2005/209 Industry management and commercialisation of the Sydney Rock Oyster breeding program

By Ray Tynan

The success of FRDC supported breeding and hatchery production programs has demonstrated to industry that faster growing disease resistant oysters can be bred and distributed.  Industry has established a company, South SOCo, to accept responsibility for the management, future development and distribution of the Sydney Rock Oyster (SRO) breeding lines. To ensure the successful adoption of technology, a previous FRDC review of oyster hatchery and breeding programs strongly emphasised the need to inform, equip, and assist industry to understand and adopt this technology. Accordingly, there is a need to 1) conduct an independent assessment of current selection practices and their relevance to ongoing breeding line maintenance and improvement, 2) establish the genetic status of the current breeding lines with respect to the natural populations of SRO and 3) assist in the development of cost effective strategies and technology for the maintenance of selected lines and their genetic integrity.

The outcomes of these assessments are presented in a form that is suitable for incorporation in the company’s business plan and that would be of value to other industries undertaking or contemplating breeding programs.