Australia co-hosts international forum to manage hitchhiker biosecurity risks associated with shipping containers: As we reported last month, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) has hosted a workshop titled ‘Pest risk mitigation of sea containers and their cargoes and the facilitation of international trade – defining the way forward.’ It was held from 17 to 19 July 2023 in Brisbane, to discuss and develop measures for reducing the risk of transfer of invasive pest species through contaminated containers.
The Workshop followed up outcomes from last year’s summit in London and reported on the work of an on-going CPM Focus Group on Sea Containers. (CPM is the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures).
This year’s conference was co-hosted by the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). In a media release issued yesterday (02 August 2023), DAFF says:
“Hitchhiker pests are not native to Australia and have a specific biology or behaviour that allows them to ‘hitch a ride’ to Australia via sea containers, imported goods and other forms of transportation.
“As concerns surrounding the international movement of hitchhiker pests via sea containers rise, Australia is spearheading international efforts to manage biosecurity risks associated with the sea container pathway.”
First Assistant Secretary of Biosecurity Plant and Science Services, Monica Collins said that DAFF, in close collaboration with industry stakeholders and governments worldwide, is actively addressing these issues in its work under the IPPC.
The Workshop brought together global stakeholders, including government representatives, international organisations and international peak industry bodies, fostering valuable discussions on managing biosecurity risks associated with the sea container pathway.
According to our industry representatives Freight and Trade Alliance (FTA), some of the key messages delivered by the working group were: the shipping industry accepted the need for its inclusion in the Custodial Responsibility diagram; did not advance proposals for a Verified Pest Prevention (VPP) declaration or similar; conceded the need for access to a container’s journey history and asked IPPC to define the data that was required by NPPOs to enable a risk assessment to be made.
FTA have posted Briefing Notes on the meeting – four pages in PDF format at this LINK.
In recent years, Australia and other countries have witnessed a surge in the global movement of hitchhiker pests. Given the substantial volume of global trade transported in sea containers, the risk posed by this pathway demands a collective and coordinated response on a global scale.
In collaboration with Australian universities, research organisations, industry and international counterparts, DAFF is taking significant steps to address the hitchhiker pest risk associated with the sea container pathway.
DAFF says it is exploring innovative technologies to enhance automatic detection capabilities, researching modifications to sea container design and leading global discussions on comprehensive solutions to mitigate this risk.
Colless Young is a Licensed Customs Broker and International Freight Forwarder. We offer professional advice on all aspects of import and export procedures, including clearance through Customs and Quarantine, at all Australian ports and airports. Our logistics services cover airfreight and sea cargo, including fumigation, warehousing and trucking.
