Judi Marshall WWF Abalone Aquaculture Dialogue Melbourne, April 29-30, 2008

1. Tasmanian Abalone Biosecurity Framework Judi Marshall WWF Abalone Aquaculture Dialogue Melbourne, April 29-30, 2008

2. Today's talk • Background • Objectives • Risk assessment results • Framework template • Expected outcomes

3. Tasmanian Response • Prohibition on Victorian abalone vessels operation in Tasmanian waters. • Ganglioneuritis listed as a notifiable disease in Tasmania. • Abalone product of non-Tasmanian origin prohibited in Tasmanian waters February 2007. • Moratorium on new abalone farms and flow through processor facilities. • Closure of Bass Strait zone March 2007.

4. Impact on Tasmania • Restrictions on recreational and commercial fishing activities in Bass Strait and King Island. including requirement to land all commercial abalone from around King Island on King Island. • No processing King Island abalone in premises on mainland Tasmania that discharge into the marine environment. • Prohibition on possession of abalone and rock lobster for recreational fishers in certain waters with all recreational abalone and rock lobster to be landed in Tasmania

5. Objectives: Biosecurity Policy • Tasmania’s biosecurity policy objective is “to protect and enhance Tasmania’s biosecurity status for the benefit of Tasmania’s industries, environment and public well-being, health, amenity, and safety.” • Two key elements are: • -Appropriate Level of Protection (ALOP) • -Shared responsibilities. • Tasmania’s ALOP is a high or very conservative level of protection aimed at reducing risk to very low levels, while not based on a zero risk approach.

6. Risk Assessment Process • Delivered strategically identified risks across all fishing and farming sectors • Used the precautionary principle • All risks above very low have been integrated into the Abalone Biosecurity Framework

7. Biosecurity Risk of Wild Sector • High Risks • Emergency Response for the Abalone Wild Fishing Sector • Movements of live animals from the wild into live holding facilities within Tasmania • Movements of live animals from the wild into processing facilities within Tasmania • Movement of equipment and personnel from Victoria or other state to Tasmanian waters • Movement of equipment and personnel by commercial divers around the State

8. Biosecurity Risk of Wild Sector • Health surveillance program for the wild and farmed sector • Moderate Risks • Collection of live animals from the wild for farm brood stock. • Unloading of abalone for processor pick up where abalone is repacked on wharf or boat ramp

9. Biosecurity Risk of the Processing Sector • Extreme Risk • Processing of whole interstate abalone • High Risk • Sale of abalone viscera as bait to commercial and recreational fishers. • Discharge of water from processor facilities into the marine environment

10. Biosecurity Risk of the Processing Sector • Moderate risk • Discharge of water from live holding facilities into the marine environment. • Inappropriate disposal of waste materials such as viscera, and shell into the marine environment. • Movements of contaminated equipment from processing facilities to divers. • Movement of live animals to other processing facilities (ie between processors). • Processing of partially processed interstate abalone for canning purposes

11. Biosecurity Risk of Farmed Sector • High Risks • Movements of abalone for purposes of emergency harvest from aquaculture facilities into processing facilities. • Movement of live animals to ocean based marine farms

12. Biosecurity Risk of Farmed Sector • Moderate Risks • Discharge of water from farms into the marine environment • Movements of live animals from the wild into facilities as brood stock. • Movement of live animals to other land based aquaculture facilities. • Movements of live animals from aquaculture facilities into processing facilities.

13. Biosecurity Risk of Farmed Sector • Low risks • Movement of equipment and personnel to other land based aquaculture facilities. • Unintentional transfer of live animals from farm to the marine environment via feral or escaped stock • Inappropriate disposal of shells and waste material into the marine environment

14. Common Risks Between Sectors • Need for an emergency response plan • Movement of animals interstate and intrastate • Translocation of equipment (including boats, farm equipment, fish bins) • Discharge of waste water from all sectors • Disposal of animal waste from all sectors • Biosecurity surveillance program

15. Framework Template • Biosecurity Regions • Key Sectors • Major Aspects • Additional Activities • Health Surveillance • Emergency Response

16. Biosecurity Regions

17. Key Sectors

18. Major Aspects a. Fish health b. Equipment c. Personnel d. Waste water e. Animal waste f. Who to contact Baseline Protocols

20. Additional Activities a. Fish health b. Equipment c. Personnel d. Waste water e. Animal waste f. Who to contact Additional Protocols

21. Additional Activities • Regional Biosecurity - fishing in high risk zones • Collection of broodstock for farming sector • Broodstock holding facilities • Translocation between farms • Sea-based marine farming

22. Health Surveillance Active surveillance Passive surveillance Health Surveillance Plan

23. Health Surveillance • Passive • Educate fishers and aquaculture operators • System for submission for testing catch • Active • Targeted active surveillance – High risk areas • Broodstock health surveillance

24. Emergency response Isolation Zoning Surveillance Eradication Emergency Response Plan

25. Emergency response • ISOLATION of any outbreak • Management controls on movements • ZONING (Biosecurity regions) • SURVEILLANCE • Passive & Active • ERRADICATION

27. Expected Outputs • A biosecurity strategy to minimise risk in the abalone sector; • Documented risk assessment; • Documented and agreed performance requirements in the commercial wild harvest fishery, recreational fishery and marine framing sectors; • High level protection of abalone stocks to disease outbreak; • Emergency Disease Response plan “at the ready” should a disease outbreak occur.