The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has released its proposed measures for brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) in response to its rapid expansion throughout Europe and North America.
According to to the seasonal measures document, for the 2019-20 season, certain goods manufactured in, or shipped from target risk countries as sea cargo between 1 September 2019 and 30 April 2020 (inclusive) will be subject to BMSB requirements on arrival.
The Department continues to review the changing pest status of BMSB and will also be undertaking a lower rate of random onshore inspections on goods from other countries to verify pest absence in goods.
The proposed list of goods including tariff chapters for target high risk and target risk goods is reportedly still under consideration.
The Department said that mandatory offshore treatment of target high risk goods shipped in sealed six sided containers as less than container load (LCL) and freight of all kinds (FAK) is being proposed under the 2019-20 season.
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Also, mandatory offshore treatment of target high risk goods shipped as break bulk cargo including goods shipped in open top containers or on flat rack containers will continue to be required. Untreated breakbulk will be denied discharge and be directed for export on arrival.
FCL with target high risk goods shipped in sealed six hard sided containers can continue to be treated offshore or onshore at the container level. Deconsolidation or removal of goods will not be permitted before treatment.
Treatment options for target high risk goods requiring mandatory treatment, according to the Department, will not change for the 2019-20 season. The approved treatments remain heat treatment, methyl bromide fumigation and sulfuryl fluoride fumigation.
The following countries have been categorised by the Australian Government as target risk:
- US
- Czech Republic
- France
- Canada
- Georgia
- Russia
- Albania
- Germany
- Serbia
- Andorra
- Greece
- Slovakia
- Armenia
- Hungary
- Slovenia
- Austria
- Italy
- Switzerland
- Azerbaijan
- Kosovo
- Luxembourg
- Belgium
- Liechtenstein
- Romania
- Bosnia
- Herzegovina
- Macedonia
- Spain
- Bulgaria
- Montenegro
- Turkey
- Croatia
- Netherlands
- Japan (heightened vessel surveillance will be the only measure applied)