ORAC Report

The following is an abstract from an address by Professor Ian White, Chairman of ORAC, to the Executive Council of the Oyster Farmers Association of NSW Ltd on 5th December, 1998 at the Sydney Fish Markets.

It has been a busy year for ORAC and Professor White noted the tremendous contribution of members of ORAC, particularly the oyster farmer members who have taken a strategic view of the industry and their efforts have been greatly appreciated.

ORAC is working on taking a more strategic approach on research with FRDC wanting to see a strategic progression away from immediate problems to projects which deal with the future. This is in line with recent reports commissioned for the industry (ACIL Report 1997).

ORAC has had input into the following:

• Healthy Rivers Commission
  ORAC is supportive of the view to have a "Manager" who is responsible for the health of each river and one organisational body responsible for the health of coastal rivers.
• Depuration Inquiry
  NSW Health have recently been conducting an inquiry into depuration and depuration procedures. The report is currently in second draft and will be available early in the new year.
• FRDC Workshop
  The FRDC will be conducting a workshop in January 1999 on estuaries and estuarine health.

Existing ORAC supported projects

• Selective Breeding
  NSW Fisheries are working on selective breeding and commercialisation of triploids. NSW Fisheries have advertised for a commercial partner in their research hatchery.
• Acid Sulphate Soils
  Project by Jes Sammut and Michael Dove from the University of NSW on the impact of Acid Sulphate Soils and their impact on oysters. This project is ongoing with continuing work on the relationship between acid runoff and oyster disease and the effect of acid runoff on the food chain.
• Biofouling
  This project involves using natural agents to coat oysters and equipment to prevent biofouling and is part of CRC of Aquaculture. This project will be funded by FRDC this year.
• Depuration
  This project will investigate the environmental parameters of depuration with temperature, salinity and turbidity being key issues. The University of NSW's Prof. Ken Buckle & Dr. Graham Fleet will be the investigators. A scoping paper on world-wide virus detection technology (in particular bacteria phage technology) will determine if this project broadens to include future research into new detection technology.
• QX Workshop
  Scheduled to be held in conjunction with World Aquaculture Society conference to be held in Sydney in early 1999. The workshop will involve both Australian and International scientists and should prove a valuable forum for information exchange. Unknown diseases such as QX are of great concern to all involved in oyster farming all around the world.
• Stocking
  Dr Brian Bain, a shellfish physiologist from Sydney University, investigating optimal stocking densities for Sydney Rock and pacific oysters. The main aim of the project is to investigate how stocking densities affect the quality and marketing of oysters. This is a 2 year project.