australian Government policy, regulation and programs that have impacts, both good and bad, on our industry. Since many people may be unaware of the NAC I will use most of this editorial to provide some background on the NAC. In future I intend to write about the hot issue of the time for the information of the industry. For this edition I will finish with the Government’s award modernisation process – definitely a hot issue that affects all aquaculture businesses. The NAC is widely recognised by many in government as the peak industry body representing the Australian aquaculture industry. The NAC is as a policy and advocacy organisation that works for and on behalf of the industry to influence Australian Government policies, regulations and programs to ensure they are favourable to the growth, prosperity and profitability of the industry. Since its establishment in 2001 the NAC has developed an excellent reputation amongst key Australian Government Ministers and agencies with an interest in aquaculture, primarily the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. 50 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

The NAC is governed by a Board of Directors who are responsible for determining the strategic direction of the NAC’s work program. Dr Craig Foster is the Chairman and the current Directors are: Mr Brian Jeffriess – Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association Mr Neil Stump – Tasmanian Aquaculture Council Mr Brett McCallum – Pearl Producers Association (until 2009 AGM) Mr Grahame Turk – Sydney Fish Market Mr Martin Hernen – South Australian Aquaculture Council Mr Ken Chapman – Australian Barramundi Farmers Association Ms Ann Fleming – Australian Abalone Growers Association (until 2009 AGM) Mr Bruce Zippel – Shellfish Industry Council of Australia Ms Helen Jenkins – Australian Prawn Farmers Association Mr Mark Ryan – Tasmanian Salmonid Growers Association In addition to these industry members other NAC members include Aquaculture Council of Western Australia, South Australian Marine Finfish Farmers Association, Queensland Aquaculture Industries Federation, and corporate members Skretting Australia, Ridley Aqua-Feeds and the Sydney Fish Market. Affiliate membership is available to individuals. According to the latest Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) aquaculture now represents around 40% of Australian seafood production by value and 26% by volume. The strength of the NAC as a peak industry body is its membership. The NAC members account for around 90% of the value of Australian Aquaculture. This unity is

critically important when the NAC is in discussions with the government. The NAC has just two employees, myself, and Sarah-Jane Day who manages the biennial Australasian Aquaculture Confe-rence. About 40% of the NAC’s annual income comes from membership fees. The rest is made up of profit from the conference, project income and the ad hoc provision of services to its members. Since 2001 the NAC has built a strong financial foundation and healthy bank balance as result of fees for managing projects on behalf of the Australian government. The NAC is involved in many policy and regulatory areas, including: • Research, development and extension policy and guidance through being a representative organisation of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) • Aquatic Animal Health and Welfare • Industrial Relations, e.g. awards etc • Trade and Market Access, e.g. AQIS, residues • Education and Training, through membership on the AgriFood Skills Australia Seafood Consultative Committee • Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) approvals where the NAC holds some registrations. • Climate Change I hope this has given you some understanding of the role of the NAC. I look forward to providing Austasia Aquaculture readers with updates on the NAC’s activities and providing opportunities for industry’s involvement.

N AT I O N A L A Q U A C U L T U R E C O U N C I L

Award Modernisation

ou may recall that one of Labor’s election commitments was the dismantling of the previous government’s industrial relations policies. This began with the development and subsequent introduction of the Fair Work Bill (FWB) and the Governments direction to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) to proceed with an award modernisation process.

The NAC has been representing the aquaculture industries interests with regard to the FWB and the award modernisation process. This has not been easy. As you well know the industry has very diverse employment conditions. The NAC formed a small working group to provide input into the AIRC. The group consists of Brian Jeffriess, a NAC Director and Executive Officer of the ASBTIA, Kaylene Little, General Manager Human Resources & Quality from Tassal, Mark Cody, myself and Industrial Relations Consultant Frank McMahon. Aquaculture is in Stage 4 of the AIRC award modernisation process which means its case is being considered between July and December 2009. The NAC is lobbying strongly to have aquaculture remain essentially an award free industry (there are exceptions, e.g. the salmon industry in Tasmania). The NAC is arguing that aquaculture should remain award free because historically it is has been award free and because of the need for employment terms to remain as flexible as possible due to the irregular working conditions. The NAC has provided a submission

to the ARC which is available on their website (www.airc.gov.au). Failing this strategy the NAC has developed a draft award of which emphasises flexibility in the normal hours of work. The NAC welcomes any feedback or comments that you may have on the award process. I can be contacted by email at nac@aquaculture.org.au or mobile on 0411 146 396.

Advertise in the 2010 Austasia Aquaculture Trade Directory and reach the people who buy aquaculture equipment and supplies.

Call Megan on 03 6245 0064

By Justin Fromm.

For More Information Contact: Conference Manager P.O. Box 2302 • Valley Center, CA 92082 USA Tel: +1.760.751.5005 • Fax: +1.760.751.5003 Email: worldaqua@aol.com • www.was.org

Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009 51

Handheld optical dissolved oxygen meter There are many advantages to an optical DO, luminescent, sensor: there is no warm-up period, no need to frequently replace membranes and it’s ready to use when you turn it on. The new ProODOTM provides traditional YSI quality in a handheld, dissolved oxygen instrument with luminescent optical dissolved oxygen (DO) technology. The ProODO utilises ‘smart’ digital sensor technology which stores calibration data within the sensor. This allows probes to be placed on any ProODO instrument without re-calibration. YSI ODO technology reduces the time required calibrating and maintaining sensors while utilizing a user-replaceable sensing element that requires (approximately) an annual replacement. There are no electrodes to clean or solutions to change. Based on usage, calibrations can be stable for up to one year and are stored in each sensor. Optical technology also increases DO accuracy and eliminates probe fouling by common gases such as hydrogen sulfide. • Expanded DO range of 0-500% • Non-consumptive luminescent method eliminates the need for stirring • Easy to read graphic, backlit display and keypad for use in any lighting condition • Truly field-worthy, impact resistant, IP-67 waterproof case and connectors; rubber over moulded, non-slip case, for extra durability and grip • User-replaceable cables in lengths of 1 to 100-meters; cable management kit included with 4-meter and longer cables • USB connection allows interaction with powerful desktop Data Manager Software • Stores 2000 data sets (sensor data, date, time, site and user defined information) • Multiple languages include English, Spanish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese and German. Asian language support in the future. These can be significant advantages, but when you also take into account that you get a 2-year probe warranty (and 3-year instrument warranty) plus increased accuracy it might be the right technology for you.

52 Austasia Aquaculture | Spring 2009

For more details and pricing, please feel free to contact Aquasonic 14 Commerce St (PO Box 311) Wauchope, NSW, Australia 2446 Phone: 02 6586 4933, Fax: 02 6586 4944 Email: sales@aquasonic.com.au Web: www.aquasonic.com.au

Market Place

AQUACULTURE SERVICES AUSTRALIA

FOR SALE Oxygen Generator and Storage Cylinder CX8A Oxy tech oxygen generator and storage cylinder 47L/m (100 SCFH). Complete with 3ph Champion Dominator screw compressor 28cfm and refrigerated air dryer Only 12 months use – $9000 the lot. (plus freight from Vic) For more info call Steve on 0408 070 317

Get the ‘right’ information by purchasing copies of The Australian Yabby Farmer at $47.50 and The Australian Fish Farmer at $97.50 (inc GST & postage) Call us on 03 9817 3043 or email: mosig@netspace.net.au

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Manager / Technical person required for Queensland aquaculture farm close to the QLD tourist town of Hervey Bay. House on site. Currently farming sea-cucumber with plans to expand into barra, coral trout and crab.

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Replies to: Bluefin Seafoods, PO Box 426, Hervey Bay, QLD 4655 Email: bluefins@bluefinseafoods.com.au or call: 07 4124 2771

Glass Eel licence. Unlimited quota. P.O.A.

AQUACULTURE CONSULTANCY SERVICES Fast Disease Diagnosis & Control • Independent Lab Confidentiality • Microbe & Parasite ID’s • Water Quality & Biofilter Taming • Depuration Monitoring & Control • Disease Risk Assessments •

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Contact: Dr Steven Nearhos 446 Enoggera Rd, Alderley QLD 4051 aquacult@baseline.com.au

required for Hervey Bay aquaculture farm. For full particulars please reply to: Bluefin Seafoods PO Box 426, Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Email: bluefins@bluefinseafoods.com.au Tel: 07 4124 2771

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OzBugZz © Biofilter Starter 1-2-3 Fast starts can be routine. Pure fresh-cultured OzBugZz© microbes nitrify & denitrify waste in marine & fresh water recirc. & purge systems. Quality + O.Night Del + Tech Support. Dr Steven Nearhos Baseline (07) 335 66 111.

FOR SALE – Pisces Marine Farms On offer is an integrated package of assets for the development of a large-scale low production cost aquaculture business – including a thirty-hectare intensive Aquaculture sea cage farm, five-hectare oyster lease, and associated equipment. Currently licensed for Kingfish, Snapper, Mulloway and Bream. Also leased land base, hatchery site, fingerling supply, wharf and processing facilities etc. Based at Port Stephens, these assets and the areas seasonal water temperatures provide opportunity for a low cost entry into the established and high growth Kingfish industry and emerging Tuna sector. For more detailed information on this offer contact Dan Hogan (T) 02 9817 5492 (M) 0427 262 105 or (E) danjhogan01@optusnet.com.au

Prawn Farming Industry Grading Machines and Systems for the prawn farming industry Prawn Grading Machines • Prawn Cookers • Prawn Washers Single machines as well as complete systems • IQF Freezers

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