22 June 2013
This Biosecurity Advice invites stakeholders to provide comments on the Importation of zoo elephants from approved countries: Draft policy review by 22 July 2013.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) is reviewing the biosecurity policy for the importation of zoo elephants from approved countries, which comprise Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Biosecurity requirements for the importation of elephants into Australia were established in 2003 with amendments in 2004. The import requirements for elephants were suspended in 2008 pending review to take into account new scientific information.
The review takes into account advice from experts, current scientific information, as well as international standards developed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
The review identified and categorised biosecurity risks associated with the importation of zoo elephants and assessed the relevant disease agents.
Key proposals of the draft policy review are:
- the addition of biosecurity measures for anthrax, rabies, screw-worm-fly myiasis and Trypanosoma vivax in line with measures recommended by the OIE
- the revision of biosecurity measures for tuberculosis, considering reported changes in testing methods
- the removal of biosecurity measures for theileriosis because zoo elephants do not play a significant role in the epidemiology of this disease.
DAFF invites comments on the technical aspects of the proposed biosecurity measures associated with the importation of zoo elephants. In particular, comments are invited on the appropriateness of the measures or alternative measures that would provide equivalent risk management outcomes.
Comments on the draft policy review should be submitted by 22 July 2013 to:
Animal Biosecurity
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Telephone: +61 2 6272 4465 Facsimile: +61 2 6272 3399 Email: Animal Biosecurity
All submissions received on the draft policy review will be carefully considered by DAFF in finalising the review of existing policy.
Please pass this notice to other interested parties. If those parties wish to be included in future communications on this matter they should contact DAFF.
Confidentiality
Stakeholders are advised that, subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and the Privacy Act 1988, all submissions received in response to Biosecurity Advices will be publicly available and may be listed or referred to in any papers or reports prepared on the subject matter.
The Commonwealth reserves the right to reveal the identity of a respondent unless a request for anonymity accompanies the submission. Where a request for anonymity does not accompany the submission the respondent will be taken to have consented to the disclosure of his or her identity for the purposes of Information Privacy Principle 11 of the Privacy Act. The contents of the submission will only be treated as confidential if they are marked ‘confidential’ and they can be classified as such in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.
Andrew Cupit
Assistant Secretary
Animal Biosecurity