Research Projects - Aquaculture

National Collaborators

Mr Glenn Schipp, Darwin Aquaculture Centre
Mr Craig Foster, Marine Harvest Ltd
Ms Lorna Melville and Dr John Humphrey,
Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory

Production of farmed barramundi has increased by more than 1200% in the Northern Territory since 2001 but is threatened by nodavirus infection.

To achieve growth targets for barramundi aquaculture in northern Australia the University of Sydney and the three industry partners will collaborate to:

1. Control nodavirus infection
2. Develop new technologies to detect nodavirus using immunoassay and surface enhanced laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry (SELDI)
3. Develop an integrated disease control strategy based on epidemiological survey data, and ensure that it is practical and able to be widely adopted.

Control of nodavirus infection is required also to meet the national goal to boost aquaculture production to $2.5 billion by 2010.  This project meets two designated national research priorities: frontier technologies for building and transforming Australian industries and protecting Australia from invasive diseases and pests.  It will develop biotechnological and epidemiological tools to control nodavirus, improve biosecurity of finfish in the wild and on farms in Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and underpin growth of the barramundi aquaculture industry in regional areas.  The benefit will be increased employment and investment with economic and social returns.  This project has support from all States and Territories.

Professor Richard Whittington
Ms Kylie Deece

Australian Animal Health Laboratory,
CSIRO

The quantity and value of aquaculture production will increase relative to wild harvest fisheries globally and as a consequence the international community is taking great interest in disease threats to finfish aquaculture. Epizootic haematopoietic necrosis (EHN) is one of the viral diseases of fish listed by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) and occurs in parts of Australia. Due to the extreme virulence of the causative agent EHN virus (EHNV), its restricted geographic range and limited opportunities for study outside Australia, this country hosts the OIE Reference Laboratory for EHNV, based jointly at the University of Sydney Faculty of Veterinary Science and CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory. In addition to providing research and diagnostic referral services to the Australian industry, the reference laboratory provides technical advice, protocols and reagents to laboratories throughout the world, thereby ensuring international diagnostic capability. This is required under international guidelines in trade in aquatic animal products, administered by the OIE. The OIE Reference Laboratory for EHNV represents an important contribution by Australia to the international community.

EHNV reference laboratory functions were identified as one of a number of high priority issues for funding under the Federal Government's "Building a National Approach to Animal and Plant Health" program. The OIE Reference Laboratory for EHNV has provided reagents, protocols and diagnostic referral services to fish health laboratories in Australia and other countries for more than 10 years. Research on protocols for improved viral detection and differentiation from related viruses has been ongoing, and has been published in high quality journals. However, many of the original reagents were prepared in 1989-1992 and stocks of quality-controlled batches were almost exhausted. Furthermore, new protocols had recently been developed using modern tools of molecular biology but standardized DNA reagents were not available. The aim of this project was therefore to provide quality-controlled viral, tissue, antibody and DNA reagents and protocols to detect EHNV and to differentiate it from related viruses including BIV. A further aim was to develop and assess new storage conditions, guidelines for reconstitution and shelf life for these reagents.

Reagents and protocols for the detection of EHNV using the latest technology in ELISA, immunohistochemistry and molecular biology have been prepared, evaluated at an independent laboratory and are now available to laboratories in Australia and internationally. EHNV is a very serious pathogen. Consequently the reagents have been prepared using a new approach which will facilitate easy shipment in a stable form with no biosecurity risk. This is important in the current era of bioterrorism.

Dr Brian Jones*,
Fisheries Department Western Australia
Ms Melanie Crockford
CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory

*Principal investigator

In 1995 and 1998 there were major epizootics in pilchards which spread from South Australia around the southern coastline of Australia until the entire geographic range of pilchards in Australian waters was affected. A herpesvirus was identified as the cause. There was a loss of 60% of pilchard biomass, devastation of the pilchard fishery and secondary effects on piscivorous birds such as penguins which failed to breed.

The Joint Pilchard Scientific Working Group (JPSWG) was established under the Consultative Committee on Exotic Animal Diseases. The working group set priorities and coordinated research on the virus. Development of molecular diagnostic techniques was given highest priority as these will enable epidemiological studies to determine whether the virus is dormant in the pilchard population and whether or not it is coming in to the country through imported pilchard bait.

The aim of this study is to validate molecular diagnostic tests for pilchard herpesvirus and to put them to use in elucidating the biology of the virus, including a survey of wild pilchards. Sequencing of the viral genome will continue, in order to design more specific tools and also to compare the virus obtained in 1995 with that collected in 1998. Objectives include:

• To improve the polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization diagnostic assays which are based on limited sequence data by generation of further viral genome sequence data from the available stocks of virus
• To independently establish the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic assays at other laboratories
• To investigate basic aspects of the virus and the disease: tissue distribution of virus in infected fish, and the correlation between disease in fish and the presence of virus
• To survey wild pilchard populations to determine whether the virus is still currently detectable and causing disease
• To compare the herpesvirus strains from 1995 & 1998, and to compare, at the molecular level, this herpesvirus and this disease with two other similar herpesvirus fish diseases which have been reported elsewhere in the world.

Professor Richard Whittington
Mr Matt Landos

Dr Brian Jones* ,
Fisheries Department Western Australia
CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory

*Principal investigator

The aim of this project is to evaluate and clearly define current and future needs for aquatic animal health training and for systems for merit-based accreditation and competency assessment. Stakeholder consultations will define current and future needs for aquatic animal health support among Australia's aquaculture industries, both established and emerging. The needs identified will determine the training that is required to provide those services. However, consultations will also take into account issues such as succession planning, merit-based accreditation of experts, and competency assessment, as well as the reluctance of institutions to provide training for what may be perceived to be a very small and specialised market. After the consultations, an issues paper will be prepared that identifies the problems and solutions, for formal submission to the Aquatic Animal Health Committee (AAHC).

Professor Richard Whittington
Mr Matt Landos

Dr Brian Jones ,
Fisheries Department Western Australia
Dr Mark Crane
Australian Animal Health Laboratory, CSIRO

The lack of many serious diseases is one of Australian aquaculture's prime competitive advantages to meet future global demand for seafood. Maintenance of this high health status through initiatives which reduce the risk of disease incursions and facilitate early detection and response to emerging disease problems is seen as critical to continuing industry expansion. The range of commercially significant aquatic animal species, and their diseases, is increasing steadily. Due to limited resources it is clear that, , diagnostic laboratories cannot develop proficiency in the diagnosis of all significant diseases. As a consequence, expertise in specific diseases has developed in different laboratories throughout the country. To take advantage of this development, to ensure that expertise in different diseases is available Australia-wide, and to create a consistent system of aquatic animal disease diagnosis and reporting, it is proposed that a national network of laboratories be established for the diagnosis and monitoring of aquatic animal diseases.  This needs to be underpinned by a formal quality assurance program. Through a consultation process, uniform data standards and reporting formats need to be developed and adopted by all jurisdictions. Standard diagnostic tests and operating procedures also need to be developed and subsequently adopted by laboratories within the network.

This project is concerned with the establishment of the network and commencement of activities, including proficiency tests ("ring tests") designed to assist laboratories in further developing their diagnostic capabilities and/or to allow demonstration that performance of a particular test is at a nationally accepted standard, using Australian and New Zealand Standard Diagnostic Procedures (ANZSDPs). In this way the confidence of stakeholders in the quality of the diagnostic service is increased.

Specific objectives include to:

• Make recommendations on the structure and function of the network of receival and reference laboratories
• Establish a laboratory network for aquatic animal disease diagnosis
• Facilitate transfer of knowledge and technology in aquatic animal diagnostics
• Develop a model for national laboratory proficiency (ring) testing as a mechanism to enhance the proficiency of the diagnostic network.