Why Plant Pest Surveillance?
Surveillance is a critical component of Tasmania's biosecurity system. Biosecurity Tasmania undertakes a range of surveillance activities supporting early detection and response activities to plant pests and diseases that are absent from Tasmania and/or Australia. Surveillance of pests and diseases known to occur in Tasmania, but localised to regions or in low prevalence, are also conducted to monitor spread, virulence, or levels of prevalence for trade purposes.
The Tasmanian Plant Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy (TPBSS) 2022 - 2027
The Tasmanian Plant Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy (TPBSS) 2022 - 2027 (the Strategy) has been developed to improve surveillance outcomes and drive greater efficiency in the biosecurity system in Tasmania. It endeavours to define and document policy, provide surveillance activity coordination, and build a technically sound knowledge base that supports faster and better informed incursion responses, as well as market access outcomes.
Tasmanian Plant Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy (PDF 4Mb)
The Strategy aligns with the National Plant Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy 2021 - 2031 and the associated Implementation Plan, whilst also adressing aspects that are unique to Tasmania. Tasmania is represented on the Subcommittee on National Plant Health Surveillance, which is focused on improving Australia's plant health surveillance capacity and capability, including facilitating implementation of the National Plant Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy.
Surveillance Programs and Projects
Biosecurity Tasmania conducts a range of surveillance, from a national and state biosecurity perspective. Surveys may be ongoing, for a set period or may be ad hoc and are dependent on the pest risk and purpose. Biosecurity Tasmania also engages with the community, community groups and industry to help undertake certain surveillance programs.
Biosecurity Tasmania maintains an Area Freedom Program. Area Freedom is a commonly used term to define specific activities undertaken to demonstrate the absence of a pest/disease from a defined area to allow trade access to international and domestic markets. The process establishes what is officially referred to as a Pest Free Area (PFA).
Programs that Biosecurity Tasmania are currently undertaking include but are not limited to:
- National Plant Health Surveillance Program
Biosecurity Tasmania coordinates plant pest surveillance as part of the National Plant Health Surveillance Program (NPHSP). The NPHSP is part funded and coordinated by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), and delivered by all Australian state and territory jurisdictions, who provide part funding and undertake the operational and reporting components of the program.
The NPHSP is primarily designed and implemented to enable the early detection of exotic pest species that may enter and establish in Australia. Several high priority pests are surveyed under this program, including:
- Brown marmorated stink bug
- Exotic invasive ants
- Fire blight
- Spongy (formerly gypsy) moths
- Spotted wing drosophila
- Xylella and vectors
Insect surveillance in park
National Forest Pest Surveillance Program (Forest Watch)
Focused on exotic forest and tree pests in Australian natural and managed forests and urban trees, this program is managed by Plant Health Australia (PHA) in partnership with DAFF, jurisdictional governments, forest and timber sector and community stakeholders. Pathway risk analyses identified areas of high risk for entry and establishment of pests. The program focusses on surveillance in these high-risk areas to maximise early detection and eradication. Locations include ports, airports, import facilities, botanic gardens, and tourist attractions.
Bee surveillance is undertaken around Tasmanian ports for the purpose of early detection of exotic bee species, mites (including varroa mite), small hive beetle and viruses. The National Bee pest Surveillance Program is managed by PHA and funded by the Australian Honeybee Industry Council, Hort Innovation, Grain Producers Australia and DAFF. In Tasmania it is conducted by Biosecurity Tasmania, with support from industry and community participants. The program consists of sentinel (national program) and guard (state program) hive inspections, monitoring of bee catch boxes and floral sweep netting.
Tasmania is an internationally recognised fruit fly PFA. This gives our fruit producers access to lucrative overseas markets and reduces the need for pesticides to control these destructive horticultural pests. Being a fruit fly pest free area also means domestic recognition for market access within Australia and means the Tasmanian community can grow their own produce without this pest.
Tasmania’s fruit fly pest free area is largely due to the extensive fruit fly surveillance program for early detection undertaken across Tasmania which includes an extensive network of traps that are inspected regularly at a range of locations.
The two species of most concern to Tasmania and surveyed for are Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni), which is present in the eastern mainland states and the Northern Territory; and Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata), which is an introduced species established in parts of Western Australia. Several other fruit fly species are also surveyed for.