Australian Quarantine Research Articles

Ballast water introductions of exotic marine organisms into Australia: Current status and management options

A brief summary is provided of the fish species which have been introduced into Australia, probably by ballast water. The documentation of these introductions led to a baseline study of Twofold Bay, southern NSW, being undertaken by the Australian Museum, and subsequently to a review of all the species which had probably been introduced via ballast water into Australia. The discovery of toxic dinoflagellates in the ballast water of a number of ships entering Australia and in the sediment of several harbours in Australia high-lighted the seriousness of the problem, especially for the developing aquaculture industry. The Federal Department of Primary Industry established a Scientific Working Group; this group developed a research programme which is now being implemented. The initial results of this programme are summarized. Finally, the voluntary guidelines imposed by the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service on ships entering Australian ports and deballasting are discussed.

Efficiency of inspection procedures for the detection of tuberculous lesions in cattle

Australian Veterinary JournalVolume 68, Issue 6 p. 217-218 Efficiency of inspection procedures for the detection of tuberculous lesions in cattle G. MURRAY, G. MURRAY Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Department of Primary Industries and Energy, PO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601Search for more papers by this authorR. BIDDLE, R. BIDDLE Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Department of Primary Industries and Energy, PO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601Search for more papers by this authorP. MILLER, P. MILLER Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Department of Primary Industries and Energy, PO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601Search for more papers by this author G. MURRAY, G. MURRAY Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Department of Primary Industries and Energy, PO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601Search for more papers by this authorR. BIDDLE, R. BIDDLE Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Department of Primary Industries and Energy, PO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601Search for more papers by this authorP. MILLER, P. MILLER Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Department of Primary Industries and Energy, PO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601Search for more papers by this author First published: June 1991 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1991.tb03204.xCitations: 2AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume68, Issue6June 1991Pages 217-218 RelatedInformation

Transport of toxic dinoflagellate cysts via ships' ballast water

Toxic dinoflagellate species that are not endemic to an area can be inadvertently introduced when their cysts are discharged with the ballast tank sediments of bulk container ships. These species, which can affect fish- and shellfish-farms, pose a serious threat to public health and aquaculture. Among 80 cargo vessels entering Australian ports, 40% contained viable dinoflagellate cysts and 6% carried the cysts of the toxic dinoflagellates Alexandrium catenella and A. tamarense (up to an estimated 300 million cysts per ship). The introduction of new Australian quarantine measures is discussed; however, the implications of this potential spreading of toxic algae are global.

Occurrence of organochlorine residues in Australian meat

In spite of several quality control procedures used by Australia to ensure the wholesomeness of export meat, a number of pesticide residue violations were identified in the Australian product exported to the USA in May 1987. The pesticides involved were the organochlorines, dieldrin and heptachlor. The problems were caused by the persistence of organochlorines in soils and their illicit use or contamination of storage facilities. Animals grazing contaminated pasture, ingesting contaminated feed or held in contaminated yards over a period, bioaccumulated residues in their adipose tissues which eventually exceeded maximum residue limits (MRL) and caused violations. Though there was no immediate public health risk, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) of the Commonwealth Department of Primary Industries and Energy (DPIE), acted expeditiously to determine and eliminate the factors causing these problems, which threatened Australia's beef export industry worth in excess of two billion dollars annually. An overall strategic plan, "The Integrated Action Plan", was formulated and implemented by AQIS with the assistance of the relevant Departments of the States and the Northern Territory (NT), meat processing and export industries and livestock producer bodies. As a result of this action, the likely sources of contamination were identified and controlled. The National Residue Survey (NRS) was enhanced, a National Residue Data Base (NRDB) was established and a centralised computer system interactive with abattoirs, laboratories and animal health authorities developed. The cattle farm identity tail tag system already in place, capable of tracing cattle to the farm of origin was refined and trace back systems for sheep and pigs were utilised.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Development of contingency plans for use against exotic pests and diseases of trees and timber

Summary Responses by quarantine and forestry authorities to the inadvertent introduction to Australia of seven economically important pests and pathogens of forest trees, or forest products, from the time of introduction to the present are described. Eradication was achieved only in the case of European house borer (Hylotrupes bajulus). but not for West Indian drywood termite (Cryptotermes brevis), five-spined bark beetle (Ips grandicollis). Sirex wood wasp (Sirex noctilio), poplar rusts (Melampsora medusae and M. larici-populina) and Dothistroma needle blight (Dothistroma septospora). It has not been possible to quantify the economic cost of eradication attempts, or of control measures including research, for any of the case histories presented. It is argued that the Australian Agricultural Health and Quarantine Service should be actively involved in control campaigns until effective pest or disease management strategies have been developed.

BLUETONGUE CERTIFICATION—AUSTRALIAN POLICY

Australian quarantine policies with respect to BT are based on regarding this disease as one of high risk and major potential economic importance to our ruminant population. There are deficiencies in our knowledge of world distribution, epidemiology and pathogenesis. There may be unknown vectors and unsuspected animal reservoir hosts. The international distribution of BT could be extending through the movements of insects or cattle. If introduced into Australia, the cattle and sheep populations would probably be at continuous risk as eradication would be difficult or impossible. Costs to the sheep industry at least could be high and productivity gravely affected. To reduce the probability of introduction, imports of ruminants and semen have, for the last 16 years, been restricted to a very small number of countries presumed free from BT. Future policies will almost certainly be based on these same considerations taking into account scientific advances in diagnosis and virus detection. The establishment of an off-shore high security quarantine station will facilitate imports of ruminants even from known BT-infected countries.

Epidemic Spread of a Rust imported for Biological Control

IN 1971 the autoecious rust fungus Puccinia chondrillina Bubak and Syd. was imported into Australia from Europe, an important step in the programme for the biological control of skeleton weed Chondrilla juncea L., an extremely serious weed of cultivation in south-east Australia1. This followed three years of intensive testing and discussion2,3, and represented a highly significant event in Australian quarantine policy. We believe that this is the first example in the recent history of quarantine controls, of the deliberate introduction and successful release in a new country of a plant pathogen for weed control.

Specificity and host specialization of Puccinia chondrillina

SUMMARYVarious strains of Puccinia chondrillina, the Chondrilla rust, were collected during surveys in the Mediterranean, undertaken to discover biological control agents suitable for use in Australia against skeleton weed, Chondrilla juncea. Only the strain collected at Vieste (S.E. Italy) was highly virulent against the common Australian form of C. juncea. The specificity of this strain of the rust was tested by inoculation of many unrelated cultivated plants, related cultivated plants and closely related wild plants; all were immune to the rust. These tests satisfied the Australian plant quarantine authorities and this strain of the rust has now been introduced into Australia as a biological control agent for C. juncea.