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Over 20 years experience in fisheries and aquaculture R&D in
both NSW and Victoria.
Brett has broad and extensive experience in the production of a
wide range of aquatic organisms including the breeding and
rearing of native fish species, and associated food organisms.
Most research has focused on spawning and rearing of freshwater
native species (Murray cod, trout cod, Macquarie perch, golden
perch and Australian bass) for stock enhancement purposes. He
has undertaken extensive research into aspects trout aquaculture
as well as the grow-out of eels and Murray cod, which has mainly
focused on culture in intensive recirculating aquaculture
systems. However, his R&D has also involved the growing of many
different species using a range of culture methods including
extensive pond culture systems, cage culture systems and
semi-intensive and intensive tanks culture systems.
Most recently, Brett has been focusing his attentions on
developing a selective breeding program for Murray cod, which
aims to apply various genetic and reproduction technologies to
produce new, high-performing strains of Murray cod for
aquaculture purposes. This project is also investigating the
population genetics of wild Murray cod in the Murray-Darling
Basin.
Presentations
1. Murray
cod aquaculture: Reproduction and genetics
Aquaculture of
Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii), is a new
industry which has the potential to expand both domestically and
internationally. The species is suited to large-scale
production, with promising performance for growth, survival and
feeding efficiencies at high densities. Until now, no active
selection of fish has taken place for aquaculture purposes with
the majority of seedstock being derived directly from wild
broodstock held in captivity. Consequently, there is
considerable potential to increase performance and profitability
through instigation of a selective breeding program.
A 5 year project,
which commenced in 2003, aimed to apply innovative genetic and
reproduction technologies to enhance productivity and
sustainability of Murray cod. This work was based around three
main components:
- Selective
Breeding: develop genetic technologies to enable the
development of new domesticated strains of Murray cod
selected for high performance (growth etc.) in aquaculture.
- Controlled
reproduction: To develop controlled reproduction
technologies (including controlled environment spawning,
cryopreservation, and chromosome-set manipulation) for
Murray cod and other chosen species (silver perch) to
enhance production and to provide biosecurity & IP
protection.
- Population
Genetics: To develop genetic technologies and tools for
wild fisheries management & conservation of biodiversity,
and to manage the production of genetically certified ‘wild
strain’ seedstock where required.
2. Murray
cod aquaculture: Grow-out in irrigation waters
In the face of increasing water cost
(economic and environmental), integrated agri-aquaculture
systems (IAAS) have the potential to produce additional
agrifood (seafood) product and profit without additional water
consumption and in a sustainable manner. Of specific interest
is the potential of ‘open water’-farmed Murray cod production
based on these systems.
In 2003 a project commenced which aimed to
increase the value and sustainability of water in Victorian
agricultural landscapes through development, demonstration and
evaluation IAAS
that featured Murray cod.
To achieve this, field-based
pilot-scale case studies were conducted on an existing
commercial irrigated horticulture farm in the Sunraysia
Irrigation Region and an irrigated dairy pasture farm in the
Shepparton Irrigation Region. Various types of IAAS were
trialled, their performance was characterised in terms of
physico-chemical parameters and markets for ‘open water’ farmed
Murray cod from IAAS were developed and evaluated.
These case studies have been
established, and now operate as regional demonstration sites
that are evaluating the technical and economic viability and
risk management of different production systems, species and
products, and their interaction with other irrigated
agribusiness enterprises.
3. Captive breeding of threatened tropical
mahseer (Cyrinidae) in Borneo
The Mahseers (Tor spp.) are
highly valued and much sought-after group of freshwater fishes,
both for game as well as for food, across the Himalayan and
South-east Asian regions. Over-exploitation of natural stocks
due to this high demand and the deteriorating environmental
conditions have resulted in marked decline of mahseers in the
wild.
Malaysian mahseers, Tor tambroides
(empurau, kelah or belian) and Tor douronensis (semah)
are prized and valued by indigenous communities. However, both
species are now threatened in the wild due to environmental
degradation and over-fishing. A captive breeding program was
instigated by the Sarawak government (Borneo) to artificially
propagate these species for conservation and aquaculture
purposes. In particular, production of juveniles for release to
augment wild populations and support artisanal fisheries, and
for grow-out in aquaculture facilities. This presentation
describes the results from this program, including of broodstock
management, induced
spawning, egg incubation, larval rearing and grow-out.
A sample of recent publications
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Ingram, B.A., Sungan, S., Tinggi, D., Sim, S.Y., and De Silva, S.S.
(2007). Breeding performance of Malaysian mahseer, Tor tambroides
and T. douronensis broodfish in captivity. Aquaculture
Research. In press.
Rourke, M., Nheu, J., Mountford, H., Lade, L., Ingram, B., and McPartlan,
H. (2007). Isolation and characterisation of 104 new microsatellite loci
in Murray cod Maccullochella peelii peelii (Percichthyidae), and
assessment of cross-amplification in thirteen Australian native and six
introduced freshwater species. Molecular Ecology Notes. In press
Ingram, B.A., Sungan, S., Tinggi, D., Gooley, G.J., Sim, Y.S., and De
Silva, S.S. (2006). Preliminary observations on the growth of cage- and
pond-reared Tor tambroides and T. douronensis in Sarawak. In: Mahseer
2006. International Symposium on the Mahseer (29-30 March 2006, Kula
Lumpur, Malaysia). Malaysian Fisheries Society. P. 19.
Nguyen, T.T.T., Ingram, B.A., Sungan, S., Gooley, G., Sim, Y.S., Tinggi,
D., and De Silva, S.S. (2006). Mitochondrial DNA diversity of broodstock
of two indigenous mahseer species, Tor tambroides and T.
douronensis (Cyprinidae) cultured in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Aquaculture 253: 259-269.
Ingram, B.A., De Silva, S.S., and Gooley, G.J. (2005). The Australian
Murray cod - A new candidate for intensive production systems. World
Aquaculture 36(3): 37-43 and 69.
Ingram, B.A., Gavine, F., and Lawson, P. (2005). Fish Health
Management Guidelines for Farmed Murray Cod. Fisheries Victoria,
Technical Report Series No. 32, Alexandra, VIC. 56 pp.
Ingram, B.A., Rourke, M.L., Lade, J., Taylor, A.C., and Boyd, P. (2005).
Application of genetic and reproduction technologies to Murray cod for
aquaculture and conservation. In: M. Lintermans and B. Phillips (Eds),
Management of Murray cod in the Murray-Darling Basin. Statement,
recommendations and supporting papers (Workshop held in Canberra,
3-4 June 2004). Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra. Pp 107-109.
Ingram, B.A., Sungan, S., Gooley, G.J., Sim, Y.S., Tinggi, D., and De
Silva, S.S. (2005). Induced spawning, larval development and rearing of
two indigenous Malaysian mahseer, Tor tambroides and T.
douronensis. Aquaculture Research 36: 1001-1014.
Ingram, B.A., and De Silva, S.S. (Eds). (2004). Development of
Intensive Commercial Aquaculture Production Technology for Murray cod.
Final Report to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
(Project No. 1999/328). Primary Industries Research Victoria, DPI,
Alexandra, Victoria, Australia. 202 pp.
Ingram, B.A., McKinnon, L.J. and Gooley, G.J. (2002) Growth and survival
of selected aquatic animals in two saline groundwater evaporation
basins: an Australian case study. Aquaculture Research 33(6),
425-436.
Ingram, B.A., Gooley, G.J., De Silva, S.S., Larkin, B.J. and Collins,
R.A. (2001) Preliminary observations on the tank and pond culture of the
glass eels of the Australian shortfin eel, Anguilla australis
Richardson. Aquaculture Research 32, 833-848.
Ingram, B.A., Gooley, G.J., McKinnon, L.J. and De Silva, S.S. (2000)
Aquaculture - agriculture systems integration - an Australian
perspective. Fisheries Management and Ecology 7(1-2), 33-43.
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