Prior to the initiation of this project, it was recognised that while State/Territory, as well as Commonwealth, legislation is well-developed for the management of traditional stock animal diseases, legislation has not addressed adequately issues concerning aquatic animal diseases and their control....

The scientific literature has generally accepted that abalone populations are characterised by low levels of settlement and recruitment (Tegner in press), that mortality is relatively low (Doi et al. 1977; Beinssen and Powell 1979; Sainsbury 1982; Shepherd et al. 1982; Fournier and Breen 1983) and...