The Australian Government has responsible for the regulation of the import and export of animal and plant material, and is heavily involved in development and implementation of national measures and agreed programs to control invasive alien species (IAS), primarily feral animals and weeds.
Risk assessment, quarantine and import controls
Preventing introduction and establishment of invasive species is the most cost-effective means of pest management. The Australian Government has established processes to assess the risk associated with proposed imports to reduce the potential for the introduction of pests and diseases.
The Quarantine Act 1908 (administered by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)) and the EPBC Act (administered by the Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEH)) regulate the entry of live plants and animals into Australia. The EPBC Act controls the import of live specimens into Australia so that the likelihood of importing a non-native species with the potential to have a significant impact on the environment is minimised.
Both the Quarantine Act 1908 and the EPBC Act require that live specimens be assessed for their potential impacts. The two Australian Government agencies, DAFF and DEH, have worked closely to develop an integrated process for the assessment of specimens. This reduces duplication and streamlines the assessment process, both for the Australian Government and for the applicant (potential importer). The agreement of both Departments is required before a live specimen can be imported.
The EPBC Act established a list of specimens suitable for live import (the live import list) and prohibits the import of any species not on this list. The live import list is divided into two parts – Part 1 is a list of specimens that may be imported without a permit and Part 2 is a list of specimens that may only be imported with a permit, often with conditions attached. It is an offence to import a specimen that does not appear on the list, or a specimen on Part 2 without a permit.
An applicant wishing to add a species to this live import list must prepare an assessment report examining the potential impacts on the environment of the proposed import against agreed Terms of Reference. The draft report is published on the DEH website for public comment and a letter is also sent to the appropriate State, Territory and Australian government Ministers requesting comment. A species will be added to the live import list only when the Minister is satisfied that it will not impact on the Australian Environment.
The wildlife trade amendments to the EPBC Act have been in place since January 2002. To date, the Government has received 161 applications to amend the live import list, and 34 species have been added following rigorous assessment. Most of these have been permitted for import into high security facilities only. In addition the import conditions for 4 species have been altered. Further assessments for 90 species are in process.
During 2002-2003 Biosecurity Australia (an agency within DAFF, using the national weed risk assessment process (WRA), refused entry for 320 plant species. The WRA process showed that these species had a high potential to become a weed of agriculture and/or the environment if they were to be imported into Australia.
National IAS coordination
Coordinated action across Australia is critical to prevention, rapid response and control of invasive species. Cooperative arrangements have been developed between the Australian and State and Territory governments to ensure this action is effective.
The Australian Weeds Committee provides an inter-governmental mechanism for identification and resolution of weed issues at a national level for Australia. The Committee manages the implementation of the National Weeds Strategy. This strategy provides a national approach to the management of the Weeds of National Significance and those species listed on the National Environmental Alert List.
The Vertebrate Pests Committee identifies nationally significant vertebrate pest issues, recommends appropriate management actions, and develops principles, national policies, strategies and programs relating to vertebrate pests to ensure the conservation, sustainable use and management of Australia’s land, water and biological resources.
Unlike the National Weeds Strategy, there is currently no national strategy for invasive animal species. As part of a review of the functions of the Vertebrate Pest Committee, the Committee is currently considering the development of a national strategy that would address the impact and management of all invasive animal species, similar to the approach developed for weeds.
The National Introduced Marine Pests Coordination Group (NIMPCG) has been established to develop a comprehensive ‘National System for the Prevention and Management of Introduced Marine Pest Incursions’. It will include:
Prevention systems to reduce the risk of marine pests reaching Australia
Coordinated emergency response to new incursions (including agreed cost sharing arrangements)
Ongoing control of introduced marine pests already established in Australia
Supporting components for research and development, monitoring, communications and evaluation and review.
The National System will include regulation of ballast water entering Australian waters and moving between Australian ports, and a framework for management of biofouling pests. Detailed implementation arrangements for the National System are being developed and are expected to be completed by October 2006. In the meantime, implementation of some elements have commenced, with;
mandatory ballast water management requirements for international vessels introduced by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service in July 2001;
establishment and operation the national emergency response network overseen by the Coordinating Committee for Introduced Marine Pest Emergencies (CCIMPE); and
initial voluntary implementation of a protocol for management of biofouling risks on small international vessels.
CCIMPE oversees a national emergency response network for marine pests. Under this arrangement, up to AUD 5 million may be made available to combat an introduced marine pest outbreak of major concern that is amenable to eradication. CCIMPE consists of relevant agencies of the Australian Government, including the national scientific research organization, CSIRO, and the States and Northern Territory.
Key measures still being developed under the National System include:
best management practice protocols for the control of biofouling (including for commercial ships, recreational and fishing vessels and aquaculture operations. Drafts of these protocols are currently undergoing further consultation and/or risk assessment prior to implementation)
ballast water management requirements for ships moving between Australian ports,
control plans for key species already established in Australia,
a targeted monitoring program,
a communications strategy,
an evaluation and review strategy, and
a research and development strategy.
International Considerations
Australia is involved in international activities concerned with invasive species control,
consistent with current international standards, through:
The World Trade Organization’s Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures;
The United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation International Plant Protection Convention;
The Office International des Epizooties of the World Animal Health Organisation (on animal diseases and invertebrate pests that infect animals or that are vectors for microbial diseases of animals), and
the International Maritime Organisation - Marine Environment Protection Committee, (on invasive marine pests through ballast water).
Border Protection
Australia shares three international maritime borders - with Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor. Limited traditional movement occurs between Australia and neighbouring countries under treaty and other arrangements (e.g. The Torres Strait Treaty).
The Australian Government’s constitutional responsibilities are embodied in the Quarantine Act 1908, which underpins a border protection regime based on three key elements:
Assessing risks and identifying the policies and measures necessary to address those risks (through the Import Risk Analysis (IRA) and Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) processes) managed by Biosecurity Australia;
Implementing those measures at the border (Border Protection), managed by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS); and
Developing surveillance systems and complementary measures in neighbouring countries (Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy), together with off-shore and overseas inspections, managed by AQIS.
The objective of Australian Government biosecurity policies is to prevent or control the entry, establishment or spread of pests and diseases that will or could cause significant damage to human beings, animals, plants, other parts of the environment, or economic activities. For animal and plant biosecurity, an import risk analysis (IRA) identifies the pests and diseases relevant to an import proposal, assesses the risks posed by them and, if those risks are unacceptable, specifies what measures should be taken to reduce those risks to an acceptable level. Import risk analyses are conducted in accordance with the administrative process detailed in the Import Risk Analysis Handbook, and conform with Australia's international obligations.
The Quarantine Act requires the Director of Animal and Plant Quarantine to ensure that environmental factors are considered in the decision making process. A Memorandum
of Understanding operates between Biosecurity Australia and the Department Environment and Heritage to facilitate input of advice on environmental matters into Australia’s import risk analysis process.
The Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) process operates in parallel to the IRA, and is designed to enable non-invasive plant species to be imported, while preventing the importation of potentially invasive species new to Australia. Clients of the WRA process include wholesale nurseries, horticultural companies, agricultural suppliers, private individuals, botanical gardens, universities, researchers, and state and territory governments.
The WRA process takes into account a wide range of factors including the domestication of the species, climate suitability, distribution of the species, weed status elsewhere in the world, undesirable traits, plant genus and provenance, reproductive methods, propagatable dispersal mechanisms and persistence attributes. The results of the IRA and WRA processes are operationalised by the national quarantine service, (AQIS).
Ballast water is a recognised mechanism for the translocation of marine pests when ballast water taken on outside Australian waters is discharged in Australia. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service introduced mandatory ballast water management requirements for international vessels in July 2001. This requires ships to exchange ballast water on the high seas, except where a risk assessment indicates that a marine pest translocation is unlikely.
Surveillance Capacity
A pest incursion occurs when an exotic pest, disease or weed is detected within national quarantine barriers for the first time and has spread beyond the recognised limits of quarantine operations. Effective surveillance and early identification is the main determinant in achieving an effective response to incursions. The Government manages targeted but limited surveillance through AQIS for specific pests such as fruit flies, screw-worm fly and Asian Gypsy Moth. It is also working with Animal Health Australia (AHA) and Plant Health Australia (PHA) to enhance the general surveillance capacity of a wide range of stakeholders through national awareness and reporting programs.
It is in the context of surveillance that the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS) is critical. This operates through cooperation with relevant State and Territory quarantine services and the governments of neighbouring countries, and draws heavily on cooperation with, and knowledge of, indigenous communities in areas such as Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory and the Torres Strait Islands, which are part of Queensland. Much of the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy’s monitoring and survey work occurs on aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned land, and could not take place without the permission of indigenous owners. Indigenous rangers also look out for invasive species, such as European honeybees (already well established in southern Australia), occurring on their lands. These bees directly threaten native bee species that produce honey, which is an important indigenous and local food.
The NAQS also relies heavily on an informed public for early detection of potential weed invaders. During 2002-3 alerts by the public led to a detection of new outbreaks of two target weeds Mikania micrantha and Limnocharis flava, and identification of another two, Clidemia hirta, recorded for the first time in Australia, and Micinia racemosa, which was recorded for the first time outside its natural range in tropical America. NAQS officers also work in neighbouring countries and have assisted, for example, in establishing East Timor’s first quarantine service. Veterinarians from Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor have also attended training courses at Australia’s Animal Health Laboratory in Victoria, under NAQS auspices.
See also:
National Weed Strategy
National Weed Assessment 2005
http://www.weeds.org.au/
http://www.daff.gov.au/invasivemarinespecies
National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biological Diversity |
