The farmed freshwater native finfish industry currently does not have a set of nationally consistent biosecurity guidelines and templates to assist farmers with the development of their on-farm biosecurity plans. The development of a sector-specific national biosecurity plan for the farmed freshwater native finfish industry would ensure a common level of biosecurity risk management to support specific enterprise and whole of industry productivity.
An industry-wide biosecurity plan is a crucial component of health accreditation programs to facilitate inter-state and international trade in aquatic animals. Any health accreditation program of minimum biosecurity standard must meet the importing jurisdiction or countries requirements, so it is vital that these plans are recognised by state government authorities and implemented by industry.
Furthermore, many jurisdictions now require (or will require) those applying for a new aquaculture permit to develop an aquaculture biosecurity plan as part of the application process.
Plan
• the National Aquaculture Farm Biosecurity Plan: generic guidelines and template (Sub-Committee on Aquatic Animal Health, 2016)
• previously published biosecurity plan guidelines and templates for the land-based abalone, oyster hatchery and barramundi industries (Spark et al. 2018a, Spark et al. 2018b, Landos et al. 2019).
These guidelines are available on Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s website.
