UNSW Aquaculture Research Group

12/11/2025

26/10/2025

Professor Jes Sammut recently returned from Indonesia where he undertook engagement activities for UNSW Science, and also presented at ICoMUS 2025 and at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Terbuka. Jes's panel presentation at ICoMUS 2025 focussed on multidisciplinary research and the importance of partnerships, Jes also discussed how UNSW and UNSW Science are achieving, promoting and celebrating societal impacts through the UNSW Progress for All strategy, the UNSW Societal Impact Framework, and UNSW Science's Pact for Impact and novel ways of measuring real impacts.

His presentation at the Faculty of Science and Technology, at Universitas Terbuka, focussed on past Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research-funded activities and current UNSW Philanthropic funded research and extension work in the Mekong Delta. The presentation was followed by a productive discussion about South South and Triangular Cooperation opportunities for UNSW Science, Universitas Terbuka and other regional research agencies.

UNSW Science UNSW Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences UNSW

26/10/2025

It was great to be part of ANSTO's activities at World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. ANSTO showcased the Seafood Provenance Research to the world. Many of our students have been supported by the Seafood Provenance project, and it is a great example of how partnerships can generate industry-relevant and practical outputs.

The ANSTO Comms and Discovery Centre team created and delivered an entertaining and educational performance (mock gameshow involving seafood provenance questions), a panel discussion moderated by Prof Jes Sammut, and involving Dr Debashish Mazumder (ANSTO) and 3 seafood experts from Japan, and a VIP event in the Australia Pavilion to enable networking. Hats off and a bow to the ANSTO team for organising the activities; the crowd loved the mock gameshow, and the panel and VIP event helped to expand regional engagement and networks.

The ANSTO-led Seafood Provenance Project involves ANSTO, UNSW, Macquarie University, the Sydney Fish Market, the National Measurement Institute, NSW DPI and many other partners and research beneficiaries.

ANSTO UNSW Science

31/08/2025

Congratulations to Dr Karthik Gopi and Joshua Noiney for graduating at our recent UNSW Science ceremony. Karthik was awarded his PhD a few years ago, and we nudged him rather hard to come back and walk the stage at the ceremony.....he obeyed! Karthik worked on our ANSTO-led Seafood Provenance Project and laid the foundations for many more of our students using iso-elemental (nuclear) approaches and modelling for their research on seafood provenance and fish nutrition.

Joshua Noiney was an ACIAR-funded John Allwright Fellow, an ANSTO FutureNow Fellow and also supported by the Crawford Fund. He conducted his Master of Philosophy research at UNSW and ANSTO. Joshua researched environmental and management factors that influence production of all-male fingerlings at satellite hatcheries across PNG. Joshua also used nuclear techniques; he has been trained at UNSW and ANSTO formally and informally.

We are proud of both of them and look forward to watching their careers develop.

Thank you , especially Debashish Mazumder, Patricia Gadd, Jagoda Crawford, and all the instrument scientists who helped Karthik and Joshua. UNSW's partnership with ANSTO has been mutually beneficial and also drives societal impact locally and overseas.

Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research ANSTO The Crawford Fund UNSW Science UNSW Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences NFA Aquaculture Unit

31/08/2025

Last month, Professor Jes Sammut (UNSW), Chenxiang Zhang (UNSW PhD student), Jacob Wani (NFA Executive Manager) and Joshua Noiney (NFA Aquaculture Officer) visited the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), and many fish and black soldier fly farms. Kenyan fish farmers face similar challenges to PNG farmers. The goal of the visit was to learn about back soldier fly production at different scales and local approaches to tilapia fingerling production and brood stock management. We are using black soldier fly for fish food and in formulated feeds in PNG under project, and always looking to improve fingerling production via new technologies and techniques.

The trip was a huge success. We established new partnerships, shared knowledge and came away with a lot of ideas that will help PNG inland aquaculture production. We are grateful to ICIPE, KMFRI and the Kenyan farmers who shared knowledge and looked after us on the trip. The visit was funded by ACIAR under our inland aquaculture program. We are grateful to ACIAR for this opportunity to connect with colleagues and farmers in Kenya. We are particularly grateful to Dr Anna Okello and Dr Chris Barlow for their support.

Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research UNSW Science