Hatchery Accreditation

	AAQ Commercial Hatchery Code of Best Practice -
	Presented by Bruce Sambell, Chris Lupton and Rod Cheetham
	THE ISSUES
	· In order to satisfy environmental concerns, hatcheries contributing to recreational stocking need to demonstrate that they are not going to cause harm to genetic diversity of native fish in open waters. This includes all Queensland waters. Impoundment and farm dam stocking has the potential to cause fish to become part of a breeding population should they escape either down stream or up stream. It is therefore necessary that these hatcheries maintain a broad gene pool within each batch of fish. · In order to satisfy environmental concerns, hatcheries, when delivering fingerlings need to demonstrate that they are not going to cause environmental harm through the undesired movement of non-target species. When delivering fingerlings hatcheries need to be able to demonstrate that only the fingerlings ordered are in the consignment. The consignment must not contain other fish species, or aquatic insects, or any life stages of amphibians, including tadpoles. This requirement extends to hatcheries providing fingerlings to all sectors, including grow-out facilities. · In order to satisfy environmental concerns, hatcheries need to demonstrate that they have the ability to minimise transferee of disease when delivering fingerling consignments. This requirement extends to hatcheries providing fingerlings to all sectors, including grow-out facilities.
	In September 2000 the WWF, (World World Life Fund) hosted a workshop for the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. The workshop was attended by AAQ President, Bruce Sambell. Stocking fingerlings was identified as a potential threat to the fish of the river basins. Disease, genetic pollution, and unwanted translocations were considered to be major threats to the natural populations of native fish. It was also a significant concern that there was no means of identifying hatcheries from other aquaculture sites. One of the outcomes of this workshop was that there needs to be some sort of hatchery accreditation. NSW has produced its own hatchery quality assurance scheme, which appears to be having some implementation issues. The AAQ executive with assistance from DPI & Fisheries staff are developing the AAQ Commercial Hatchery Code of Best Practice. The code will focus on the risks identified at the WWF workshop. The code will focus on the outcomes desired rather than how to achieve these outcomes. This will allow for a variety of production systems to operate under the code. This will also allow for the introduction of new technology as it is developed. A "prescriptive" code, or "Q.A." can be difficult to adapt when new production methods are developed. Outcome number 1: Economically Sustainable Development Outcome number 2: Maximise Genetic Variation for Stocking of Queensland Waters (aquaculture grow out species excluded). Outcome number 3: Maximise the Health of Broodstock and their Progeny. Outcome number 5: No Movement of Non Target Species. Outcome number 6: Stocking of Appropriate Species.
	Latest information on the NSW Hatchery Q.A. will be provided during this session. As at the date this web page was produced, NSW hatcheries that wish to participate in the NSW Q.A. have had a visit from their extension officer. A report is/has been prepared. It is expected that a simpler document will be produced for NSW participants to follow.