Western Australian quarantine authorities have intercepted pests in products from other states which posed a risk to the State’s agriculture and food industry.
Recent finds have included beetles which could have proved a headache for the State’s grain industry, a caterpillar which destroys lettuce and a weevil that attacks stored food products.
Department of Agriculture and Food Director of Border Biosecurity Greg Pickles said the finds highlighted the importance of quarantine officers checking risk material as it entered WA from other States.
“Quarantine WA inspectors are carrying out an important job protecting our State from new pests and diseases,” Mr Pickles said.
The pests were found in consignments trucked into WA which were inspected on arrival.
“Flat grain beetles and saw-tooth grain beetles were detected in consignments of seed,” Mr Pickles said. “These are considered a significant pest to the WA grain industry as they may be phosphine resistant, making it harder for industry to manage this pest in stored grain.”
Looper caterpillars, which attack the cabbage family including lettuce, broccoli and cauliflowers were found in a consignment of cut flowers.
The consignments were required to undergo appropriate treatments before being allowed entry into Western Australia.
Cartons of Queensland bananas were found to contain coffee bean weevil, a pest which attacks stored products such as coffee, cocoa, yams, maize, corn, groundnuts, brazil nuts, nutmeg and ginger. They were returned to the state of origin.
Mr Pickles also reminded importers of the importance of providing International Seed Testing Analysis certification to the supervising inspector prior to consigning seed or grain to WA, so that the certification could be vetted and checked prior to entry.
This follows the receival of a number of non-certified consignments of product including lucerne chaff, walnuts, vegetable seeds and alfalfa seeds.
“They could have contained weed seeds, diseases or pests which could become a problem for our local industries,” he said.
More information on the quarantine requirements is available from agric.wa.gov.au
Media contact: Jodie Thomson/Lisa Bertram, media liaison 61 (0)8 9368 3937