Australia is one of the world's top 22 importers, which means our biosecurity standards need to be up to scratch.
A recent report from the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources says otherwise.
Australia's Inspector-General of Biosecurity Dr Helen Scott-Orr said the Department's report on Pest and disease interceptions and incursions in Australia revealed gaps in the biosecurity of Australia's $35.55 billion imports industry – $8.93 billion of that being food and beverages.
Annually, more than 18,000 vessels, 1.8 million sea cargo consignments, 41 million air cargo consignments, 152 million international mail items and 21 million passengers arrive in Australia with numbers growing each year.
"Intercepting pests and disease-carrying material along these pathways before they enter and cause incursions in Australia is a huge challenge for the Department," Dr Scott-Orr said.
The report, along with another report discussing the biosecurity measures to manage the brown marmorated stink bugs entering Australia, was released a week before the inaugural Australian Biosecurity Symposium.
The symposium was an opportunity for 360 of Australia's biosecurity experts to discuss these new findings. Preventative biosecurity practices was the theme for this year's symposium, allowing for conversations to focus on research and innovation to transform Australia's biosecurity systems.
The state of biosecurity in Australia
The report revealed that over six years to 2017, the Department intercepted over 272 tonnes of meat products at the border.
Twenty-two per cent of meat interceptions were undeclared and detector dogs found 53 per cent of these. The number of detector dogs almost halved between 2012 and 2017, meaning less international mail and passengers were screened.
Over three million sea containers also arrive each year, but only eight per cent of these actually undergo biosecurity inspections.
"The Department must strengthen arrangements for intercepting pests, diseases and biosecurity risk management, pathway by pathway, to ensure that effort is being directed to areas of highest risk.
"It should also prioritise and properly resource these screening and verification programs irrespective of other crises.
Failure to implement them increases the risk on incursions.
Dr Helen Scott-Orr
The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) President Fiona Simson is in full agreeance with the Inspector-General of Biosecurity.
"Robust biosecurity procedures and policy is essential for the health, safety and prosperity of Australian agriculture and those whose livelihoods it relies on.
"For the industry to reach a $100 billion in farm gate output by 2030 more resources and training is needed at our nation's borders," Ms Simson said.
NFF Farming Systems Committee Chair Melinee Leather is a lifelong advocate for biosecurity and the 2019 Farm Biosecurity Producer of the Year and is astounded that the nation's biosecurity is not being taken more seriously, especially when dealing with international trade.
Australian consumers expect and deserve to receive food that is safe and nutritious.
NFF Farming Systems Committee Chair Melinee Leather
"These reports show just how important a focus on Biosecurity is for Australian agriculture. We need to uphold our global reputation as a safe and reliable trading nation," she said.
Stopping the bugs
One of the biggest biosecurity risks to Australia is the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) - an exotic pest that can infest and damage over 300 host plants, particularly temperate vegetables, fruit and nuts, and imported agricultural crops.
Dr Scott-Orr found that efforts by the Department to keep BMSB out in 2018-19 stretched Australia's border biosecurity system close to breaking point.
"BMSB could cause major losses for the agricultural industries of Australia and New Zealand and both countries are working to keep it out.
"Departmental resourcing is inadequate to meet the BMSB challenge. It is hard to see this changing unless biosecurity funding is improved," Dr Scott-Orr said.
