National Ornamental Fish Management Implementation Group

Communique #2 - June 2010

The National Ornamental Fish Management Implementation Group (OFMIG) was established in 2007 to implement seven recommendations from a nationally endorsed report; A Strategic Approach to the Management of Ornamental Fish in Australia (The National Strategy). This report was developed by the Australian, State and Territory governments, in collaboration with representatives from the ornamental fish industry and hobby groups, including the Pet Industry Association of Australia.

This National Strategy was endorsed by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (NRMMC) with seven key actions to manage the biosecurity risks associated with the ornamental fish trade in Australia. The seven key actions are:

  1. Agree on and adopt a national noxious species list across all jurisdictions.
  2. Review the status of ‘grey list’ species (species requiring further scientific/technical consideration and risk assessment).
  3. Establish a Scientific/Technical Working Group to assess fish on the 'grey list'.
  4. Adopt a regulatory framework and licensing regime in each state and territory for fish-breeders and ornamental fish importers.
  5. Develop control mechanisms for the regulation and management of noxious fish and rare fish already in circulation in Australia.
  6. Initiate a review of aquatic plants used in the ornamental fish trade.
  7. Implement a national communication strategy to raise awareness in the community and industry about management, control and regulation.

The aim of the national strategy is to reduce the biosecurity risk due to inadvertent or deliberate release of ornamental fish into natural waters.

Q. What is biosecurity?

A. Biosecurity is managing the risks and potential harm to the economy, the environment and the community, of pests and diseases, entering, emerging, establishing or spreading in Australia.

The OFMIG’s Technical Working Group

The OFMIG maintains a high-level working group, called the Technical Working Group, to provide advice on fish species identified through the 'grey list' review as being of high biosecurity risk. The 'grey list' is a list of species produced through the National Strategy that have been identified as requiring more information before their risk to Australia's environment can be adequately determined. These species are considered to have some pest potential in Australia but require risk assessment to determine at what level.

Ornamental fish species from the 'grey list' are first run through an initial rapid risk assessment to determine the level of biosecurity risk as either high risk, moderate risk or low risk. High risk species are then reviewed and discussed by the Technical Working Group to establish whether they are of interest to industry or hobbyists or of no interest. If the Technical Working Group deems a species to be of high risk, and of interest to industry or hobbyists then it is considered necessary for this species to undergo a more detailed assessment.

The Technical Working Group held its 2nd meeting in Adelaide on the 1 - 2 June 2010. This group comprises three representatives from industry, three representatives from the hobby sector and three independent consultants. It is also supported by a number of independent facilitators and scientists.

The 2nd meeting of this group was very productive, with a total of 313 species reviewed. Of these, 81 species were deemed to be of no interest, 109 species were of interest to industry / hobbyists and 122 species were of interest to hobbyists only. Significant further information on high risk species was collected and discussion around specific species such as the Asian Arowana and Alligator gars highlighted the high interest from industry and hobby groups alike.

What next?

  • Species of interest will be reviewed in more detail.
  • States and territories will undertake further consultation with industry and hobbyists to ensure these high risk species are of no interest to their sectors and that their addition to the National Noxious Fish List is supported. Where species are identified through this consultation as being of interest to industry or hobby groups, they will be returned to the Technical Working Group for further assessment.
  • The Technical Working Group will reconvene to review the remaining 300 species on the 'grey list'.

OFMIG Meeting No. 8 – 3rd June 2010

The 8th meeting of the OFMIG was held in Adelaide on 3 June 2010. As well as the outcomes of the Technical Working Group, the committee also discussed:

A Taxonomic ID Guide for National Noxious Fish List
  • An ID Guide for species on the Noxious Fish List has previously been identified as a key gap for development.
  • It was agreed that a Working Group would scope the requirements and production of an ID Guide.
Control Options Paper
  • The Control Options Working Group (which includes an industry and hobby sector representative), met to progress the Draft Discussion Paper on Control Options.
  • This paper will continue to be developed by the Working Group for consultation and development of control options for noxious fish species.

For More Information

If you would like further information on the activities of OFMIG you can contact the Secretariat of OFMIG on
Phone: 08 8226 2922 or email:
.

For more information on the implementation of the National Ornamental Fish Strategy in your state or territory please contact the relevant OFMIG representative:

Western Australia
Dept of Fisheries, Western Australia
P 08 9482 7333

South Australia
Dept Primary Industries and Resources, Biosecurity SA
P 08 8226 2922

Northern Territory
Dept of Resources
P 08 8999 2144
E

Queensland
Dept of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, Fisheries Queensland
P 13 25 23

New South Wales
Industry & Investment NSW, Aquatic Biosecurity and Risk Management Unit
P 02 4916 3911
E

Victoria
Dept of Primary Industries, Fisheries Victoria
P 136 186

Tasmania
Dept of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Tasmania
P 0439 617 680

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