Media releases

AUSTRALIAN QUARANTINE AT THE CROSSROADS
1 April 1996

Incursions of exotic pests and diseases continue to be a major threat to Australia's primary production and exports, public health and its native plants and animals. The past record has been good. However, current arrangements appear inadequate and the future is uncertain.

In a detailed submission to the Australian Quarantine Review Committee the Academy of Science reviews these major concerns. With the great increase in traffic of people and goods into Australia, especially plant material, and the much shorter transit times in aircraft, the risks of inadvertent incursions of serious pest species has increased enormously.

Commenting on the report, the President of the Academy, Professor Sir Gustav Nossal said

'In future we will need to pay greater attention to the protection of Australia's native plants and animals, to the long-term future of our agriculture, and to the protection of Australians from new diseases.'

These changes have brought new obligations for the quarantine service and require new thinking about the management and financing of such services. They require

  • much more use of, and support for scientific expertise in State Government Departments, CSIRO, museums and universities

  • a rethink of organisational and fiscal policies to meet these changes.

Central to the Academy's recommendations is the need for Australia's quarantine service to balance short-term economic considerations affecting trade and export markets with the longer term interests of sustainable agriculture, human health and environmental protection.

In the recent past the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service has given primary attention to trade-related issues, and the ecological consequences of pest introductions were of secondary importance.

Dr Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe, the Chair of the Academy's National Committee for Animal and Veterinary Sciences said 'Most natural ecosystems cannot cope with introduced organisms without catastrophic change. The world stands to lose a significant part of its biodiversity if Australian ecosystems are put further at risk by the accidental entry of pests and diseases'.

The entry of exotic pests, weeds and diseases can materially affect the efficiency of production of our major export commodities. The presence of these organisms can reduce the competitiveness and even effect their viability.

While Australia's quarantine controls have been widely recognised as a model of best practice, Australia is in danger of forfeiting this position to countries like New Zealand which are tightening rather than relaxing control over quarantine. Australia's quarantine defences must be strengthened not weakened. It requires a rigorous examination of the policy of user pays, industry self regulation and quality assurance.

The Academy makes a number of recommendations including

  • the mission statement of the national quarantine authority be revised to embrace public health, sustainable agriculture, the native biota and the environment

  • the composition and terms of reference of the Quarantine and Inspection Advisory Council be expanded to include members with backgrounds in health, science and the environment

  • the responsibilities of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service should be adequately directed to the protection and conservation of Australia's fauna and flora, as well as to the safe and efficient production of Australia's plant and animal industries

The Academy urges the Review Committee to investigate why Australia appears better prepared to cope with certain livestock diseases than with adverse plant health and environmental incursions of unwanted pests and diseases into Australia.