A recently completed analysis of Australia’s national forest industry biosecurity programs has revealed exotic pests are a real and rising risk to Australian plantations and native forests – and that the right investments in prevention and mitigation pay off.
The comprehensive study included an analysis of the cost benefit of two actual pest management examples – chysomelid leaf beetles and sirex woodwasp – and modelled potential scenarios for a hypothetical incursion by the pinewood nematode.
Co-funded by Forest and Wood Products Australia, the researchers concluded current biosecurity surveillance beyond border control was insufficient, inconsistent and reliant on a cohort of experts nearing retirement.
It is anticipated that some or all of these issues will be addressed in the National Forest Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy (NFBSS) and Implementation Plan currently in development.
Lead researcher, Dr Angus Carnegie, said it was crucial to be vigilant to the arrival of pests and to act quickly in a whole-of-industry way when addressing pest incursions.
For example, by the time pinewood nematode was detected in Portugal, over 500,000 hectares were affected by pine wilt disease and a €38 million (AUD $57 million) eradication program failed. By contrast, three isolated outbreaks in Spain were detected early and eradicated for less than €5 million (AUD 7.5 million).
The researchers modelled a scenario in which the pinewood nematode – which is carried by Japanese pine sawyer beetles – arrived at the Port of Brisbane in wood packaging, before being transported to a holding facility in Caboolture and spreading to commercial softwood plantations five kilometres away at Beerburrum.
A cost-benefit analysis found it would be worth spending $350,000 a year in biosecurity activities (e.g. surveillance, trapping) to prevent pine wilt disease from becoming established at Beerburrum.
“Biosecurity surveillance is insurance. You hope your house isn’t going to get robbed or burnt down but it’s well worth spending a couple of thousand a year on premiums just in case,” said Dr Carnegie, who is Principal Research Scientist – Forest Health & Biosecurity at the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
“It is particularly worthwhile conducting systematic surveillance in trees near ports, where exotic pests would first become established.”
The research used data from both industry and government, and was conducted collaboratively by the NSW Department of Industry (Forest Science), the University of the Sunshine Coast and Forestry Tasmania.
It was peer-reviewed by Dr Andrew Liebhold of the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, who described it as a “very impressive” report that should provide “excellent guidance in planning national efforts on forest biosecurity in the future”.
Dr Liebhold stated this was the most detailed assessment of its kind that he has seen to date, and felt that it served as an exemplar report that should be reviewed and replicated in other major forest grower regions and nations.
The full report is available on the FWPA website and a series of supporting webinars are in production.
Source: FWPA
