A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council November 2006 © Commonwealth of Australia 2007 ISBN 921192 18 6 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney General’s Department, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 or posted at http://www.ag.gov.au/cca. The Australian Government acting through the Bureau of Rural Sciences has exercised due care and skill in the preparation and compilation of the information and data set out in this publication. Notwithstanding, the Bureau of Rural Sciences, its employees and advisers disclaim all liability, including liability for negligence, for any loss, damage, injury, expense or cost incurred by any person as a result of accessing, using or relying upon any of the information or data set out in this publication to the maximum extent permitted by law. Postal address: Bureau of Rural Sciences GPO Box 858 Canberra, ACT 2601 Copies available from: BRS Publication Sales GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 Telephone 1800 020 157 Fax (02) 6272 2330 Email [email protected] Internet http://www.brs.gov.au CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . 1 5 MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL PESTS AND NOXIOUS SPECIES IN AUSTRALIA . 19 1 INTRODUCTION . 2 6 COMMUNICATION PLAN . 23 Need for a national approach . 4 Terms of reference . 5 7 RECOMMENDATIONS AND NEXT STEPS . 24 Next steps . 24 2 EXISTING CONTROLS . 6 Importation . 6 Applications to amend the list of permitted REFERENCES . 25 imports . 6 Roles and responsibilities of AQIS and APPENDIX 1 Ornamental Fish Policy Working Biosecurity Australia . 8 Group Membership . 26 State/Territory regulation . 8 Risk assessment framework . 10 APPENDIX 2 Noxious List and Grey List Species . 27 3 NOXIOUS SPECIES . 11 APPENDIX 3 Noxious Aquatic Plants (Declared Aquatic Plants of Australia) . 32 Proposed action . 12 Live rock . 12 APPENDIX 4 Current Regulation of Ornamental Potential management options . 13 Fish in Australia . 34 Aquatic plants . 14 APPENDIX 5 PIAA Member’s Code of Ethics . 38 4 PROPOSED REGULATORY FRAMEWORK . 15 Regulation of pet shops . 16 APPENDIX 6 Regional Contacts . 39 Decision support trees for regulation of the ornamental fish trade and hobby sectors . 16 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS . 40 A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The ornamental aquarium fish trade in Australia has environment. There is no consistency between been estimated to be worth approximately $350 mechanisms or controls across regulatory agencies to million annually, although concise details are deal with the serious issue of noxious aquatic pests, unavailable. This figure includes commercial fish- with the exception of a few species. Past efforts to breeding facilities, wholesale traders, retail outlets and regulate the ornamental fish industry have failed, the hobby industry. primarily as a result of heavy-handed approaches to The trade is complex, with each jurisdiction having regulation and a lack of consultation and failure to different regulatory frameworks and management engage effectively with industry stakeholders. The Pet regimes. Translocation of fish across borders occurs Industry Association of Australia (PIAA) has with impunity and no-one, apart from some major supported this review of the ornamental fish trade. wholesale businesses and hobby groups, really knows The PIAA, in association with state and territory which species are being traded in Australia, or the governments, has committed to the implementation of numbers of prohibited or noxious fish being bred and this report’s recommendations, to ensure that the traded in the industry. industry has an economically sound and environmentally sustainable future. Ornamental fish present a significant risk to aquatic systems in Australia and have the potential to trigger This report contains seven recommendations for the or contribute to a future major aquatic animal pest or future management and regulation of the ornamental disease incursion, particularly in freshwater habitats. fish trade in Australia (see page 24). The Ornamental This document does not specifically discuss disease Fish Policy Working Group, which researched the risks associated with ornamental fish as those risks are industry and developed the recommendations, subject to separate review by Biosecurity Australia and recognises that unless there is a consistent, national the National Aquatic Animal Health Committee. approach to regulate and manage the industry, the ad hoc approach taken to date will continue, with the A number of populations of exotic or non-endemic likely outcome of further exotic invasions and disease ornamental fish species are established in Australia, threats to Australian fisheries and aquaculture and these ‘pests’ are seriously impacting on industries. biodiversity in our freshwater systems. Some aquatic plants, such as Caulerpa taxifolia (which was traded The recommendations of the report address the need in the aquarium industry until recently), can have for a nationally recognised noxious species list and devastating effects on marine systems if released, and new management frameworks for the ornamental future escapes and invasions need to be avoided. sector as a whole. The report also recognises the importance of improved communication with all Many fish species in the trade are not on the current stakeholders and the wider community through a national permitted species lists established under Part comprehensive communication plan. 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 or covered by quarantine At its 11th Meeting on the 24 November 2006, The regulations. It may be that such species have been Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council permitted under previous statutory arrangements, but endorsed this report and agreed to provide funding to they are no longer on the list and are unlikely to have implement the key recommendations. been assessed for their potential risk to the A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Worldwide, the keeping of ornamental fish in aquaria There is an active but difficult to quantify unregulated is a popular hobby; aquaria are a regular sight in trade in fish within hobby associations and between many homes and in workplaces and other public enthusiasts. Given data for the United Kingdom which spaces. In the United Kingdom, for example, the estimates that about 7% of hobbyists keep more than population of pet fish is estimated to be 140 million, 100 fish (over 40% of the total number of pet fish or about two and a half times the human population. owned) and indications that this trend is global, it is In Australia, the total pet fish population is not reasonable to assume that there is a significant known but it undoubtedly totals many millions, with unregulated and (officially) unrecorded trade in fish just over 15.5 million fish being imported during between hobbyists in Australia. This view is certainly 2005. About 97% of these imports were freshwater supported by the anecdotal information available in species. club bulletins, magazines and aquarium websites. In Australia, it is also estimated that between 12% With many millions of fish being transported around and 14% of the population participate in the aquarist the globe, many well beyond their natural range, hobby at some level (Patrick 1998). The Australian importation of aquarium fish is seen by many aquarium industry is relatively small, with total countries as a major potential source of invasive turnover at the retail level estimated to be about $65 species (McDowall 2004). Recent studies (Lintermans million. Approximately 1500 retailers (aquariums and 2004) suggest that approximately 34 exotic freshwater pet shops) across Australia deal in aquarium fish. species have established populations in Australia; the According to the Pet Industry Association of Australia pathway for 22 of these species is thought to have (PIAA) approximately 60% of aquarium fish are been the ornamental fish industry. Given the well- supplied domestically by local breeders; the other demonstrated difficulties in eradicating species once 40% are imported. they are established, the sound investment of resources requires a focus on effective management and control both of new species coming into Australia and of those already known to be circulating in the trade and hobby associations within the country. 2 A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA A number of key challenges have been identified in – improve aquarium dealers’ access to information progressing a national approach to the management of about differing regulations across jurisdictions, ornamental fish. The points below are far from all- including notification of changes to prohibited inclusive, but summarise some of the key issues that species lists; and have been raised in recent years: – disseminate information to those dealers and • Within jurisdictions, a lack of personnel adequately hobbyists who are outside existing formal trained to identify aquarium species (fish and networks (e.g. professional associations).