Next month, we start a trial with the aquarium industry and scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Science. The trial will test a world first system to track coral from research and aquaculture facilities through a clear supply chain to final use.
Coral fishers will play an important role in the trial. They bring valuable transferable skills, equipment, and knowledge to the process. The trial will also test how we track corals used for reef restoration and adaptation.
The system was developed with Australian technology company OriginsNext. It uses RFID technology to track each piece of coral. The system is safe, secure, and efficient. It follows individual coral through the supply chain, from collection to final use. This includes export, local trade, and reef restoration.
Each coral specimen will have a unique digital ID. This ID can be scanned by tamper-proof technology. This will help fishers, researchers, regulators and wholesale customers to:
- check the origin of coral
- tell the difference between wild coral and coral bred in land based aquaculture
- track coral through a supply chain.
The trial supports Australia’s global commitment to ensure wildlife trade is legal, sustainable and traceable.
This new system, along with the Australian Government’s $91.8 million in extra Reef funding will boost works that support sustainable Reef fisheries, including a plan for the scale up of coral aquaculture.
Funded by the Reef Trust, the trial demonstrates Australia’s investment in innovative technologies to provide transparent, high-quality data to help support accountability and trust.
