ContingencyContingency PlanningPlanningPlanning forforfor pestpest incursionsincursionsincursions ininin AustraliaAustraliaAustralia Dr Paul Pheloung Office ofof thethe ChiefChief PlantPlant ProtectionProtection Officer Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry papayapapaya IncursionIncursion fruitfruit flyfly ManagementManagement sugarcanesugarcane smutsmut Since 1995: • 900 exotic pest incursion/barrier SiamSiam weedweed incidents • 84 of these required further response action • over $200 millionmillion havehave beenbeen spentspent managing incursions of pests FireFire antant KochiaKochia broomrapebroomrape fireblightfireblight pinepine nematode nematode KeyKey PointsPoints • Identify pest threats • Quarantine and offshore activities • Surveillance • Diagnostics • Biology, Ecology and Control • Roles and Responsibilities • Legislative Authority • Funding and Compensation • Defined endpoint and monitoring • Increase preparedness and response planning • Case Studies PrePre-Border-Border –– regionalregionalregional collaborationcollaborationcollaboration •• Regional Regional capacitycapacity buildingbuilding •• training training •• facilitating facilitating developmentdevelopment andand managementmanagement ofof collectionscollections ofof plantplant pestspests •Collaborative•Collaborative researchresearch •• eg eg redbandedredbanded mangomango caterpillarcaterpillar (Aus(Aus && PNG)PNG) •• Email/internet Email/internet discussiondiscussion groupsgroups (PestNet)(PestNet) SurveillanceSurveillance • Specific Surveys • Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS) • National Asian Gypsy Moth and fruit fly trapping program • Port Environ Survey (QLD, TAS) • State Forest Surveillance programs • General • NAQS, Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service (AQIS), Industry • Pest Awareness (guides) • Website, e-communications (Discussion groups, e-newsletters, subscription lists etc) • Weed spotters • National Plant Pest Hotline • Surveillance Network System StructuredStructuredStructured SurveillanceSurveillanceSurveillance StructuredStructuredStructured SurveillanceSurveillanceSurveillance New Guinea Saibai I Australia TorresTorres StraitStrait QuarantineQuarantine ZonesZones NAQSNAQSNAQS WeedWeedWeed TargetTargetTarget ListListList Family Species Family Species Amaranthaceae Amaranthus dubius Poaceae Brachiaria paspaloides Asteraceae Austroeupatorium inulaefolium Coix aquatica Chromolaena odorata Digitaria fuscescens Mikania cordata Digitaria insularis Mikania micrantha Echinochloa glabrescens Capparaceae Cleome rutidosperma Echinochloa stagnina Cyperaceae Fimbristylis umbellaris Eriochloa polystachya Schoenoplectus juncoides Ischaemum timorense Scirpus maritimus Leptochloa chinensis E quisetaceae Equisetum ramosissimum Leptochloa panicea E riocaulaceae Eriocaulon truncatum Sacciolepis interrupta E uphorbiaceae Croton hirtus Rubiaceae Diodia sarmentosa Fabaceae Mucuna pruriens Paederia foetida Haloragaceae Myriophyllum spicatum Spermacoce assurgens Lamiaceae Hyptis brevipes Spermacoce mauritiana Limnocharitaceae Limnocharis flava Salviniaceae Salvinia cucullata Lythraceae Rotala indica Salvinia natans Melastomaceae Clidemia hirta S crophulariaceae Striga angustifolia Myrtaceae Rhodomyrtus tomentosa Stri ga asiati ca Nyctaginaceae Boerhavia erecta Violaceae Hybanthus attenuatus P iperaceae Piper aduncum MonitoringMonitoringMonitoring Traps:Traps: –– trapstraps forfor lurelure responsiveresponsive fruitfruit flies,flies,flies, beesbees andandand screwscrew wormwormworm fliesfliesflies maintainedmaintainedmaintained byby NAQSNAQS –––fruitfruit flyflyfly andandand AsianAsian gypsygypsy mothmoth trapstrapstraps atat portsportsports ofofof entryentry maintainedmaintained byby StatesStates –––trapstraps maintainedmaintained inin exportexport fruitfruit producingproducing districtsdistrictsdistricts tototo demonstratedemonstratedemonstrate regionalregional absenceabsenceabsence ofofof fruitfruitfruit fliesflies TopwatchTopwatch CalenderCalender IslandIsland traderstraders NAQSNAQS GeneralGeneral surveillance:surveillance: CommunicationCommunication && PublicPublic AwarenessAwareness SchoolSchool demodemo inin ArnhamArnham Land Land TalkingTalking toto landholderslandholders DiagnosticsDiagnostics • Need to be correct and timely • Three stages for diagnostic protocols: • Initial Detection • Intermediate Diagnosis – “filters” to confirm tentative diagnosis • Specialist Diagnosis – agreed reference lab verifies diagnosis • New Initiatives • National Diagnostic Network • Development of key protocols (fruit flies, Pine Pitch Canker, Lymantrids) Biology,Biology, EcologyEcology andand ControlControl • Is there a pest here? • Ability to accurately assess, describe and report on current plant health status (Australian Pest and Disease Database (APPD), Virtual Herbarium) • Is the pest likely to arrive and how does it spread? • Epidemiology, invasiveness (risk assessment) • What will the pest do when it arrives and what is the cost-benefit analysis of taking actions? • Host status/impact • Control options • Trade impact • (Australia/NZ cooperative host testing of native flora for AGM) The Australian Plant Pest Database (APPD) What is it? •An internet based access and search tool for plant pest records residing in discrete collections –Consistent with ISPM –1,000 000 mite, nematode, insect & pathogen records by mid 2004 How does it work? Collection C: Internet Texpress APPD Host Broker Collection B: Collection A: BioLink MS Access Frankliniella Salix Babylonica FundingFunding andand CompensationCompensation • Commonwealth/State cost sharing • Challenges • Debate on eradication v suppression • Funding is not guaranteed • Split between pests of commercial and conservation areas • Agreed National position on funding and compensation • Development of new cost sharing arrangements with Governments and industry through Plant Health Australia IncreasingIncreasing preparednesspreparedness andand responseresponse planningplanning • Forest GenericGeneric IncursionIncursion ManagementManagement Plan (GIMP) • Specific pest response plans • Papaya Fruit Fly • Pine pitch canker • Fire Blight • Dutch Elm disease • Government and Industry Biosecurity planning IncursionIncursion ResponseResponse DecisionDecision MakingMaking ProcessProcess PRE-EVENT TRIGGER SCOPE RESPONSE STAND DOWN PapayaPapaya FruitFruit FlyFly ResponseResponse Impact: $100 $100 million estimatedestimated (increased productionproduction costscosts andand losses;losses; reducedreduced access to international markets for many horticultural products)products) Pathway: Smuggled fruit Detection: Late; by grower after pest had established (> 1 year after entry) Surveillance: Extensive lure trapping Diagnostics: World authority is Australian Quarantine: Strict controls on imported horticulturalhorticultural host commoditiescommodities Strict internal controls on movement of product outside of infested area Eradication: Lure/insecticide Lure/insecticide treatments;treatments; $35$35 millionmillion over 4 years Exotic Fruit Fly Preparedness ••Fruit Fruit flyfly targettarget listslists (eg(eg NAQS)NAQS) •• National National FruitFruit FlyFly TrappingTrapping ProgramProgram •••NAQSNAQSNAQS – surveys surveys inin Northern Australia – monitoring monitoring andand eradication/containmenteradication/containment program in Torres Strait ••National National fruitfruit flyfly responseresponse planningplanning PhilippinePhilippine fruitfruit flyfly inin DarwinDarwin:: ••Diagnostics: Diagnostics:becausebecause ofof earlyearly detectiondetection andand – National Nationaleffectiveeffective exotic responseresponse fruit fly preparednesspreparedness diagnostic training – Development Developmentandand planning,planning, ofof improvedimproved eradicationeradication taxonomytaxonomy costcost and molecular$5$5 techniquesmilmil vsvs $35$35 milmil forfor PPFPPF RedRedRed ImportedImportedImported FireFireFire AntAntAnt ResponseResponseResponse Impact: Potentially millions as well as social and environmental impact if established. Pathway: ? Detection: In Brisbane, February 2001. May have first arrived up to five years earlier, based on the size of the infested areas. Surveillance: Delimiting surveys in Brisbane area, continuing surveillance program. Diagnostics: CSIRO, confirmed early. Quarantine: Strict controls and extensive public awareness campaign. Eradication: Five-year $140 million National Fire Ant Eradication Program. ResearchResearch ••Improved Improved understandingunderstanding ofof ‘weedy‘weedy traits’traits’ (recognising(recognising thethe importantimportant weedsweeds beforebefore theythey becomebecome weeds)weeds) ••Targeting Targeting surveillance:surveillance: ––identifying identifying ‘sentinel‘sentinel sites’sites’ ––investigating investigating thethe useuse ofof spatialspatial analysisanalysis toolstools ••Efficacy Efficacy andand Cost/benefitCost/benefit analysisanalysis ofof surveillancesurveillance strategiesstrategies ThankThank YouYou SiamSiamSiam WeedWeedWeed •••DetectedDetected byby NAQSNAQS botanistbotanist inin 19941994 •••OngoingOngoing surveillancesurveillance revealedrevealed 780780 sitessites withinwithinwithin aaa 505050 kmkmkm radiusradiusradius ofofof originaloriginaloriginal detectiondetectiondetection •••HelicopterHelicopter surveillancesurveillance usedused becausebecause ofof accessaccessaccess difficultiesdifficultiesdifficulties •••AfterAfter 77 yearsyears infestationinfestation greatlygreatly reducedreduced butbutbut 258258258 activeactiveactive spotspotspot