ROCKY POINT PRAWN FARM

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

RPPF NOMINATED FOR 2002 R&D AWARD - PRIMARY INDUSTRIES WEEK 17-23 March 2002

NOMINATED FOR: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AWARD

NOMINATED BY: AUSTRALIAN PRAWN FARMER'S ASSOCIATION

PART 1 - REASON & OBJECTIVE OF THE PROGRAM

Rocky Point Prawn Farm (RPPF) has been involved in dozens of collaborative R&D projects over the years in partnership with leading agencies and companies. Many of these projects have made significant contributions to Queensland's prawn farming and agricultural sectors.

There have been many breakthroughs resulting from pioneering work conducted at RPPF. The farm has openly shared results with industry which has led to widespread uptake of new technologies, improvements in environmental sustainability and water treatment, reduction in costs of production, reduction in energy consumption and creation of significant new export markets for Australian seafood products.

RPPF has received many recognitions for its excellence in rural industry development in Queensland as outlined below.

1997 Premier of Queensland Award for Export Excellence in Agribusiness

1997 Queensland-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Excellence in
Agribusiness Exports

1997 Queensland - Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Supreme
Winner of Export Excellence Awards

2001 Premier of Queensland Certificate of Excellence for International
Women's Day

2001 Queensland Primary Industries Award for Excellence in Marketing

2001 Albert & Logan Shire Business Achievers Award - Finalist

The Association has summarised a snapshot of the more significant R&D projects that RPPF has either led or participated in as a major partner.

PART 2 - RELEVANCE TO QUEENSLAND PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

The motivation behind RPP17s investment in research and development comes from a commitment to developing a world-leading, sustainable and profitable aquaculture industry in Queensland, as well as the Zipf families commitment to the social and economic welfare of their community.

The relevance of RPPFs investment is critical to the sustainable and profitable development of Queensland's seafood industry of the future. Commercialisation of technological advances is only possible with investment and leadership from major industry partners. RPPF has demonstrated a longstanding and very significant contribution to advancing Queensland's rural sector through investment in R&D.

The thread of this commitment can be seen in the nature and breadth of R&D activities the company has invested in during the past decade - see below.

PARTS 3 & 4 - APPLICATION & OUTCOME and CONTRIBUTION TO LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGY

CSIRO Food into Asia Program, "Domestication of Peneaus japonicus". A three-year, $1.5 million project for genetic selection of the prized "Kuruma Prawn". The project is almost completed with exciting results including disease resistance, 25% improvement in growth rates and selected morphology.

PARTNER in the collaborative APFA, QDPI, CSIRO, AIMS, Seafarm and GCMA "Domestication of Peneaus monodon" Project. The aim is to repeat the success of Rocky Points work on the Kuruma prawn and develop a new export sector for Queensland based on certified disease-free prawn larvae to the $4 billion southeast Asian prawn sector.

QDPI Improving packaging technology, survival and market options for Kuruma Prawns". This project assisted industry to establish and maintain a strong and reliable market position in Japan for the live Kuruma prawn. It refined live prawn packaging, developing an innovative and successful new packaging technology. The project also found it is feasible to grow Kuruma prawns during cooler months in more tropical climates and relocate them for further growout or "climatic agistment" in more southerly locations. Commercial-scale trials are planned.

QDPI "Soft-shell Blue Swimmer Crab Project" in partnership with Gold Coast Marine Aquaculture. This project is trialing the commercial feasibility of soft shell crab growout It is a 2-year project focusing on moult cycles, hatchery and growout technology and product development (including packaging).

QDPI "Development of conditioning index for Kuruma Prawn". This project developed a reliable method of assessing suitability of kuruma prawn for export. A set of criteria were developed for correct selection which led to high survival rates in Japan.

CRC for Aquaculture "Recirculation Pond Technology" in partnership with CSIRO, AIMS, APFA, and Seafarm. This trial was some of Australia's pioneering work in the field of recirculating technology which involved commercial-scale trials of recirculation using natural filters (eg seagrass, oysters) combined with use of other mechanical methods of water treatment.

CRC for Aquaculture "Prawn farm effluent: Origin, Composition and Treatment" in partnership with CSIRO, AIMS, APFA and Seafarm. A five year, $1.5million dollar project aiming to answer a few fundamental questions about prawn farm discharges.. what is prawn farm discharge, what happens to it in the receiving environment, how can industry manage it better? This was pioneering work and has received acclaim internationally. The research findings have been widely published in the international scientific literature and have had a significant influence on management and treatment of prawn farm discharges. In response to the research, industry worked with the Queensland Government in a wide-sweeping review of marine prawn licenses and farm operations. New policy has been developed and farms are now actively incorporating settlement pond technology. A recent APFA survey has found rapid uptake over the past two years. 70% of farms now have settlement pond technology operating whereas before the project it would have been closer to 1 or 2%.

EPA, APFA, United Nations Cleaner Production Group at University of Queensland "Scoping study into IS014001 Environmental Management Systems in the Prawn Farming industry". Again this was original work in which RPPF was the trial farm for development of a template for IS014001 for use in prawn farming. The work included an eco-efficiency assessment and report. RPPF are proceeding to ISO 14000 environmental quality assurance and are expected to be accredited later this year.

EPA, JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY Variable motor drives in prawn aquaculture". This project examined technological options to reduce energy use by aerators through development of light sensitive motor. This was a very positive project which resulted in a 75% reduction in energy use in ponds trialed with the new prototype motor. It led to significant cost savings and reduced energy consumption. The model is undergoing further work and is now being trialed on many other Queensland farms. Many of the findings of the project are now standard practice on Australian prawn farms.

QDPI "Mullet in settlement ponds". RPPF was a partner in QDPI's successful and novel approach to bioremediation, using mullet to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous in discharge waters. Mullet are now widely used by the industry in settlement ponds with demand for larvae increasing each year. The commercial success of mullet has not been great, however they have proven to be a cost-effective approach to reducing nutrient loads in discharge waters.

PRIME MINISTER'S SUPERMARKET TO ASIA PROGRAM "Whole of chain approach to the Japanese market for Australian Kuruma prawn". A two year, $500,000 project aiming to reduce reliance on auction markets and find direct supply chain to food service and consumer. RPPF has established and staffed a Japanese office to facilitate the project. The ultimate aim is to create a new supply chain in which Queensland prawns and other food goes direct to food service, restaurant and hotel chains and also to the consumer. This will lead to a major shift away from commodities based method of selling (ie low returns) to demand-based production and marketing. The project will develop brand recognition and result in higher returns to Queensland food producers.