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Preserving , Promoting Biosecurity and : Australian Perspectives

Lois Ransom

Paper prepared for presentation at the “Biodiversity And World : Nourishing The Planet And Its People” conference conducted by the Crawford Fund for International Agricultural Research, Parliament House, Canberra, Australia, 30 August – 1 September, 2010

Copyright 2010 by Lois Ransom. All rights reserved. Readers may make verbatim copies of this document for non-commercial purposes by any means, provided that this copyright notice appears on all such copies.

P RESERVING B IODIVERSITY, P ROMOTING B IOSECURITY

AND B IOSAFETY

Preserving Biodiversity, Promoting Biosecurity and Biosafety: Australian Perspectives

LOIS RANSOM Email: [email protected]

Biosecurity is the management of risks to the biosecurity actions, particularly in the natural or economy, the environment and the community of built environment where dollar values are not as pests and entering, emerging, establish- clear as they are in commercial production sys- ing or spreading. In Australia, biosecurity services tems, is difficult and generally a product of are delivered by government and industry in societal values and individual impacts. partnership with farmers and the wider community as a shared responsibility. This is described in a Introduction biosecurity continuum to convey that biosecurity outcomes cannot be delivered if any element of It is a challenge to address the topic of this talk in the continuum is missing or ineffective. Biodiver- the allotted time because each of the ‘bio’ ele- sity is both an outcome of and a contributor to ments is worthy of far more intensive discussion biosecurity actions, for example as a source of in their own right. I will start on definitions be- biological control agents and genetic diversity for cause these give a sense of how things fit together, host resistance breeding. is a tool and use examples from my experience in the that can help deliver biosecurity outcomes, al- though it may also generate biosecurity concerns biosecurity system in Australia that may be of unless appropriately managed. Our environment some value in considering the issues that have and the activities it supports can be viewed as a been raised by previous speakers. large and complex ecosystem. Meshing the The ongoing evolution of Australia’s biosecurity biosecurity continuum approach with an ecosys- tem concept can help government, industry and system has focused to date on the reform of a communities to identify priority actions to deliver national framework to achieve clarity of purpose trade, and security and biodiversity and to define roles and responsibilities, as well as outcomes through risk-based analysis and deliv- to set priorities for ongoing development of biose- ery of biosecurity actions. Valuing the outcomes of curity capacity and capability that will enable the delivery of the biosecurity outcomes expected by LOIS RANSOM is the Chief Protection the Australian community. National planning and Officer (CPPO) in the Australian Government action to protect Australia’s biodiversity may Department of , Fisheries and For- learn from the recent actions to ensure our biose- estry. She is a plant pathologist by training and curity system is dynamic, responsive and flexible. practice and has worked in most areas of plant spanning pesticide efficacy testing; The foundation for achieving better biosecurity research, development and extension for better outcomes is the national framework that actively management in Tasmania’s vegetable enables and supports effective local delivery of and medicinal ; and and export biosecurity. This can also set local action in the policy and operations with the Australian Gov- context of national priorities and outcomes where ernment. She was Australia’s Agriculture numerous small actions contribute to larger out- Counsellor in Tokyo from 2000 to 2003. As the comes. It is inevitable that the biosecurity system, CPPO she is a focal point for national and and those working within it, is judged on actual international plant health with a significant outcomes. No matter what else we do, if biosecu- leadership role in the ongoing development of Australia’s plant biosecurity system. rity outcomes for this country are poor and our

B IODIVERSITY AND W ORLD F OOD S ECURITY 22 place within the global community is poor, we The biosecurity system will be judged poorly. In Australia, the biosecurity system is complex Definitions and operates at many different levels. Operations at the international border are obvious to import- The relationships between biodiversity, biosecu- ers of goods and to travellers returning through air rity and biosafety are as complex as the and sea ports. Its operations off-shore to address ecosystems they create or protect. At its most risks on goods before they are exported and basic, biodiversity is safeguarded by Australia’s on-shore to limit their spread within Australia are biosecurity system, which can be assisted by the not always as obvious. Off-shore activities include safe application of biotechnology. site visits to confirm biosecurity risks, the collec- The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD tion and analysis of international intelligence to 1992) defines ‘biological diversity’ as the vari- identify new and emerging threats and measures ability among living from all sources to address them, and capacity-building, particu- including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other larly in the Asia and Pacific regions, to improve aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes pest management and reduce the risks that pests of which they are part; this includes diversity will move into Australia with goods, people or by within species, between species and of ecosys- natural spread. tems. Biodiversity is both an outcome of and a States and territories operate a quarantine system contributor to biosecurity actions, for example as to prevent the movement of established pests to a source of biological control agents and of ge- new areas within the country. This is supported by netic diversity for host resistance breeding. and plant health legislation in each juris- Biosecurity is the management of risks to the diction. Quarantine measures are applied to economy, the environment and the community of protect defined areas or habitats and ecosystems pests and diseases entering, emerging, establish- to support market access by maintaining these ing or spreading. Hence the biological diversity of areas free of quarantine pests, or to safeguard an area, whether a small ecosystem or the whole them from diseases that severely affect their of Australia, is protected from the impacts of pests economic or ecological value. Biosecurity is also that are absent from that area by effective applica- practised at a property level, to protect farms from tion of biosecurity services. diseases that may be carried by new or stock feed. Biosafety is a modern concept arising from the 2000 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which This ‘continuum’ approach to biosecurity ac- encompasses the protection of human health and knowledges the connectivity of off-shore, border biodiversity by controlling the importation, re- and on-shore actions and the roles and shared lease and use of genetically modified crops. Of responsibilities of governments, industry and the itself, genetic modification is a tool that can help Australian community in protecting our farms, provide protection of from pests. However, forests, cities and bushland from damaging pests modifications and their application in production and diseases (Fig. 1). It is reflected in the national ecosystems may have unintended consequences biosecurity framework. The concept was first that must also be managed to mitigate damage to acknowledged in the 1996 Nairn review of quar- these and adjacent ecosystems. Biotechnology has antine and more recently in the 2008 Beale review been applied in Australia for integrated pest of quarantine and biosecurity. These concepts management and to reduce the use of pesticides. reflect the value that we, as a nation, place on the There have been observed increases in the biodi- ability we have to provide safe, wholesome food versity of insect fauna in genetically modified to our , generate wealth from animal cotton crops. and plant exports and safeguard Australia’s unique and diverse fauna and flora. Risk analysis is applied to the regulation of modi- fied organisms to safeguard the environment and Biosecurity agencies are working hard to create a economy from adverse effects of their introduc- holistic focus that integrates all biosecurity activi- tion in much the same way as biosecurity threats ties within a national framework—ensuring that are assessed and managed through biosecurity roles and responsibilities are clear, and that ade- import risk analysis processes. quate resources and infrastructure are available to identify priority biosecurity risks effectively. The

B IODIVERSITY AND W ORLD F OOD S ECURITY 23

as tourists or residents returning home. The biosecurity system is in place to reduce the risk of entry of pest threats. Not all threats are exotic. The Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni) is a good example of a native species that has ex- tended its natural range over time and which has become a significant cost to producers and exporters as they must meet interstate and international conditions to prevent its further spread in exported fruit. Pests also affect the natural environment to shape ecosystems. The impact of the soil-borne fungus Phytophthora cinna- momi on native forests in Western Australia has been significant and is Figure 1. The biosecurity continuum probably irreversible. The spectrum of plant pests in Australia defines our plant health status. It is this system, of necessity, must be risk based, as we status that underpins quarantine actions at simply do not have the resources to do everything, the international border and the conditions under and if we are to import food and other goods, and which we can export plants and products to the support tourism, then there will be risks. Our rest of the world. ongoing focus is on the things that matter most. Protecting biodiversity What are we protecting? Our environment and the activities it supports can Australia is one of the most biologically diverse be viewed as a large and complex ecosystem. It countries in the world with 6.7% of the world’s includes native habitats, farms and cities. Meshing vascular plant species, 7.0% of the world’s mam- the biosecurity continuum approach with an mal species, 15% of ant species, 8.4% of the ecosystem concept can help government, industry world’s bird species, 3.8% of the world’s amphib- and communities to identify priority actions to ian species and 17.0% of the world’s marine and deliver trade, food safety and security and biodi- freshwater fish species (National Biodiversity versity outcomes through risk-based analysis and Strategy Review Task Group 2009). About 84% delivery of biosecurity actions. A key challenge is of plant species, 83% of species and identifying the outcomes sought and achieving a 45% of bird species are found only in Australia balance of interests and investment in a matrix of (DEWHA 2008). The gross value of farm produc- stakeholders, outcomes and resources, as well as tion in Australia is in excess of $45 billion per local and national interests and imperatives. annum (ABARE 2009). This includes the produc- There are some very clear parallels around deci- tion and processing of and their products, sion making, priority setting and community which are also plant based. values and expectations in relation to protecting As a large land mass, the climatic variation from biodiversity to which biosecurity is no stranger. I north to south allows a wide range of habitats for have framed this as a series of questions that will both native and , including need to be considered in order to begin to set plants that are produced for food. These habitats priorities and outcomes for preserving biodiver- are under ongoing threat from sity in Australia, in balance with demands for land including vertebrates, invertebrates, diseases and use to support our economy and our communities. weeds that are new to Australia, or that may be These include: established or native species that are not wide- spread. Of necessity, Australia imports goods to • Which ecosystems do we want to protect and support industries and households, and many why? millions of people cross our international border • What do you protect them from?

B IODIVERSITY AND W ORLD F OOD S ECURITY 24

• Who makes this decision? test options for a response. Representatives from • What actions are needed, etc? affected industries, primary production, emer- gency response organisations and environment On face value these may be simple questions but agencies took part. The same questions as those they can be extremely difficult to answer due to a posed above provided a useful guide to establish- lack of information and knowledge of an ecosys- ing roles and responsibilities in policy and tem and the efficacy of measures that may be response, the assumptions underpinning whether taken to protect it. However, setting a solid and to continue with a response given the biology of consistent foundation to identifying ecosystems rust diseases and our ability to contain them, and and or species at risk allows for more efficient and when to stop an eradication response. We also robust planning and delivery and, if integrated explored the ecosystems that should be protected, into a national framework, supports greater trans- noting that primary production industries are best parency and confidence in decision making. This placed to develop their own disease management framework can also support the application of risk strategies. This forward planning has been applied analysis and benefit:cost analysis to define social to the recent detection and ongoing management values, ecosystem services, , of the closely related myrtle rust, which was first identify and allocate roles and responsibilities and confirmed in Australia in April 2010 (Fig. 2). establish baseline capacity to deliver. Identifying the location of threatened species in areas where myrtle rust is present has focussed Balancing priorities in a way that accommodates planning and action on protecting these plants and the breadth of stakeholder views and values is also the ecosystems they live in. fraught with difficulty. Every member of our community will assign their own value on a place The challenge for protecting Australia’s biodiver- or a thing. Agreeing values that do not have a sity, as I see it, is in establishing the national simple and unequivocal dollar value for example, framework that integrates the processes to identify the return made on a of wheat or apples, and then goes on to protect priority biodiversity requires the determination of a range of values targets in a way that is cost effective, reflective of and their comparative weighting. This is an area community values, is flexible and adaptable and where Dr Possingham’s group [page 14] will be appropriately resourced. We have seen over the working to provide guidance to government. last 20 years the local impacts that community- Some areas such as world heritage listed areas based Landcare groups have made. Mobilising the already have a set of values assigned to them by 20+ million potential volunteers who have a virtue of the listing process. This may be a useful strong vested interest in Australia’s environment starting point for determining non-dollar values and ecosystems is a big task, but without commu- affected by a pest, and has been consid- ered in analysing the potential impact of the electric ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) outbreak near Cairns, Queensland, should it enter the nearby world heritage area. We have used these fundamental questions in our planning to protect species of myrtaceae in Australia. This family of plants is dominant in the Australian envi- ronment and is widely used by the nursery and forestry industries. We know there are a number of very damaging pests affecting the health of these plants overseas that would have a significant impact on Aus- tralian species if they were to arrive. These include guava rust (Puccinia psidii) and the Asian gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). In 2006, a national workshop was con- vened as part of our preparedness for an Figure 2. The distribution of myrtaceous species threatened by incursion of guava rust using scenarios to myrtle rust

B IODIVERSITY AND W ORLD F OOD S ECURITY 25 nity ownership and a shared responsibility in lia’s quarantine and biosecurity arrangements protection of our environment these efforts will report to the Australian Government. Depart- remain disjointed. Mechanisms that incorporate ment of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, shared decision-making and will be Canberra ACT, 244 pp. critical to success and should underpin a road map CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) 1992. that uses a national framework to enable local http://www.cbd.int/convention/articles.shtml?a= action. cbd-02 (accessed August 2010). DEWHA (Department of the Environment, Water, Acknowledgements Heritage and the Arts) 2008. Threatened Species I am grateful to Dr Ian Naumann (entomology, and Ecological Communities. Australian Gov- technical assistance and capacity building), Dr ernment, Canberra. www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatene Mike Cole (forest health, invasive spp.) and Dr d (Accessed August 2010). Jacek Plazinski (plant pest diagnostics, biotech- nology) from the Office of the Chief Plant Nairn, M.E. et al. 1996. Australian Quarantine : A Protection Officer, Biosecurity Services Group, Shared Responsibility. Department of Primary DAFF, for their valuable input into this paper. Industries and Energy, Canberra ACT, 284 pp. National Biodiversity Strategy Review Task Group References 2009. Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010–2020. Consultation draft, Austra- ABARE 2009. Australian Commodity Statistics 2009. lian Government, Department of the ABARE, Canberra. Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, www.abare.gov.au/publications_html/acs/acs_0 Canberra, ACT. 9/acs_09.pdf http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/str Beale, R. et al. 2008. One Biosecurity: A Working ategy/draft-strategy.html (accessed August Partnership. The independent review of Austra- 2010).

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