science exchange keynote: plant biosecurity, sally troy

OPENING PLENARY

Keynote address

Sally Troy

biosecurity built on sciencePlant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre

Dr Sally TroyAssistant Secretary, Plant Health Policy

Department of Agriculture and Water Resources

Plant Biosecurity

biosecurity built on science

Import from overseasTo protect the economy from the impact of exotic pests and diseases

Safeguard AustraliaSafeguard Australia’s plant health status

Export overseasMaintain and improve overseas

market

Are we managing the risk?

Are we being a reasonable regulator?

How can we improve?

Government perspective


Globally (2012)- > 8 billion tonnes of cargo, - 4.8 billion people, - 1633 airports- 179 countries

Australia (2015) - INCOMING- 15,300 Planes- 4,000 Ships- 140 million mail items- 1.6 million shipping containers- 18 million travellers

Manage the risk – very large volumes


Item 2014–15 2013–14 2012–13International passenger clearances (a) 17 907 000 17 167 000 16 200 000Seizures of items from air passengers 257 682 257 425 247 054Post-intervention compliance—air passengers 98.84% – –Sea passenger and crew clearances 600 061 513 473 794 122Seizures of items from sea passengers 3 514 3 582 5 124International mail articles (total volume) (a) 146 100 000 (b) 173 170 000 186 580 000Seizures of mail items 24 210 24 096 27 608Post-intervention compliance—mail 99.91% – –Airports where we have staff 8 8 8International mail facilities where we have staff 4 4 4Import permit applications received 21 692 23 493 22 672Import permits issued 17 243 18 708 19 125

Shipping pratique visits—first ports 18 060 17 461

16 300

Country Action List (CAL) sea container inspections (first port) 57 423 45 617

46 482

Commercial consignments referred to the department (c) 450 000 440 000 –

Air freight consignments (under $1000) 611 349 621 606 645 000Live animal imports processed at government post-entry quarantine facilities (d)

cats - 1552 dogs - 3693horses - 389avians - 137

queen bees - 0alpacas 0 - 12

cats - 1573dogs - 3525Horses - 444avians - 473

queen bees - 16Ruminants - 34

cats - 1815dogs - 3761horses -495 avians -447

Hatching eggs processed at government post entry quarantine facilities 4 225 (e) 21 745 22 812

Managing Australia’s Imports

a Rounded to the nearest thousand.b Declining mail volumes predominantly letter class and other articles, attributed to increased use of electronic mail and fluctuations in the Australian dollar. c Shown to two significant figures and provided as additional reporting.d Additional information on imports of queen bees and ruminants not reported in 2012–13. e Reduction in hatching eggs due to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreaks in the northern hemisphere.


Plant imports - 2015>100 million ornamental bulbs (in 1988, ~250,000 bulbs) >2 million tissue culture plantlets (in 1999, < 12,000 T.C. plantlets25,000+ low/medium risk ornamental plants2,500 high risk cvs & seed lines Volumes significantly increasing e.g.. 40 containers of Yucca canes

Plant Exports - 201568,000 export certificates for grains and horticulture produce

Manage the risk – very large volumes


Jurisdiction Total agriculture ($) Total crop ($) Total livestock ($)

Australia 49,837,422,020 24,676,513,021 25,160,908,999

New South Wales 11,286,637,811 5,759,098,961 5,527,538,849

Victoria 12,337,390,359 4,599,584,846 7,737,805,512

Queensland 10,927,215,799 4,925,013,861 6,002,201,937

South Australia 5,808,333,585 3,569,153,478 2,239,180,107

Western Australia 7,377,633,978 5,287,987,705 2,089,646,273

Tasmania 1,343,079,362 457,435,329 885,644,032

Northern Territory 749,885,986 76,374,559 673,511,427

Australian Capital Territory 7,245,136 1,864,279 5,380,857

Australian, State/Territory Local Values of production taken from Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia, (2014-15 ABS)


Crop production $24.7 Billion- Between $24 & $31 Billion in last decade

Export value - Grown from $15.6 to $24 Billion in same period

Manage the risk – very large Values

2006/2007

2007/2008

2008/2009

2009/2010

2010/2011

2011/2012

2012/2013

2013/2014

2014/2015

2015/2016

2016/2017f2016-17 $b

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Crop production valueCrop export value


Comparison of key Plant and Animal Pests statistics Plant Animal

High Priority Pests (from IBP process) 362 Categorised pests/diseases under EPPRD/EADRA 82 66Notifiable pests / diseases under state/territory legislation 479 Pests / diseases on NAQS target list 129 16 (plus 3

vectors)Plant pest species surveyed for the National Plant Health Surveillance Program

96 .

OIE diseases, infections and infestations in force in 2016 - 118Quarantinable pests and diseases 621,730 446(Note that the list in the proclamation is restricted to families and orders of potential plant pests in most cases, due to the number of species being so large. The figures presented here represent only the exotic species in those groups. Data for weed species of concern has not yet been included.)Viruses (expanding rapidly due to advances in molecular biology) approx. 2000Viroids 30Plant pathogenic fungi (compiled for Basidiomycetes only thus far) 8,000Ectomychorrhizal fungi as potential beneficial bioremediation agents 6,000 Bacteria 1,800Snails and slugs 23,000Mites 4,400Potential insect pests (more detailed information provided in appendix 1) 572,500Plant parasitic nematodes (incomplete taxonomic understanding) approx. 4000

-

Complexity of the Australian Plant Biosecurity System

Pathogen

Impact???Host???

Although the pest organism may be known, the unknown host range (including within native flora) and environmental (including production system) impacts on the host and pest, make determining priorities difficult.


2500 species assessed through Import Risk Assessments to date 230 assessments each year for processed products, biologicals,

machinery, passengers 26,000 Plant pest & disease data sheets on CABI

Manage the risk – complexity


Changing - pest distributions- pest hosts- pest treatment efficacy- production means, patterns & distributions

Estimating rates and risks- Approach - Entry- Establishment- Spread- Impact

Manage the risk – variability & uncertainty


An essential component- Identify pests, pathways- Detect- Control/treat- Set conditions- Respond- Estimation of risk- Review, Verify, Assure- Identification of material change

Manage the risk – role of science

Setting prioritiesfor

maximal risk return


The Biosecurity Act 2015 replaced the Quarantine Act 1908 and is flexible and responsive to changes in technology and future challenges.

The new legislation replaces the Quarantine Act 1908 which was written in a completely different time where today’s technology, transportation systems and volumes and types of international trade were unimaginable.

The Act:- provides a modern regulatory framework to support the biosecurity system into

the future and accommodates advances in transport and technology- reduces duplication and regulatory impacts- allows for current and future trading environments- allows for collaboration across government and industry- introduces new terminology and some new requirements that clients and

stakeholders need to know about

Biosecurity Act 2015Reasonable Regulation -


Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper- committed $200 million to improve all Australia's ability to understand, detect and respond to pests

and diseases- Surveillance, diagnostics, technical market access requests, analytics, information management- Opportunity for significant one-off investment in national capability

Service Delivery Modernisation Programme- to streamline and improve our business processes and client service through better use of modern

technology and work practices. - To date, we have:

documented and analysed existing service delivery arrangements defined a future state for our service delivery implemented priority projects to enable the online lodgement of documentation for imported

cargo, to improve call management and to conduct a pilot of mobile devices for our workforce to enable on-the-spot service delivery.

Other reforms


DAWR Plant

Future Operating

Model


Changing:- Climate- Human activities- Pest and disease behaviour and movement

Just handling the volumes of information requires sophisticated systems- Distilling signal from noise - Estimating and Comparing risks - Setting priorities

Improve- Research and Development Challenges


Interception: Better detection of small, subtle, slow or asymptomatic pests and diseases Shift away from relying on visual examination and move towards biosensors, thermal and ultrasound technologies?

Diagnostics: Improve diagnostic platforms to be faster, cost effective and consistent Analyse numerous samples simultaneously whilst maintaining sensitivity and accuracy Develop national diagnostic protocols for the priority plant pests

Controls: Alternative measures Bio-stimulants and bio-controls Larger scales & volumes

Surveillance: where and what to look for? How to effectively survey (and control)? Alternative surveillance technologies i.e. smart-traps and drone technology?

Risk Assessment:Pests – biology, hosts, impact, likely effectiveness of controlPathwaysAreas

Improve - Research and Development Needs


IFHighly complex system

ANDImpossible (or not cost effective) to completely codify

THEN WE NEED Intelligent, informed agents operating within the system, seeking to improve it

THE REAL PRIORITIES


THANK YOU

science exchange keynote: plant biosecurity, sally troy

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