21 June 2022
Download
Animal Biosecurity Advice 2022-A03 Issues Paper: Import of live sturgeon for aquaculture (PDF 1.3MB)
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
This Animal Biosecurity Advice notice announces the start of a Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis (BIRA) for the import of live sturgeon for aquaculture purposes. The BIRA is restricted to live beluga (Huso huso) and Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) imported from approved countries.
You are invited to provide comment on the Issues Paper by close of business on Monday 22 August 2022.
The Issues Paper is available on our website.
You can submit comments to the Have Your Say website.
This BIRA was initiated in response to domestic industry requesting the import of sturgeon into Australia. Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) and beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) have been on the list of specimens taken to be suitable for live import under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) since 2015.
Before these sturgeon species can be imported, the department must also conduct a BIRA to ensure the import meets Australia’s appropriate level of protection. A Notice of Intention has now been released signalling the commencement of the BIRA process, and the department has released an Issues Paper.
Stakeholders are invited to provide comments on technical aspects of the Issues Paper. The department is particularly interested in receiving comments on:
- any additional known disease agents of sturgeon not named in the hazard identification
- additional information on the form (viable eggs or live animals) and volume of product expected to be imported (in the first year and then each subsequent years)
- the country the sturgeon is expected to be sourced from
- any additional information on the proposed sturgeon aquaculture facilities in Australia (for example, biosecurity plans to be implemented).
All comments raised with the Issues Paper will be carefully considered during the development of the draft BIRA report.
For further inquiries, stakeholders can email aquaticbiosecurity@awe.gov.au.
Dr Peter Finnin
Assistant Secretary
Animal Biosecurity Branch