Mass of mortality over the past decade in routine mass hatchery and nursery rearing to produce the millions of spat required for commercial operation. These same problems have also forced the abandonment of SRO production operations by several commercial hatcheries elsewhere in NSW. three complementary strategies have been developed and major resources marshaled, first strategy implement relatively simple but potentially significant modifications to existing bivalve hatchery facilities, rearing equipment and operating protocols at PSFC. The second strategy is assessing whether or not ‘in-house factors’ at PSFC, namely site and facility design and operational constraints (especially inherent plumbing design faults and hygiene constraints imposed by year-round competing demands for limited hatchery resources), have been responsible for variable and generally poor hatchery production of SRO spat. The third strategy, a 3-year program of systematic experimental investigation has been designed to optimize a wide spectrum of husbandry factors,
particularly those identified as of high probable significance during the course by an international health workshop that in August 2002. The program is also geared to ‘fast-track’ commercialization of SRO breeding program with the first large scale production run to be attempted in Sept/Oct 2003. A priority objective is rapid assessment of alternative settlement and spat rearing technologies, including use of spat bubblers and estuary-based field nursery systems, to promote fastest possible growth of spat to a size of 2 mm beyond which they appear to overcome susceptibility to the mass mortality syndrome. A critical outcome of the program will be to ensure the portability of improved commercial production technology developed.