Minister for Primary Industries, Water and
Environment, David Llewellyn, who introduced the
legislation today, says the government is committed
to continuing the fight against the importation of
raw fish products infected with serious salmonid
diseases.
"As well as introducing our own legislative
measures, we will continue to pressure the
Commonwealth to ensure an appropriate level of
protection for the State’s recreational fishery
and marine farming industry," Mr Llewellyn said.
Under the legislation introduced today,
Tasmania’s Animal Health Act will
be amended to prohibit people possessing or
controlling animal material that is:
- Infected with a listed disease; or,
- May be infected with a specified disease
unless it can be shown that the animal
material is derived from a source known to be
free of that disease, or it can be
demonstrated that the animal material is
otherwise free of the disease.
Mr Llewellyn said adequate and effective
quarantine controls were vital for Tasmania to
exploit its unique opportunities to create new export
markets.
"Our island status means Tasmania is free
from fruit fly, potato cyst nematode, tobacco blue
mould, the dairy cattle disease EBL (enzootic bovine
leucosis), to name just a few of these unwanted pests
and diseases.
"We are already imposing tougher quarantine
requirements than other States to protect our primary
industries from two pome fruit diseases (San Jose
Scale and Fireblight) and from a pest known as the
pea weevil which occurs on mainland Australia and in
parts of New Zealand."
Mr Llewellyn said 20 extensive State-wide surveys
were being conducted to collect data to provide
technical support for Tasmania’s freedom from
pests and diseases.
Mr Llewellyn described the Tasmanian Quarantine
officers as the front-line troops in an on-going
fight to maintain our freedom from diseases and
pests.
"Their efforts put into effect the enormous
effort of a dedicated team of people in the
Department of Primary Industries, Water and
Environment who have laboured long and hard to
protect Tasmania’s salmon industry and
recreational fishery from the risk of disease
reaching the State," Mr Llewellyn said.
