Aquatic pest management
Aquatic biosecurity is important to manage:
- risks associated with aquatic pests
- potential impacts to South Australia's industries, community and environment.
Early detection and rapid response are most effective for minimising the consequences of aquatic pests. Our management activities focus on:
- prevention
- eradication
- containment
- control.
Marine pests
Aquatic biosecurity is linked throughout Australia by movements of people, equipment and vessels across water bodies (e.g. large vessels in marine waters and movement of pest species by the public).
National consistency is crucial for how jurisdictions manage aquatic pests. High risk pathways of pest introduction include:
- release of vessel ballast water
- biofouling of vessels and equipment
- importation/release of aquarium fish.
National committees
PIRSA is involved with national committees, supporting the coordinated management of aquatic pests. These include the:
- National System, overseen by the Marine Pest Sectoral Committee (MPSC)
- National Introduced Marine Pest Information System (NIMPIS), giving information about pest species
- Environment and Invasives Committee (EIC), providing policy leadership for invasive plant, vertebrate and invertebrate species that adversely impact the environment, economy, and community.
State Marine Biosecurity Forum
The biannual Marine Biosecurity South Australia Forum focuses on issues of state or regional significance, such as marine pests and environmental fish kills.
The forum enables information sharing and activity coordination across:
- government groups
- non-government organisations
- communities
- industries.
Freshwater vertebrates and invertebrates
Freshwater pest fish and invertebrate (mollusc, crustacean) issues are managed by the EIC through the Freshwater Vertebrates and Invertebrates Working Group (FVIWG).
The group has representatives from the federal government and all states and territories. They provide advice to the EIC on issues such as:
- freshwater pest fish
- freshwater invertebrates
- internationally recognised best-practice management for freshwater pest fish
- potential new freshwater pest fish
- ornamental pest fish
- noxious species listings.