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Quarantine works to stamp out foot and mouth risk in international mail
4 May 2001
AQIS is checking more international mail and seizing more prohibited items than ever. In addition to a three per cent increase in international mail over the last year, inspections have increased dramatically in response to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Europe, Manager of AQIS's International Mail Program, Mr Wayne Howell said today.
"AQIS's international mail program has put in place more staff resources, additional x-ray units and more detector dog screening teams to address the FMD threat," Mr Howell said.
"Prohibited items that pose an FMD risk, like foodstuffs of animal origin and soil, are being destroyed immediately - we're not taking any chances. We're here to protect Australia, and that's what we're doing.
"AQIS has kept FMD out of Australia for almost 130 years and we're not going to let it in now," Mr Howell said.
Mr Howell was speaking during National Quarantine Week, designed to remind people of the important role they can play in protecting Australia from exotic pest and disease risks, such as FMD.
"Independent of increased FMD-related activity, AQIS seized 19 per cent more prohibited mail items over the last year," Mr Howell said, "that is, we seized around 50,000 high risk items, including exotic pests and diseases.
Significant international mail seizures over the last year include:
- 2500 insect pests or diseases, of which 16 were confirmed as exotic to Australia; and
- 25 seizures contaminated with Siam Weed.
"There was also a notable increase in live reptile seizures over the last year - assisted by our mail detector dogs who undergo specific training to detect reptiles and around 30 other items of quarantine interest.
"AQIS's risk management procedures are being continually improved with staff being allocated to areas where they are most needed. We have learnt a lot about Australia's international mail habits over the past few years so we apply this information to target quarantine risks," Mr Howell said.
The majority of international mail (30 per cent) enters Australia during the Christmas period (November to January). Pine and spruce material sent from the UK and Europe, plus gift hampers containing foods with prohibited ingredients make this a high quarantine risk time of the year.
National Quarantine Week, 30 April - 6 May
For interview:
Contact: Wayne Howell
Phone: 07 6272 5156
Mobile: 0414 577 472
For media enquiries:
Contact: Carson Creagh, AQIS media
Phone: 02 6272 5156
Mobile: 0414 577 472