Western Australia has a great potential for increased aquaculture activities. According to the Aquaculture Council of WA, the main concern of her members has been lack of easy access to fish health veterinary services. Disease is a major limiting factor in aquaculture of both established as well as potentially important aquaculture fish species in WA, e.g. barramundi, kingfish. Aquaculture will provide an alternate source of food fish amidst reports of declining wild fish stocks. There is the potential of further growing an industry that will provide jobs directly as well as indirectly in downstream activities in seafood processing.

Histopathology has been recognized as an invaluable tool in fish disease diagnosis. The Australian College of Veterinary Scientists recently added aquatic animal health as a new fellowship program in 2010 and there is currently only one person enrolled. This program involves a very intensive professional training program with approved experts amounting to 25 hours a week over 154 weeks, and attendance at relevant workshops and conferences, which will need dedicated funding. This endeavour will not only benefit the local aquaculture industry directly by making available a specialist fish health veterinarian, but also provide better trained veterinarians and farm staff through her teaching activities at the tertiary and postgraduate levels. PI's research into significant diseases in collaboration with her colleagues at Murdoch University and Fish Health Laboratory, Dept. of Fisheries WA will also benefit the industry via better understanding of disease and control strategies.

Aquaculture health and biosecurity are complex multidisciplinary areas that require specialized human resource development (van Beek 1997). There is a wealth of lessons to be learnt from more established aquaculture industries. As each industry is unique in fish species farmed and local environmental issues, there is a need to process information into a practical biosecurity plan.

The Western Australian aquaculture industry is regionalized, with large distances between centres of activity. Ready access to veterinarians with expertise in fish and shellfish is rare, often resulting in heavy losses. There is a need to
increase/consolidate knowledge amongst fish farm managers & operational staff in aquaculture health. Involving local veterinarians will improve access to fish health services. The workshops will create greater networking allowing fish farm managers and their local veterinarians the small pool of veterinarians within Fisheries and Universities with experience in fish and shellfish health

The above need is consistent with WA industry's RDE priorities, FRDC's environmental program theme 1