A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO...A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISHIN AUSTRALIA 1 The ornamental aquarium fish trade in Australia has been estimated to be worth approximately

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO

THE MANAGEMENT OF

ORNAMENTAL FISH

IN AUSTRALIA

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO

THE MANAGEMENT OF

ORNAMENTAL FISH

IN AUSTRALIA

Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council

November 2006

© Commonwealth of Australia 2007

ISBN 921192 18 6

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A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA iii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Need for a national approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Terms of reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2 EXISTING CONTROLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Importation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Applications to amend the list of permitted imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Roles and responsibilities of AQIS and Biosecurity Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

State/Territory regulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Risk assessment framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

3 NOXIOUS SPECIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Proposed action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Live rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Potential management options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Aquatic plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

4 PROPOSED REGULATORY FRAMEWORK . . . . . . . 15

Regulation of pet shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Decision support trees for regulation of the ornamental fish trade and hobby sectors . . . . . . . . 16

5 MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL PESTS AND NOXIOUS SPECIES IN AUSTRALIA . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

6 COMMUNICATION PLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

7 RECOMMENDATIONS AND NEXT STEPS . . . . . . . . 24

Next steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

APPENDIX 1 Ornamental Fish Policy Working Group Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

APPENDIX 2 Noxious List and Grey List Species . . 27

APPENDIX 3 Noxious Aquatic Plants (Declared Aquatic Plants of Australia) . . . . . . 32

APPENDIX 4 Current Regulation of Ornamental Fish in Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

APPENDIX 5 PIAA Member’s Code of Ethics . . . 38

APPENDIX 6 Regional Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

C O N T E N T S

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA 1

The ornamental aquarium fish trade in Australia hasbeen estimated to be worth approximately $350million annually, although concise details areunavailable. This figure includes commercial fish-breeding facilities, wholesale traders, retail outlets andthe hobby industry.

The trade is complex, with each jurisdiction havingdifferent regulatory frameworks and managementregimes. Translocation of fish across borders occurswith impunity and no-one, apart from some majorwholesale businesses and hobby groups, really knowswhich species are being traded in Australia, or thenumbers of prohibited or noxious fish being bred andtraded in the industry.

Ornamental fish present a significant risk to aquaticsystems in Australia and have the potential to triggeror contribute to a future major aquatic animal pest ordisease incursion, particularly in freshwater habitats.This document does not specifically discuss diseaserisks associated with ornamental fish as those risks aresubject to separate review by Biosecurity Australia andthe National Aquatic Animal Health Committee.

A number of populations of exotic or non-endemicornamental fish species are established in Australia,and these ‘pests’ are seriously impacting onbiodiversity in our freshwater systems. Some aquaticplants, such as Caulerpa taxifolia (which was tradedin the aquarium industry until recently), can havedevastating effects on marine systems if released, andfuture escapes and invasions need to be avoided.

Many fish species in the trade are not on the currentnational permitted species lists established under Part13A of the Environment Protection and BiodiversityConservation Act 1999 or covered by quarantineregulations. It may be that such species have beenpermitted under previous statutory arrangements, butthey are no longer on the list and are unlikely to havebeen assessed for their potential risk to the

environment. There is no consistency betweenmechanisms or controls across regulatory agencies todeal with the serious issue of noxious aquatic pests,with the exception of a few species. Past efforts toregulate the ornamental fish industry have failed,primarily as a result of heavy-handed approaches toregulation and a lack of consultation and failure toengage effectively with industry stakeholders. The PetIndustry Association of Australia (PIAA) hassupported this review of the ornamental fish trade.The PIAA, in association with state and territorygovernments, has committed to the implementation ofthis report’s recommendations, to ensure that theindustry has an economically sound andenvironmentally sustainable future.

This report contains seven recommendations for thefuture management and regulation of the ornamentalfish trade in Australia (see page 24). The OrnamentalFish Policy Working Group, which researched theindustry and developed the recommendations,recognises that unless there is a consistent, nationalapproach to regulate and manage the industry, the adhoc approach taken to date will continue, with thelikely outcome of further exotic invasions and diseasethreats to Australian fisheries and aquacultureindustries.

The recommendations of the report address the needfor a nationally recognised noxious species list andnew management frameworks for the ornamentalsector as a whole. The report also recognises theimportance of improved communication with allstakeholders and the wider community through acomprehensive communication plan.

At its 11th Meeting on the 24 November 2006, TheNatural Resource Management Ministerial Councilendorsed this report and agreed to provide funding toimplement the key recommendations.

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y

2 A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA

Worldwide, the keeping of ornamental fish in aquariais a popular hobby; aquaria are a regular sight inmany homes and in workplaces and other publicspaces. In the United Kingdom, for example, thepopulation of pet fish is estimated to be 140 million,or about two and a half times the human population.In Australia, the total pet fish population is notknown but it undoubtedly totals many millions, withjust over 15.5 million fish being imported during2005. About 97% of these imports were freshwaterspecies.

In Australia, it is also estimated that between 12%and 14% of the population participate in the aquaristhobby at some level (Patrick 1998). The Australianaquarium industry is relatively small, with totalturnover at the retail level estimated to be about $65million. Approximately 1500 retailers (aquariums andpet shops) across Australia deal in aquarium fish.According to the Pet Industry Association of Australia(PIAA) approximately 60% of aquarium fish aresupplied domestically by local breeders; the other40% are imported.

There is an active but difficult to quantify unregulatedtrade in fish within hobby associations and betweenenthusiasts. Given data for the United Kingdom whichestimates that about 7% of hobbyists keep more than100 fish (over 40% of the total number of pet fishowned) and indications that this trend is global, it isreasonable to assume that there is a significantunregulated and (officially) unrecorded trade in fishbetween hobbyists in Australia. This view is certainlysupported by the anecdotal information available inclub bulletins, magazines and aquarium websites.

With many millions of fish being transported aroundthe globe, many well beyond their natural range,importation of aquarium fish is seen by manycountries as a major potential source of invasivespecies (McDowall 2004). Recent studies (Lintermans2004) suggest that approximately 34 exotic freshwaterspecies have established populations in Australia; thepathway for 22 of these species is thought to havebeen the ornamental fish industry. Given the well-demonstrated difficulties in eradicating species oncethey are established, the sound investment of resourcesrequires a focus on effective management and controlboth of new species coming into Australia and ofthose already known to be circulating in the trade andhobby associations within the country.

C H A P T E R 1

I N T R O D U C T I O N


A number of key challenges have been identified inprogressing a national approach to the management ofornamental fish. The points below are far from all-inclusive, but summarise some of the key issues thathave been raised in recent years:

• Within jurisdictions, a lack of personnel adequatelytrained to identify aquarium species (fish andaquatic plants) is leading to ineffective monitoringof aquarium retailers and hobbyists.

• Listed plants and aquatic organisms (bothprohibited and permitted) need to be revised toclarify the status and actions required for manyspecies already in the country. This informationalso needs to be published and made broadlyavailable to regulators and stakeholders.

• A system is needed that recognises aquariumindustry and large-scale hobby operators who arenot covered by existing state and territory fisheriesor aquaculture regulations. This is not to createunnecessary regulatory burdens, but rather to:

– facilitate effective and timely dissemination ofinformation to all sectors within the aquariumindustry—information from government aboutmatters affecting the industry has often beenslow to reach it under current arrangements;

– improve aquarium dealers’ access to informationabout differing regulations across jurisdictions,including notification of changes to prohibitedspecies lists; and

– disseminate information to those dealers andhobbyists who are outside existing formalnetworks (e.g. professional associations).

• There is a strong informal system of trade amonghobbyists, which is currently unrecorded andunregulated. While formal regulation of this sectormay not be necessary, the capacity to developnetworks for the collection and dissemination ofinformation (particularly about pests and animalhealth issues) is important for future strategicmanagement.

• A concise guide to the variations in regulations andpermitted species between jurisdictions is needed toreduce confusion and abuse of the system.Interstate trade and other cross-border movementof aquarium specimens are currently inadequatelycontrolled.

Inconsistencies between jurisdictions in the regulationof aquarium fish species have meant that many speciesthat have managed to bypass import controlarrangements (i.e. species smuggled, or legallyimported under previous legislation) can be, andfrequently are, openly traded commercially and


among hobbyists. Currently, through one avenue oranother, any exotic fish species sought is effectivelyavailable in Australia.

A recent review (McNee 2002) suggested that over1100 exotic ornamental fish species are in Australia.As the ‘permitted import’ list under Part 13A of theEnvironment Protection and Biodiversity ConservationAct 1999 (EPBC Act) currently lists only 481 speciesor genera that have been assessed as permittedimports, it is clear many species were either herebefore the Act was passed or have entered the countryillegally. Uncertainty about these species and how bestto regulate them was one of the driving factors in theestablishment of a national review of the ornamentalfish trade.

Need for a national approach

On 13 September 2002, Australian Government andState/Territory fisheries agency representatives metaquarium industry representatives and officers fromEnvironment Australia (now the Department of theEnvironment and Water Resources, DEW) andBiosecurity Australia (BA) in Coffs Harbour, NewSouth Wales to get a better overall picture of theaquarium industry and to find a practical way to dealwith the issues of pests and diseases within theaquarium fish trade.

Key issues arising from this meeting included concernsabout:

• the large number of ornamental species in thecountry that are not on the permitted list under theEPBC Act

• the disease and pest status of animals that mayhave entered the country illegally

• inconsistencies between jurisdictions in legislationand policy relating to permitted/noxious species andeffective controls

• the effectiveness of current border controls toprevent illegal imports of species and consequentpotential animal health risks.

These issues were summarised in a report submitted tothe third meeting of the Australian Fisheries ManagersForum (AFMF).

Having reviewed the paper at its fourth meeting, on 14 July 2003, the AFMF agreed to pursue thedevelopment of a national strategic approach onornamental/exotic fish to address these matters. Themeeting also agreed that it should form a nationalpolicy working group to further this aim.Subsequently, the Marine and Coastal Committee ofthe Natural Resource Management StandingCommittee (MACC) endorsed this approach at itsseventh meeting on 16 July 2003.

The Ornamental Fish Policy Working Group(OFPWG) consisted of representatives from state andterritory fisheries agencies, all Australian Governmentagencies with responsibility for ornamental fishimportation and animal health, and representatives ofthe industry and hobby sectors.

The full membership of the OFPWG is listed inAppendix 1.


Terms of reference

The key objectives for the development of a nationallyagreed approach on aquarium fish addressed in thisplan are:

1 the development of a strategic plan for managementfor ornamental fish1 in Australia;

2 the development of a national list of high-risknoxious species;

3 the development of a national exempt list (low risk)of species permitted in the ornamental fish trade2;

4 a process for assessing the risks3 associated withany species currently in Australia that may not havepreviously been assessed;

5 a process for dealing with species already in thecountry deemed to be undesirable, including butnot limited to recall/removal/licensing, monitoring,and surveillance; and

6 consultation with stakeholder groups on theimplementation of proposed changes.

Notwithstanding that fisheries legislation in mostjurisdictions includes aquatic invertebrates within thedefinition of ‘fish’, the OFPWG made a consciousdecision to focus this strategic plan primarily on

freshwater fish species used in aquaria. Comments onaquatic plants and ‘live rock’ were included becausethey have been identified as significant potential pestissues within the aquarium industry, but they have notbeen reviewed in any detail. A full review of aquaticinvertebrates, such as those occurring on or as liverock, would potentially be as large a task as for fish,but there is little or no background information onsuch species.

Marine species currently make up a small proportionof the trade (<5%). Most of the current permittedimport listings for marine species under the EPBC Actare at the family or genus level, which means that anyclarification of the risk status of specific species in thecountry would be a significant task.

The OFPWG has been cooperating with the NationalIntroduced Marine Pest Coordinating Group, whichhas agreed to consider the outcomes of this process onornamental fish as it applies to its work on thedevelopment of a national approach to introducedmarine pests.

The National Aquatic Animal Health Committee iscurrently considering potential disease transmissionrisks within the aquarium trade and this informationwould be used in future assessments of fish imports.

1 ‘Ornamental fish are defined here to include freshwater and marine invertebrates and vertebrates and ‘living rock’, but not plant species. Note that this report focuses primarily onfreshwater fish.

2 This refers to low-risk species, within Australia, that may not be on the current permitted list.

3 Risks include potential risk to biodiversity and the potential for introduction of disease and parasites. Risks to biodiversity also include the introduction of native species outside theirnatural range (non-endemics).


Currently, management and regulation of theornamental fish or aquarium trade occurs at two main levels:

• The importation of fish into Australia is controlledat the Australian Government level by DEW and bythe Department of Agriculture, Fisheries andForestry (DAFF) through the Australian Quarantineand Inspection Service (AQIS).

• Commercial-scale domestic breeding, keeping andmovement are controlled through state andterritory legislation.

Importation

Both the EPBC Act and the Quarantine Act 1908regulate the import of live animals and plants intoAustralia. These Acts are administered by DEW andAQIS, respectively. It is important to note thatapproval from both agencies may be required whenimporting live specimens.

Section 303(EB) of the EPBC Act establishes a list ofspecimens that are approved for live import. If aspecies is not on the list, it cannot be legally importedinto Australia. The list of approved specimens isavailable on the DEW website.4

The list comprises two parts and covers bothunregulated and regulated imports:

• Part 1 is a list of live specimens that do not requirean import permit under the EPBC Act. It may notinclude any specimen listed on the Convention onthe International Trade in Endangered Species ofWild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

• Part 2 is a list of live specimens that require animport permit from DEW under the EPBC Act.Imports of specimens from this part of the list mayalso be subject to certain conditions or restrictions.

Applications to amend the list of permitted imports

If a species intended for live import does not currentlyappear on the list of specimens approved for liveimport, a person may apply to amend the list. A newspecies can be added to the list only after the potentialimpacts of the species on the environment have beenfully assessed to the satisfaction of the Minister for theEnvironment and Water Resources.

Details of the procedures for applying to amend thelist of specimens suitable for live import are availableon the DEW website.5

Amending the list may take 6–12 months, dependingon the complexity of the case.

The flow chart in Figure 1 is a simplified diagram ofthe steps involved in submitting an amendment forconsideration. However, the process is currently underreview, so the DEW website should be consulted forthe most up-to-date information.

C H A P T E R 2

E X I S T I N G C O N T R O L S

4 http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-use/lists/import/index.html

5 http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-use/lists/import/amend/index.html


F I G U R E 1

Flow chart of DEW live import process

Step 1

Applicant submits an application

form and draft terms of reference

to DEW.

Step 3

Applicant addresses commentreceived and final terms ofreference are agreed by minister.

Step 4

Applicant prepares draft reportaddressing agreed terms ofreference.

Step 6

Applicant addresses stakeholdercomments.

If the minister approves theamendment, Applicant seeks an import permit from DEW to import species.

A P P L I C A N T

Step 2

DEW publishes draft terms ofreference on DEW website andnotifies stakeholders.

Step 5

DEW publishes draft report on DEWwebsite and notifies stakeholdersand appropriate state and territoryministers. DEW also providesindependent input.

Step 7

When the report is finalised,minister makes a decision onamending the live import list andnotifies applicant.

Step 8

If the minister approves theamendment, DEW tablesinstrument before both Houses of Parliament for 15 sitting days.

D E W / M I N I S T E R

A R E A O F R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y


Roles and responsibilities of AQIS andBiosecurity Australia

All fish import permits are issued in Canberra by theLive Animal Import Section of AQIS. The section isresponsible for assessing and issuing all liveornamental fish permits, providing import protocoladvice to AQIS regional officers and importers, andensuring that all national documented information,including work instructions and training packages, isupdated as required.

AQIS quarantine officers in each region implement theoperational aspects. Their duties involve approval andregistration of quarantine approved premises (QAPs),inspection of documentation and fish at point of entry,final inspection of tank records and fish at the QAP,and release of fish from quarantine.

AQIS verifies that the health certificates match theimport permit conditions and have been prepared bythe appropriate certifying authority. The fish arevisually inspected to confirm that they are species onthe permitted import lists under the EPBC Act andquarantine regulations.

The fish must be contained in bags of single speciesand must be clearly visible to the inspector. Fish thatappear to be healthy (active, with no obvious signs ofdisease) are directed to a QAP to undergo post-arrivalquarantine. Shipments or consignments of fish that areobviously diseased are rejected and either re-exportedor destroyed at the importer’s expense. Full details ofquarantine requirements for particular species can befound in ICON, the AQIS import conditions database,which is available on the AQIS website.6

Biosecurity Australia (BA) is responsible fordeveloping and reviewing biosecurity policies and, onrequest, provides technical advice to AQIS about theinterpretation of those polices. BA is also responsiblefor assessing the competence of overseas authoritiesand makes recommendations to AQIS about therecognition of those authorities.

An application for the live import of a geneticallymodified fish (which is a genetically modifiedorganism, or GMO) will be referred to the Office ofthe Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR). The OGTRundertakes a risk assessment process (based on theeffect of the genetic modification—not the organismper se—on human health and the environment) andissues a licence if risk is minimal. The importconsignment will still require an AQIS import permitas well. If the OGTR refuses import of a GMO, theDEW and AQIS will defer to that decision. If theGMO is approved for import, it must still undergoAQIS and DEW assessment before import or additionto permitted import lists.

State/Territory regulation

All states and territories have some controls in placeto manage exotic fish in the aquarium trade, usuallywithin the umbrella of fisheries regulation throughfisheries agencies. However, the controls are far fromcomprehensive and are not necessarily tailored to theneeds or concerns of the sector. In most jurisdictions,larger commercial breeders of fish are usually requiredto operate under conditions on an aquaculture licence.The retail sector, however, does not fall specificallyunder fisheries regulation in most jurisdictions, andretailers would only be covered by industry codes ofpractice if they are members of the PIAA. Membershipof the PIAA is voluntary.

The states and territories generally rely on one or bothof two mechanisms to regulate the aquarium fishtrade—a prohibited species list and a permitted specieslist. Under the former approach, authorities target fishspecies that are recognised as pests (in the broadestsense) and include them on a prohibited (or noxious)species list, usually making the possession of such fishillegal.

Prohibited species lists are generally relatively shortand easy to enforce, however, they do not provide amechanism to prevent trade in species whose pest riskstatus is unknown and which therefore do not appearon the list. Under this arrangement, fish that are noton the EPBC Act permitted import list and are not ona state or territory prohibited list can be owned andtraded easily once they are in the country, as theirlegal status is not specified in any legislation.7 Most ofthe fish that are smuggled into Australia belong to thisgroup, along with species that may have beenimported into the country before the advent ofexisting legislation.

Inconsistency between jurisdictions also compromisesthe efforts of individual jurisdictions to manage risksthrough restricting trade in potentially noxiousspecies. In many cases, a fish that is prohibited in onejurisdiction is freely available in neighbouringjurisdictions and may be moved across bordersrelatively freely by the public. Another difficulty isinconsistency in applying noxious fish legislation asdemonstrated by some states allowing trade indomesticated ‘Koi’ carp despite listing Cyprinus carpioas a noxious species.

A further difficulty in controlling smuggling at bordersand enforcing existing prohibitions is the difficulty inidentifying species permitted for import among thewide diversity of the world’s freshwater fish species.The identification of exotic ornamental fish species onsight, particularly at all life stages, is a relativelyspecialised skill not always readily available inregulatory agencies. The permitted import system

6 http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/homecontent.asp

7 Under the EPBC Act, it is an offence to be in possession of an individual specimen that was not legally imported.


T A B L E 1

Summary of current legislation across jurisdictions used for the regulation

and control of exotic fish

S TAT E L E G I S L AT I O N R E S P O N S I B L E C A PA C I T Y C O N T R O L /

A G E N C Y T O D E C L A R E S E I Z U R E O F

N O X I O U S S P P A N I M A L S

ACT Nature Conservation Act 1980 EnvironmentFisheries Act 2000 ACTPest Plants and Animals Act 2005

NSW Stock Diseases Act 1923 Dept. of Primary Fisheries Management Act 1994 Industries

NT Fisheries Act and Industry and FisheriesRegulations 1988

Qld Fisheries Act 1994 QDPIFisheries Regulations 1995

SA Livestock Act 1997 PIRSAFisheries Act 1982

declared under regulation exotic fish

Tas Living Marine Resources Act 1995 DPWIEInland Fisheries Act 1995 IFC

controlled spp

Vic Livestock Disease Control Act 1994 VDPIFisheries Act 1995

WA Exotic Diseases of Animals Act 1993 Dept. of AgricultureFish Resources Management Dept. of FisheriesAct 1994

Cwth Fisheries Management Act 1991 AFMAQuarantine Act 1908 AQISEnvironment Protection and DEW s 301A has Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 provision for

listing species that threaten biodiversity

relies heavily on accurate records being provided withimported stock. However, it is suspected thatindividuals seeking to bypass regulations may simplymix cryptic juvenile forms of prohibited speciestogether with legitimate species.

Table 1 summarises state, territory and Australiangovernment regulations relating to the declaration ofnoxious species and the capacity to recall or seize fishspecies.


Risk assessment framework

As indicated previously, a major concern is thenumber of species already in Australia that have notbeen assessed for their pest or disease potential. Thepolicy arm of AQIS (now Biosecurity Australia)conducted an import risk analysis for ornamental fish(AQIS 1999). However, this only covered species onthe permitted import list at the time and therefore didnot consider other species that may already have beenin the country, and are being bred and traded.

The DEW’s statutory process for assessing theenvironmental risks associated with live speciesproposed for import into Australia can be timeconsuming. Moreover, many of the unassessed speciesmay currently be bred successfully here, so there islittle need to import fresh stock.

The key to assessing the risks of a given species’establishment in the environment is the identificationof those factors that determine the probability of itssuccessful establishment. Bomford (2003) developed amodel for assessing the risks in Australia, from theimport and keeping of exotic terrestrial vertebrates.The model was developed following a review of pastintroductions to determine the factors most likely toinfluence successful establishment of a species in thewild. Unfortunately, this report did not consider anyfish species among the vertebrate pests reviewed.

The DEW has recently concluded a consultancy withthe author of this model to develop a risk assessmentmodel for the establishment of freshwater andestuarine fish (Bomford and Glover 2004). The reviewof the risk assessment model for terrestrial vertebratesfound that the established framework was an effectivetool for measuring risk of establishment (as testedagainst species known to have established, versusthose that have been released but failed to establish).The key factors identified for determiningestablishment risk in exotic fish are:

• number of release events

• climate match

• history of establishing feral populations elsewhere

• size of overseas geographical range

• taxonomic group.

While many other factors are thought to affect theprobability of establishment, the advantage of usingthe factors listed above is that information on most is readily available in easily accessible sources (e.g. Fishbase8). This allows relatively quick andeffective screening of large numbers of species.

DEW representatives on the OFPWG have indicatedthat they now use this risk assessment model as partof their suite of tools for conducting assessments ofpotential risks of importing exotic live freshwater fishspecies. The OFPWG also recommended that themodel could be used by a scientific/technical reviewgroup established to review ‘grey listed’ species.

This report does not specifically examine the diseaserisks associated with ornamental fish imports as thoserisks are subject to separate review by BA and theNational Aquatic Animal Health Committee.

8 http://www.fishbase.org/


Of the 34 alien fish species that have established feralpopulations in Australian waters, 22 are thought tohave come into the country via the ornamental fishtrade (Lintermans 2004). However, it should also benoted that feral populations of some fish species, suchas salmonids, were deliberately introduced and aremaintained in the wild to provide recreational fishingopportunities and tourism. It is commonly accepted ininvasive species management theory that eradicationof species once they are established is difficult, if notimpossible, and that the most (cost) effectivemanagement is achieved through the prevention andmanagement of introduction and spread.

As noted previously, changes to regulations relating topermitted imports and permitted and noxious specieslists across Australia have created significantuncertainty within government and industry andamong hobbyists about the status of many speciesalready here (and, in many cases, still actively tradedin industry and hobby circles). Attempting to removesome of this uncertainty, particularly in the context ofidentifying future potentially invasive species andregulating them accordingly, was one of the keydrivers in the formation of the OFPWG.

One of the terms of reference of the OFPWG was todevelop a nationally agreed list of high-risk noxiousspecies. A number of noxious species lists arecurrently in use across jurisdictions. These range fromthose containing a few species to comprehensive lists.When the OFPWG was formed, both Queensland andVictoria were in the process of reviewing their noxiousspecies listings. Both jurisdictions agreed to utilise theMACC process to progress their deliberations, with aview to adopting any nationally agreed noxiousspecies list. The starting point for consideration of thenationally agreed list was a compilation of existingjurisdictional lists, including the species proposed foraddition in Queensland and Victoria.

All jurisdictions assessed this list of speciesindependently and results were compiled to form theagreed list. Uniform criteria for listing were notpredetermined, however, reasons were provided whena species was proposed as noxious, and these followedthe primary criteria by which potential ‘pestiness’ of aspecies is determined. These include aggressivebehaviour; piscivorous diet; high fecundity and/orfrequent spawning and long life span (i.e. effectivereproductive potential); potentially large size; broadhabitat tolerances; and similar environmentalrequirements to native species. Meeting one of thesecriteria alone was not sufficient to qualify a species asnoxious; those species proposed for addition to anational list met many, if not all, of the criteria.

The compiled lists (see Appendix 2) are the outcomeof deliberations within the OFPWG and feedbackfrom consultations held with key scientific andindustry stakeholders across jurisdictions. The onlyspecies that have been included in the proposednoxious list are those to which all OFPWG membersagreed. It should be noted that some states may haveadditional species on their particular noxious specieslistings due to different climatic conditions acrossjurisdictions.

Where there was not unanimous agreement on thestatus of a species, it was added to what is describedin this report as the ‘grey’ list. Species on the grey listrequire further scientific review and investigation todetermine whether they should be added to, orexempted from, a national noxious species list in thefuture.

It should be noted that the species currently on thegrey list are those that were being considered byjurisdictions for possible addition to their ownnoxious species lists. During the public consultationprocess for this strategy there was considerablerepresentation from Koi carp producers and societiesexpressing concern about Cyprinus carpio being on a

C H A P T E R 3

N O X I O U S S P E C I E S


national noxious species list. Whereas ‘European’ or‘common’ carp are an acknowledged pest in wildhabitats, are declared noxious by several states andare a nationally prohibited import, domesticated Koicarp are widely cultivated/kept in Australia. Hence,the OFPWG recommended that ‘domesticated Koicarp’ be placed on the grey list until a method ofresolving this intra-species problem is agreed.Similarly, the OFPWG acknowledged that alligatorgarfish (Lepisosteus spp) are being bred in Australiaand proposed moving these species from the proposednoxious to grey list for further review.

Recent reviews of ornamental species thought to be inthe country (McNee 2002) list many species that arenot on the current permitted import lists and that donot appear on either of the proposed lists. Potentially,these species should be added to the grey list (alongwith any other species that subsequently come to lightin the trade or hobby sectors) for further review andclarification of their status.

Any species proposed for addition to the live importlist under the EPBC Act would still be required to beassessed for potential environmental risk, consistentwith the requirements of that legislation.

Proposed action

With the endorsement of the proposed nationalnoxious species list by the Natural ResourceManagement Standing Committee, a process is beingdeveloped to gather information and assess the statusof species on the grey list. This is a national priority if management and control of ornamental fish acrossAustralia is to be successful.

The OFPWG proposed that a scientific/technicalworking group be established, drawing relevantexpertise from around the country (academia,museums, government, industry and private sector) toconduct assessments of these species. The proposal isthat grey list species will be put through the riskassessment framework outlined in Chapter 2, with thescientific/technical working group providinginformation on species (although detailed informationwill be limited for many species) and ultimatelydeciding the status of species guided by the outcomeof the risk assessments. It is critical that the PIAA andrepresentatives of the hobby sector are directlyinvolved in this process, or acceptance of the processand the outcome by the wider ornamentalfish/aquarium trade will be unlikely.

Those species that have been through the assessmentprocess and are not considered for addition to thenational noxious species list would then constitute agroup of low-risk species known to be in the trade orhobby sectors. It would then be up to individuals orindustry, should they so desire, to have the speciesassessed by the DEW and BA for addition to thepermitted import list.

As the DEW uses the risk assessment frameworkoutlined in Chapter 2 as one of its tools for future liveimport determinations, there is a reasonableexpectation that the assessments conducted throughthe scientific/technical working group could be utilisedin future DEW assessments, thereby potentiallyreducing the timeframe for the live import assessmentprocess. If, however, a species is found to fall outsidethe scope of the existing BA–AQIS ornamental fishrisk assessment (AQIS 1999), the species would alsoneed to undergo risk assessment by BA.

It was noted during the public consultation processthat fish on all lists, permitted, noxious or grey,should be described at species level. Listing at thegenus or family level should be avoided in futurelistings. The current list of permitted importsestablished under the EPBC Act has a number ofgenus and family level listings, which are currentlyunder review by DEW.

The OFPWG was also tasked with investigating otherpotential risks in the aquarium trade, including liverock and aquarium plants. Details of the group’sconsiderations of those matters are provided below.

Live rock

‘Live rock’ is material considered to include live coral,live sand and coral rubble. According to Oz ReefMarine Park (1997) and Fossa and Neilsen (1997),coral rock is colonised and burrowed through byvarious organisms, such as:

• bacteria

• unicellular animals (Protozoa)

• sponges (Porifera)

• soft and hard corals (cnidarians)

• flatworms (Platyhelminthes)

• threadworms (Nematoda)

• ringed worms, annelids (Annelida)

• peanut worms (Sipunculida)

• crustaceans (crabs, shrimps, other Crustacea)

• sea spiders (Pycnogonida)

• molluscs (clams, nudibranchs, snails, chitons, otherMollusca)

• bryozoans (Bryozoa)

• entoprocts (Entoprocta)

• starfish, brittle stars, (echinoderms)

• sea squirts (ascidians)

• algae (including coralline, micro and macro algae).


The use of live rock in marine aquaria is considered anatural method of filtration to remove the pollutioncaused when uneaten food, excreta and other alienmatter breaks down into nitrogen gas and formsnitrates (Hargreaves 1978).

Because of the costs of collection, protectivepackaging and shipping, live rock is an expensive wayof cycling the tank, compared with other methodssuch as adding ammonia directly to the tank or usingmechanical filters. Only the more enthusiastic anddedicated aquarists maintain marine aquaria, but liverock use is considered to be increasing in Australia.

Information provided by the various state andterritory fisheries agencies indicates that most liverock and coral collected in Australia originates fromQueensland reefs. Smaller amounts are harvested fromreefs in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.The consultation draft of this document indicated thatbetween 12 to 23 tonnes were harvested annually, butfeedback during the public consultation processindicated that the actual amount was significantlyhigher. Queensland/GBRMPA have just introduced acomprehensive live rock logbook and WesternAustralia are in the process of better regulating thisindustry, so more accurate harvest/trade figures shouldbe available in future.

The risks of introducing exotic species and diseasesthrough the movement of live rock have yet to bequantified. As most live rock originates in tropicalmarine waters and is destined for markets intemperate Australia, the tropical species in and on therock would be unlikely to establish viable populationsin temperate southern waters. If an exotic pest ordisease establishes in an area of Australia from whichlive rock is sourced, the potential for translocationarises if the pest is not detected and contained, or ifthere is no process for tracking live rock from thepoint of collection to its final destination.

It is illegal under the EPBC Act to import species fromoverseas into any part of Australia, other than thosespecies listed as approved for importation (this isenforced by AQIS and the Australian CustomsService). As some live rock potentially carries a widearray of unknown species, it is not a permissibleimport; this restriction must be continued, unless athorough risk assessment suggests otherwise. It is notknown whether an illegal ‘black trade’ in importedlive rock exists and this possibility cannot be ruled out.

Potential management options

Management options to address marine pest risksfrom live rock should be developed in conjunctionwith the National Introduced Marine PestsCoordination Group. Although the risks of the spreadof marine pests through the trade in live rock andassociated aquarium products are likely to be minor incomparison with risks from other activities (e.g. thetrade in species with identified pest potential), severalpotential management options could be considered:

• Improved education of public and industry aboutthe risk of dumping unwanted fish where theycould end up in waterways, and the risk ofmicroscopic organisms/spores from live rockentering waterways when tanks are cleaned.

• Improved monitoring of and information sharingon the distribution of marine pests.

• Increased regulation of the trade in live rock withinAustralia. This could involve tracing the movementof live rock between states and territories, possiblythrough a permitting/licensing process. Theprospect of effective control/compliance of illegalimports would also have to be considered.

• Certifying cultured products, which could involveenhancement of artificial culturing of live rock (seeBox 1). The rock to be seeded would also need tobe collected locally, taken from the terrestrialenvironment or artificially created. There wouldneed to be ways of sanitising the rock or certifyingwhat would grow when the rock is introduced to atank.

A descriptive paper on live rock in Australia wasprepared for the OFPWG and is held at the Bureau ofRural Sciences, Canberra.


B O X 1

Culture of live rock in the United States

Due to the large amounts of coral rock beingexported from the Florida Keys in the early 1990s,Florida banned the harvest of live rock from itswaters in 1997. As a result, marine ornamentalcompanies in the United States started to developaquaculture for live rock. To ‘create’ live rock,ordinary dry rock is placed in the ocean andharvested one to several years later.

Live rock can be purchased either ‘cured’ or‘uncured’. On collection from the ocean, the rocksharbour a large variety of sea life, some of which(such as certain species of anemones and mantisshrimp) are common pests on live rock. ‘Uncured’rock is rock that has been collected and directlyexported. ‘Cured’ rock, on the other hand, is materialthat has been placed under a fine spray of highlysaline water for several hours or days before export.The objective is to keep the coralline algae alive butkill and wash out less hardy, unwanted organisms,which would foul the tank water.

Aquatic plants

The OFPWG also considered the issue of knownnoxious weeds being traded within the aquariumindustry. Problems arising from ornamental aquaticplants are well documented, particularly through thework of the Cooperative Research Centre forAustralian Weed Management (the Weeds CRC), theAustralian Weeds Committee and state and territoryagencies.

Good summaries of nationally noxious aquatic plantsand those that are considered problems in particularjurisdictions can be found at the websites of the NewSouth Wales Department of Natural Resources9 andthe National Weeds Strategy10. The Australian WeedsCommittee has produced a list of key noxious aquaticplant species and this is provided in Appendix 3 ofthis report.

A limited survey of plants for sale in the aquariumindustry (including those sold as pond plants foroutdoor use) indicated the availability of about adozen species listed as weeds, either nationally or inone or more jurisdictions. The OFPWG acknowledgedthat it did not have extensive expertise in waterplants, but recognised the need to establish nationallinkages between groups currently working onnoxious aquatic plants (such as the Weeds CRC) andto encourage a review of ornamental aquatic plants.Further, fisheries agencies and their enforcementofficers need to develop the capacity (training, fieldguides, etc) to recognise noxious plant species thatthey may encounter in dealings with the aquariumindustry.

9 http://www.dnr.nsw.gov.au/water/wetlands_facts_weeds.shtml#NationalSignificance

10 http://www.weeds.org.au


The breeding and sale of ornamental fish is beingcontrolled and regulated in a number of differentways by the various jurisdictions, ranging frominternal policy arrangements through to legislativearrangements. Currently, there is no consistency ofapproach across Australia, which creates uncertaintyamong both industry and the general public about themovement and sale of fish between states andterritories. Existing regulations specific to theornamental fish industry across jurisdictions aresummarised in Appendix 4.

One major issue is that the largest sector in theindustry is the hobbyist or enthusiast group. Thepolicy or regulatory boundary between a ‘hobby’ anda ‘commercial activity’ is blurred and open to variousinterpretations. Currently, there is no clear directionfrom the jurisdictions on this matter. However, it isimportant to recognise that this strategy is primarilyfocused on large-scale operators who are breedinglarge numbers of fish, not the local hobbyist with asmall number of fish in a tank in their home.

In some jurisdictions, there is friction between licensedcommercial aquaculture operators and ‘backyard’breeders. In general, the main complaint from licensedaquaculture operators is that they are required toobtain development consents from local government,pay licence or permit fees to state regulatory bodies,and pay appropriate taxes. The backyard breeder orhobbyist might not obtain such approvals, nor paysuch charges. For example, public Koi carp auctionsare a regular event in NSW. This results in toughcompetition in the ornamental fish market, allows‘noxious’ fish to be freely traded without much chance of detection, and creates an obvious pest and disease risk.

B O X 2

When is a hobby a business?

The courts have provided some guidelines to helpdetermine whether an activity is a business or ahobby, but there are no hard and fast rules. TheAustralian Taxation Office looks at all thecircumstances of a case in determining whether abusiness exists. Guidelines adopted by the courtsinclude the following:

• Does the activity have a significant commercialpurpose or character?

• Does the person have more than just an intentionto engage in business?

• Does the person have a purpose of profit as well asa prospect of profit?

• Is there repetition and regularity to the activity?

• Is the activity of the same kind and carried on in asimilar manner to businesses in that industry?

• Is the activity planned, organised and carried on ina businesslike manner?

• What are the size, scale and permanency of theactivity?

• Is the activity better described as a hobby,recreation or sporting activity?

The reasons for seeking to regulate the ornamentalfish trade in Australia include:

• to provide a communication capability (distributionlists) to industry breeders and stakeholders forcurrent information and educational materials onmanagement issues;

• to provide an avenue through which to monitorand control disease (including point-of-importrecords to determine possible trends or to giveadvance warning of potential disease problems withoffshore suppliers);

C H A P T E R 4

P R O P O S E D R E G U L A T O R Y

F R A M E W O R K


• to ensure that all appropriate local and stategovernment regulatory requirements are being met(publicity about poor adherence to regulatoryrequirements by a licensed operator may also reflectbadly on other licensed operators);

• to confirm the status of species being traded;

• to address the minority of illegal operators; and

• to reduce or eliminate smuggling distribution pointsfor noxious fish or endangered species.

In most jurisdictions, the keeping and/or trading of pets is controlled by various means, which mayinclude:

• restrictions on numbers that may be kept byindividuals in urban areas, and licensingarrangements for those wishing to keep more thanthe permitted numbers (e.g. breeding kennels orpoultry breeders);

• licensing arrangements for the keeping of nativefauna;

• licensing arrangements for the keeping of exoticanimals; and

• licensing arrangements for the keeping of noxiousor pest species.

Therefore, the precedent of regulating hobbyists isalready in place for non-aquatic animals, andregulation of the aquarium fish trade may fit in withother pet industry sectors. That said, the regulationapplied at this level is usually low cost and maysimply be a one-off or annual permit, or even avoluntary registration through some form of onlinesystem. There is a need for some form of nationallabelling scheme and this would involve close liaisonwith all stakeholders. Registration would assist withcompliance, disease control and communicationprogrammes.

The aim of regulation at this level is not to raiserevenue or to apply ‘zero tolerance’, but to establishnetworks through which information can be gatheredand distributed for better long-term management (e.g. disease or pest notifications, changes toregulation, permitted/prohibited species).

Similarly, the classification of large-scale breedingactivity in the hobby sector as aquaculture under stateregulations is not an attempt to leverage licence feesfrom non-commercial operations, but rather to ensureconsistency of accountability and traceability ofproduct across all large-scale producers for thepurposes of future management. In some jurisdictions,this may require minor regulatory changes torecognise different classes of aquaculturalists forlicensing/levy purposes. The OFPWG concurred that, given adequate communication and education,self-regulation is the most effective option for thehobby sector.

Regulation of pet shops

Pet shops in most jurisdictions are not required to belicensed or registered by fisheries agencies, and mayonly require licensing by local government or thejurisdiction’s environmental protection agency, if theydispose of wastewater to the sewerage system or theenvironment.

The PIAA has developed a voluntary code of practicefor its members. The association is also workingtowards an accreditation scheme whereby memberoperators would have the option of going through aseries of training programmes to achieve accreditedoperating standards and also submit to an auditingregime to ensure that standards are being maintained.While these schemes would only apply to memberpremises, if accreditation programmes are successfulin improving standards of operation, it is hoped thatcommercial pressure would mean that accreditationwill have significant financial benefit and there will bean incentive to pursue it. Details of the code ofpractice are in Appendix 5.

Decision support trees for regulation of theornamental fish trade and hobby sectors

The decision trees in Figures 2 and 3 have beendeveloped to help jurisdictions consistently classifyoperations into particular sectors of the ornamentalfish industry. They do not provide prescriptiveregulatory frameworks because, in many cases,control may fall outside formal regulatoryframeworks. Instead, they require individualjurisdictions to examine their existing regulatoryframeworks and amend them as necessary to providea consistent framework across Australia.

The decision trees provide regulators, those in theornamental fish industry and hobby sector, and thegeneral public with simple pathways for determininghow a particular activity should be classified. Workingthrough the first tree (Figure 2), for example, it isobvious that a person trading the odd fish with fellowhobbyists or at a local fete is not running anornamental fish business. Similarly, following that linethrough the second tree, it is clear that regulatoryagencies would only be interested in the activities ofthat person if they were keeping and/or breedingparticular species (either noxious or determined to beof special interest after the assessment process), or toprovide the person with general information ofinterest (new permitted/prohibited species, knowndisease or pest issues, etc).

The note at the bottom of the second tree (Figure 3) isimportant. There have been concerns that, under thisdecision framework, large hobby operations could fallwithin the water volume criteria to be considered for astate or territory aquaculture permit. Most concern


stems from the costs associated with the permit systemin some jurisdictions. During discussions withjurisdictional aquaculture regulators, it was recognisedthat this is a minor issue that can be clarified by theintroduction (in regulations) of a tiered permit system

in those jurisdictions without such a system. Thetiered permit system would create a minor registrationpermit, possibly based on additional criteria such as‘qualifying as operating a business’ (see Box 2).

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In developing a regulatory framework for ornamentalfish, it is important to recognise the diversity ofplayers involved, including aquaculturalists, breeders,wholesalers, importers, retailers, and hobbyists andenthusiasts. To date, discussions on regulation havefocused on the need to improve knowledge of thespecies of fish available, and of when and where theyare being traded. With the development of a newnational noxious species list to supplement importlists, there will also be a need to create clarity andcertainty about those species that can be possessedand traded, particularly for species considered noxiousthat are already in the country.

The decision trees in Figures 2 and 3 are an attempt todevelop pathways to:

• classify an operation type on the basis of sales of ortrade in fish; and

• determine the level of regulation that should beapplied in different situations.

The next stage of regulation of aquarium species is thedevelopment of a process for dealing with thosespecies that it is determined should be removed orcontrolled. Table 2 is a summary of options derivedfrom discussions by the OFPWG.

It will be necessary to develop an agreed set ofdecision rules that can be incorporated into theregulatory framework to support existing regulatoryarrangements within jurisdictions. Where there is noexisting framework, these decision rules may form thebasis of new regulation.

This strategic planning document sets out aframework for future management of ornamental fish.For most issues, implementation will mainly occurwithin individual jurisdictions. Assuming that nationalagreement is reached on national noxious species lists

and guidelines such as those outlined in Table 2,regulation should have much in common acrossjurisdictions.

The next stage in the process would be theestablishment of an implementation plan to guide theadoption of the nationally agreed approaches outlinedin this strategy and to address cross-jurisdictionalissues, such as translocation and movement andregulatory or licensing requirements for such actions.Nationally agreed guidelines for the translocation oflive aquatic organisms already exist (MCFFA 1999);there are also existing regulatory frameworks for themovement of other live animal species acrossAustralian jurisdictions, and these may well guide thedevelopment of such arrangements for exotic fish.Regulations controlling movements shouldcomplement the national translocation policy.

An implementation plan would also need to finaliseappropriate reporting arrangements to review progresson the implementation of agreed actions within thestrategic plan. Much of the on-ground implementationwill fall to jurisdictional fisheries agencies. However,because of the close links between this work andcurrent work on marine pests and aquatic diseaserisks, it will be important to ensure that longer termarrangements maintain those linkages. Close liaisonwith groups such as the Aquatic Animal HealthCommittee, Biosecurity Australia and the AustralianWeeds Committee should be fostered and maintained.Marine species represent only a small proportion ofthe total aquarium trade, but some species that maybe imported or translocated could have a significantimpact on Australia’s marine environment if released.Actions involving ornamental marine species shouldbe developed in conjunction with the NationalIntroduced Marine Pests Coordination Group toensure that they are integrated into the National

C H A P T E R 5

M A N A G E M E N T O F O R N A M E N T A L

P E S T S A N D N O X I O U S S P E C I E S

I N A U S T R A L I A


System for the Prevention and Management of MarinePest Incursions. This system should develop a noxiousornamental marine species list, assess risks from thetranslocation of live rock, and improve theinformation available on marine species that are ormight be traded in Australia. Communicationsactivities should be developed to ensure consistencywith the National System and to take advantage ofestablished networks in the aquarium industry.

Options available for management of undesirablespecies fall into three categories, as broadlysummarised in Table 2 :

• nationally agreed noxious species;

• jurisdiction-specific noxious species; and

• high-value species or those listed by the Conventionon International Trade in Endangered Species(CITES) or the International Union for Conservationof Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

T A B L E 2

Options available for management of undesirable species

A C T I O N S S P E C I E S S TAT U S

N AT I O N A L J U R I S D I C T I O N C I T E S C O M M E N T S

N O X I O U S S P E C I F I C I U C N

N O X I O U S R A R E

Education/ awareness Y Y Y Preparation and distribution of consistent information

Amnesty Y N N First option for noxious species removal after agreement of noxious fish list

Buyback Y N N Alternate option for more valuable species or added incentive

Permit Y* N Y# Used for CITES, display (public aquaria etc), research and high value species already in the country*

Registration N Y Y#

Ban Y N Y# Second tier consideration, would need a well developed enforcement plan (national agreement)

Sterilise Y## N N Limited situations (linked to

Microchip Y## N Ypermits above)

No sale Y N Y Always. Would also be listed as permit conditions. (Breeding may be permissible in research situations with conditions on permit re handling)

No translocation Y N Y

No breeding Y N N

Report existence Y Y Y Mandatory requirement

* limited life of animal in high value/cultural significance cases only# regulations exist## mandatory conditions in restricted permitting situations

At the appropriate time, consideration should be givento categorising fish species placed on the noxious listin a manner consistent with the categories that may bedeveloped under the National Weeds Strategy and theNational Pest Animal Strategy. The Senate Inquiry onInvasive Species report, published as Turning back thetide—the invasive species challenge, suggested threenational invasive species control classes that could beestablished. Lists could be developed under theseclasses and agreed by the Australian and all State andTerritory governments. The three control classes areincluded here. However, it is understood that nodecision has as yet been made on their official use:

• National Quarantine List: Comprised of invasivespecies of national importance that are a high

invasion risk for Australia, may or may not havealready invaded Australia, and whose earlydetection will enable cost-effective eradication.

• National Alert List: Comprised of invasive speciesof national importance that are naturalised, have arestricted range, are predicted to have a majorimpact on the environment or industries, andwhose eradication is feasible and cost-effective.

• National Control List: Comprised of invasivespecies of national importance that are naturalisedand generally widespread, are having a majorimpact on the environment or industry, and whosecontainment or control will assist protect the valuesof areas of national environmental significance.


T A B L E 3

Proposed Uniform National Invasive Species Control Classes

N AT I O N A L D E S C R I P T I O N S TAT U T O R Y R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

N O X I O U S R E Q U I R E M E N T

S P E C I E S L I S T

C L A S S E S

National Invasive species of national Prohibited import into Australia Australian GovernmentQuarantine List importance that are a high Listed as controlled species under State and Territory governments

invasion risk for Australia and State/Territory laws Australian, State and Territory not known to be present in Prohibited for trade nationally governmentsAustralia, and whose early Early warning surveillance Australian, State and Territory detection will enable cost programmes governmentseffective eradication Eradication programme Australian and appropriate State

(where detected and feasible) and Territory governments

National Invasive species of national Prohibited import into Australia Australian GovernmentAlert List importance that are naturalised, Listed as controlled species under State and Territory governments

have a restricted range, are State/Territory laws Australian, State and Territory predicted to have a major Prohibited for trade nationally governmentsimpact on the environment, Early warning surveillance Australian, State and Territory human welfare or industries, programmes governmentsand which may be, is currently, Eradication programmes Australian and appropriate State or was, subject to a State or (where appropriate) and Territory governmentsnational eradication effort Containment programmes Australian, State, Territory and

(where appropriate) local governments

National Invasive species of national Prohibited import into Australia Australian GovernmentControl List importance that are naturalised Listed as controlled species under State and Territory governments

and generally widespread are State/Territory laws Australian, State and Territory having a major impact on the Prohibited for trade nationally governmentsenvironment or industry, and National Control Action Plan Australian, and appropriate State whose containment or control and Territory governments will assist protect the values of areas of national environmental significance

Source: Australian Biosecurity Group (2005)


There is also a need to harmonise inconsistent noxious fish classesinto a uniform set of State and Territory invasive species controlcategories. This will greatly assist planning, evaluation and reporting.

U N I F O R M S TAT E

A N D T E R R I T O R Y

I N V A S I V E S P E C I E S

C O N T R O L C L A S S E S

D E S C R I P T I O N S TAT U T O R Y

R E Q U I R E M E N T

R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

CLASS 1

Quarantine and Eradication List

Comprised of invasive speciesin other jurisdictions but notcommonly present in ownjurisdiction, and if introducedwould cause an adverseeconomic, environmental orsocial impact

Prohibited from import andtrade in jurisdiction

Subject to early warningsurveillance

Subject to eradication if found

Notifiable

State/Territory government


State/Territory government,Land/water manager

Land/water manager

CLASS 2

Containment ListComprised of invasive speciesnot commonly present in ownjurisdiction or regionallycontained, which have, orcould have adverse economic,environmental or social impact

Prohibited from import andtrade in jurisdiction

Subject to early warningsurveillance on edge andoutside of containment area

May be subject to eradicationor continual suppression

Notifiable


State/Territory/localgovernment


Land/water manager

CLASS 3

Control ListComprised of invasive speciesthat are established injurisdiction and have, or couldhave an adverse economic,environmental or social impact.

Prohibited from import and trade

Conditions may apply tomovement of contaminatedmaterials

Landowners must takereasonable steps to keep land/water free of Class 3 pests

Government agencies musttake reasonable steps to keepland/water free of Class 3 pests

State/Territory governments

Merchants, land/watermanagers

Land/water managers

State agencies, localgovernments

CLASS 4

Restricted ListComprised of invasive specieswhose trade would result inspread in extent and/orabundance, and increase theprobability of an adverseeconomic, environmental orsocial impact either within orwithout the jurisdiction

Prohibited from import or trade

State/Territory governments

CLASS 5

Regional DeclarationList

Comprised of invasive speciesof regional importance

Regionally specific actions Local governments orregional bodies

T A B L E 4

Proposed Uniform State and Territory Invasive Species Control Classes


An essential part of any strategic plan is a clearindication of the tools by which the plan’s messagescan be communicated to a range of audiences. Thekeys to successful communication are to identify themessages and the target audiences and to ensure thatthe messages are appropriately constructed for theaudiences. Similarly, a range of communication toolsare available, and it is important to choose themedium that will most effectively get the message to the audience. Where possible, the communicationplan should link with associated communicationstrategies such as those promoting the NationalSystem for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pest Incursions.

For the ornamental fish strategy, the target audiencecan be broadly divided into the general public and theindustry sector. Hobbyists probably fall within bothaudiences (depending on the scale of their operation)and will therefore need access to the full range ofinformation.

A communication strategy is absolutely essential tominimise misinformation and produce communityunderstanding and awareness about the potentialthreat of ornamental fish and plants to ourenvironment. Better communication between industryand regulators about the status of species and theprovision of timely updates on changes in regulatoryarrangements will be key factors in improving hobbyand trade practices.

The key message for community education is that‘ornamental fish are wonderful pets, but they shouldnever be released into natural waterways’. The aim isto develop a range of material identifying noxiousspecies, and giving tips about what to do withunwanted fish and what the individual can do toprevent spread of a pest species. Basic informationbrochures would be made available through aquariumretail outlets; industry representatives have indicatedthat they will cooperate by making this informationavailable to new fish purchasers. Relevant material isalready well developed in some jurisdictions (e.g.

Queensland’s Ornamental Fish Can BecomeMonumental Pests); other jurisdictions can benefitfrom the exchange of ideas and the development workthat has already been done.

The main objective of developing a communicationplan is to develop communications material that canbe utilised by all Australian jurisdictions, therebyreducing the cost and effort for each jurisdiction whileensuring a consistent message across the country. Thiscan be achieved by:

• development and delivery of training packages forfisheries compliance staff to ensure that they canidentify particular ornamental species andunderstand the risks from those species;

• production of general educational materials (flyersor posters that can be distributed through retailoutlets) on the risk posed by ornamental fish tomarine and freshwater ecosystems and, importantly,what to do if fish are no longer wanted;

• production of information sheets (fishfacts/notes/brochures) on species or groups ofspecies of particular significance that haveestablished feral populations, providing detailedinformation for the community on the impacts ofthose populations and details of control oreradication programmes;

• further development of a cooperative workingrelationship with the aquarium industry,particularly via a joint ‘Don’t dump your aquariumfish’ campaign; and

• development of networks between regulators,industry and major hobby groups to ensure thatinformation on regulatory changes gets to thegroups that need it, and also to provide for input tothe regulatory process by these stakeholders.

A communication strategy needs to be finalised aspart of a national implementation plan.

C H A P T E R 6

C O M M U N I C A T I O N P L A N


The strategic plan recommends the following actionsto manage ornamental fish in Australia.

1 Agree on and adopt a national noxious species listacross all jurisdictions, noting links to existing listsand lists under development for marine pest species.

2 Agree to review the status of fish on the ‘grey list’as a national priority.

3 Establish a scientific/technical working groupreporting to the Natural Resource ManagementStanding Committee (through the Marine andCoastal Committee), to conduct assessments of fishon the grey list over the next 2–3 years.

4 Adopt a regulatory framework and licensing tomanage large fish-breeders and ornamental fishimporters in each state and territory.

5 Develop control mechanisms for the regulation andmanagement of noxious fish and rare fish (e.g.CITES listed) already in circulation in Australia,again noting links to control plans for marine pestsof concern.

6 Initiate a rigorous review of aquatic plants used inthe ornamental fish trade, in order to control andregulate the spread of a number of recognisedaquatic pest species.

7 Implement a national communication strategy toraise awareness in the community and industryabout the management, control and regulation of ornamental fish and invertebrates.

Next steps

An Ornamental Fish Management ImplementationCommittee will be established to coordinate and leadthe implementation of this national strategy. The planneeds to address the need for a process of consultationwith stakeholders, including:

• national education on the new noxious species listand the new regulatory and managementarrangements (government and industry tocommunicate through agencies and customers);

• implementation of new regulatory arrangements byeach jurisdiction; and

• agreement on management and fundingmechanisms to deal with noxious fish being tradedand kept in the community.

A national communication plan will form aframework for delivery of many of these objectives.

The Marine and Coastal Committee will also need toconsider the outcomes of the review by the AquaticAnimal Health Committee of disease risks associatedwith ornamental fish when that review is finalised andany implications the review may have for futuremanagement actions for the ornamental fish sector.

C H A P T E R 7

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S

A N D N E X T S T E P S


ABARE (Australian Bureau of Agricultural andResource Economics) (2004). Australian FisheriesStatistics 2003. ABARE, Canberra.

Australian Biosecurity Group (2005) Invasive Weeds,Pests and Diseases: Solutions to secure Australia.CRC for Pest Animal Control, CRC for AustralianWeed Management and WWF-Australia, Canberra.

AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service)(1999). Import Risk Analysis on Live OrnamentalFinfish. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.

Bomford M (2003). Risk Assessment for the Importand Keeping of Exotic Vertebrates in Australia.Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra.

Bomford M and Glover J (2004). Risk assessment modelfor the import and keeping of exotic freshwater and estuarine finfish. Unpublished report to theDepartment of the Environment and Heritage.Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra.

Fossa SA and Neilsen AJ (1997). The Modern CoralReef Aquarium, Volume 1. Ricordea Publishing.

Hargreaves VB (1978). The Tropical MarineAquarium. AW and AH Reed, New York.

Lintermans M (2004). Human-assisted dispersal ofalien freshwater fish in Australia. New ZealandJournal of Marine and Freshwater Research38:481–501.

McDowall RM (2004). Shoot first, and then askquestions: a look at aquarium fish imports andinvasiveness in New Zealand. New Zealand Journalof Marine and Freshwater Research. 38:503–510.

MCFFA (Ministerial Council on Forestry, Fisheries andAquaculture) (1999). National Policy for theTranslocation of Live Aquatic Organisms: Issues,Principles and Guidelines for Implementation.Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry,Canberra.

McNee A (2002). A national approach to themanagement of exotic fish species in the aquariumtrade: an inventory of exotic freshwater species.Report to the Fisheries Resources Research Fund.Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra.

Oz Reef Marine Park (1997). Live rock.http://ozreef.org/reference/live_rock.html

Patrick J (1998). Aquarium fish culture. In:Proceedings of the Queensland Warm waterAquaculture Conference (Status and Potential).Aquaculture Information Technologies, Taroom,Queensland.

R E F E R E N C E S


C O M M O N W E A L T H

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

• Fisheries and Aquaculture Branch

• Bureau of Rural Sciences

• Australian Quarantine Inspection Service

– Animal and Plant Programme

• Product Integrity, Animal and Plant Health

• Biosecurity Australia

Department of Environment and Water Resources

• Approvals and Wildlife Division

S T A T E / T E R R I T O R Y

Environment ACT

New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines

Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries

Department of Primary Industry and Resources, South Australia

Inland Fisheries Service Tasmania

Victoria Department of Primary Industries

Western Australia Department of Fisheries

I N D U S T R Y / H O B B Y I S T

Pet Industry Association of Australia Ltd

One independent aquarium hobby representative (Victoria)

One commercial fish breeding representative (NSW)

A P P E N D I X 1

O R N A M E N T A L F I S H P O L I C Y

W O R K I N G G R O U P M E M B E R S H I P


N O X I O U S L I S T A N D G R E Y L I S T

S P E C I E S

A P P E N D I X 2

N O X I O U S F I S H

(Noxious in all jurisdictions)

F A M I L Y S P E C I F I C N A M E C O M M O N N A M E

Acestrorhynchidae Acestrorhynchus microlepis

Alestiidae Hydrocynus spp Pike characinGiant tigerfish

Amiidae Amia calva Bowfin

Anabantidae Anabas testudineus Climbing perch

Bagridae Anaspidoglanis macrostoma Flatnose catfishBagrus ubangensis Ubangi shovelnose catfish

Centrarchidae — entire family Banded or spotted sunfish, largemouth bass, bluegill

Centropomidae Centropomus (12 spp) SnooksLates microlepis Forktail latesLates niloticus Nile perch

Channidae Channa spp Snake head

Chacidae Chaca chaca Angler, frogmouth and squarehead catfishes

Characidae Colossoma sppSerrasalmus spp Redeye piranhaPygocentrus spp Red piranha

Cichlidae Boulengerochromis microlepis Giant cichlid, yellow belly cichlid Oreochromis spp TilapiaHemichromis fasciatus Banded jewelfishSargochromis spp Pink, slender, greenwoods, mortimers,

cunean and green happySarotherodon sppMelanotheron melanotheron Blackchin tilapiaSerranochromis sppTilapia spp. (All except T. buttikoferi) Redbelly tilapia



Citharinidae entire subfamily Ichthyborinae African pike-characin, tubenose poacher, fin eater

Clariidae Clarias spp Walking catfish

Cobitidae Misgurnus anguillicaudatus Weatherloach

Cyprinidae Aristichthys nobilis Bighead carpBarbodes hexagonolepis Copper mahseerCatla catla CatlaCatlocarpio siamensis Giant barbCirrhinus cirrhosus MrigalCtenopharyngodon idella Grass carpCyprinus carpio ‘European’ carpLabeo calabasu and L. rohita Orange fin labeo, rohu.Zacco platypus Freshwater minnowHypophthalmichthys molitrix Silver carpTor spp (17) River carp, Deccan, high backed, jungha,

putitor, Thai mahseerNotropis spp ShinersPhoxinus erythrogaster Southern redbelly dace

Doradidae Oxydoras spp (4) Ripsaw catfish, black doras, black shielded catfish

Elassomatidae Elassoma spp Pygmy sunfish

Eleotridae Oxyeleotris marmorata Marble goby

Erythrinidae Erythrinus spp TrahirasHoplerythrinus sppHoplias spp

Esocidae Esox spp Pikes

Gasterosteidae Pungitius pungitius Ninespine sticklebackApeltes quadracus Four spined sticklebackCulaea inconstans

Gobiidae Acanthogobius flavimanus Yellow fin gobyTridentiger trigonocephalus Chameleon goby, striped goby

Gymnarchidae Gymnarchus niloticus Aba aba

Gymnotidae Electrophorus electricus Electric eel

Hepsetidae Hepsetus odoe African pike

Heteropneustidae Heteropneustes fossilis Stinging catfish

Lepisosteidae Atractosteus (3 spp) American, armoured orLepisiosteus (4 spp) alligator gars

Malapteruridae Malapterurus spp Electric catfish

Mormyridae Mormyrops anguilloides Bottlenose, Cornish jack

Poeciliidae Belonesox belizanus Pike minnow, pike killifishGambusia spp Mosquito fish



Polyodontidae Polyodon spathula Mississippi paddlefishPsephurus gladius Chinese swordfish

Protopteridae Protopterus annectens African lungfish

Schilbeidae Schilbe mystus African butter catfish

Siluridae Silurus spp European catfish, wels catfish

Trichomycteridae Paravandelia oxyptera Parasitic catfish

Valenciidae Valencia hispanica Valencia toothcarp

Cambaridae Procambarus clarkii Red swamp crayfish

G R E Y L I S T

(species requiring further scientific/technical consideration and risk assessment)

NOTE This list is by no means exhaustive and should not be taken as definitive as other species will be added. A technical

working group will be adding to the list as it assesses and reviews the species currently in Australia.


Acipenseridae Acipenser spp Sturgeons

Anabantidae—entire family Ctenopoma (21 spp)Ctenopoma ansorgiCtenopoma argentoventerCtenopoma nanum

Anabas (2 spp)Microctenopoma (11 spp)Microctenopoma ansorgii

Chacidae Chaca spp Angler catfishes, frogmouth catfishes

Characidae Astynax sppAstyanacinus sppBryconops sppBryconops affinisBryconops melanurusCtenobrycon sppHollandichthys multifasciatusKnodus savannensis

Cichlidae Amphilophus citrinellus Midas cichlid, false red devil cichlid, citrinellum

Amphilophus zaliosusAmphilophus labiatus Red devilCaquetaia kraussii BucketmouthCaquetaia spectabilisCaquetaia umbrifera Turquoise cichlid Cichla spp Peacock cichlid, tucanareCichlasoma urophthalmus Mexican mojarraCrenicichla spp



Cichlidae (continued) Crenicichla lacustrusCrenicichla lepidotaCrenicichla notophthalmusCrenicichla saxatilisHerichthys cyanoguttatum Rio Grande cichlidParachromis dovii Guapote, wolf cichlidParachromis managuensis Guapote tigre, jaguar cichlidParachromis motaguensis False yellow jacket cichlidPetenia splendida Bay snook

Ctenoluciidae Ctenolucius spp Ctenolucius hujetaBoulengerella spp Gar characin, hujeta

Cyprinidae Tinca tinca TenchRutilus rutilus RoachCyprinus carpio Domesticated koi carp

Dasyatidae Himantura spp Freshwater stingray

Eleotridae Eleotris sppBatanga lebretonis Sleepers

Fundulidae Fundulus sppFundulus chrysotusLeptolucania sppLeptolucania ommataAdinia sppAdinia xenicaLucania spp Topminnow

Ictaluridae—entire family Ameirus (7 spp) Bullheads, madtomsexcept Prietella, Satan and Ictalurus (9 spp)Trogoglanis,which are Ictalurus punctatusharmless and IUCN listed Pylodictis (1 spp)

Noturus (26 spp)

Lebiasinidae Lebiasina sppLebiasina bimaculata Twospot lebiasina

Lepidosirenidae Lepidosiren paradoxa South American lungfish

Lepiosteidae Lepisosteus (4 spp) alligator gars

Mastacembelidae—subfamilies Mastacembelus spp

Mastacembelinae and Caecomastacembelus spp Spiny eel, tyre-track eel, zig Afromastacembelinae except Aethiomastacembelus sppMacrognathus spp zag eel

Notopteridae Chitala spp Featherbacks or knifefish

Osteoglossidae Arapaima gigas Arapaima, giant arapaima, pirarucuOsteoglossum sppOsteoglossum bicirrhosum ArawanaScleropages formosus Golden arowana


Pangasiidae—entire family Pangasius (22 spp)Pangasius gigas Mekong giant catfish, shark catfishes,

blue sharkHelicophagus (3 spp)

Percidae Perca fluviatilis European perch

Pimelodidae Leiarius spp Sailfin antenna, saddle or painted catfish Perrunichthys perruno Leopard catfishPhractocephalus hemioliopterus Red tail catfishPseudoplatystoma fasciatum Barred sorubim (tiger catfish)Sorubim (5 spp) Duckbill catfish, shovelnose catfishSorubim limaSorubimichthys sppBrachyplatysoma spp

Poeciliidae Alfaro (2 spp) Amazon or knifetailAlfaro amazonus livebearerAlfaro huberiHeterandria sppHeterandria bimaculata Two-spot livebearerTomeurus gracilis

Polypteridae Polypterus spp Birchirs or ropefishPolypterus enlicheriPolypterus retropinnisErpetoichthys sppErpetoichthys calabaricus

Potamotrygonidae Potamotrygon (18 spp) River stingraysParatrygon (1 spp)Plesiotrygon (1 spp)

Protopteridae Protopterus (7 spp) (excluding African lungfish) Pannectdens

Rivulidae Leptolebias sppLeptolebias aureoguttatusLeptolebias marmoratusLeptolebias minimusLeptolebias opalescensLeptolebias opalescens

Schilbeidae Schilbe spp African butter catfish

Siluridae Ompok spp Butter catfishSandelia (2 spp) ctenopomas

Tetraodontidae Chelenodon spp (except C. patoca) FreshwaterColomesus spp pufferfishChonerhinos (5 spp)Carinotetraodon (6 spp)Takifugu (~21 spp)Auriglobus (1 sp)Tetraodon (~22 spp)



N A M E M U S T N O T M U S T B E

B E S O L D C O N T R O L L E D

O R E R A D I C A T E D

Alligator Weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) All states and territories All states and territories

Anchored water hyacinth (Eichhornia azurea) NSW, Q NSW, Q

Arrowhead (Sagittaria graminea subsp. platyphylla) NSW, WA WA, Parts of NSW

Arrowhead (Sagittaria montevidenis) NSW, SA, Tas, WA SA, Tas, WA

Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana) All ACT, NT, Q, SA, TAS, WA

Canadian Pond Weed (Elodea canadensis) NT, SA, Tas, WA SA, Tas, WA

Eurasian Water milfoil (Myrophyllum spicatum) NSW, Q, SA, NSW, Q, SA

Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) Tas Tas

Horsetails (Equisetum spp) All states and territories All states and territories

Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) Tas Tas

Hydrocotyl (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) SA, WA SA, WA

Hygrophila (Hygrophila costata) NSW, Q NSW, Q

Hygrophila (Hygrophila polysperma) NSW NSW

Hymenachne (Hymenachne amplexicaulis) All states and territories Q, NSW

Lagarosiphon (Lagarosiphon major) NSW, NT, Q, SA, Tas, Vic, WA NSW, NT, Q, SA, Tas, Vic, WA

Leafy Elodea (Egeria densa) NT, SA, Tas, WA SA, Tas, WA

Limnocharis (Limnocharis flava) NSW, Q NSW, Q

N O X I O U S A Q U A T I C P L A N T S (DECLARED AQUATIC PLANTS OF AUSTRALIA)

A P P E N D I X 3


N A M E M U S T N O T M U S T B E

B E S O L D C O N T R O L L E D

O R E R A D I C A T E D

Mimosa pigra (Mimosa pigra) All states and territories NT, Q

Parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) ACT, Tas, WA ACT, Tas, WA

Peruvian primrose (Ludwigia peruviana) Q, SA, NSW Q, SA

Pond Apple (Annona glabra) All states and territories NSW, Q

Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) All states and territories All states and territories

Salvinias (Salvinia spp not molesta) Q Q

Senegal tea (Gymnocoronis spilanthoides) NSW, NT, Q, SA, Tas, WA NSW, Q, SA, Tas, WA

Shield pennywort (Hydrocotyle verticillate) WA WA

Water Caltrope (Trapa spp) NSW, QLD, SA (T. natans), Tas NSW, QLD, SA (T. natans), Tas

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) All states and territories All states and territories

Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) ACT, NSW, NT, Q, WA ACT, NSW, NT, Q, WA

Water soldiers (Stratiotes aloides) NSW, Q, SA, NSW, Q, SA

Willow (Salix spp other than babylonica) All states and territories, ACT, Q, SA (excluding calodendron and reichardtii) (excluding S. calodendron, S. calodendron, and

and S. reichardii in SA) S. reichardii), Tas

allowed entry in your state/territory. Weed legislation is

regularly updated and other plant species may be

prohibited from sale, so check with local or state weed

control authority for the most up-to-date list.

Disclaimer Declarations are correct as of May 2006. This

list may not contain all aquatic and semi aquatic plants

banned from sale in your state/territory. Also, aquatic

plants banned from sale may also be prohibited or not


J U R I S D I C T I O N C U R R E N T L I C E N S I N G

A R R A N G E M E N T S

B A S I S F O R

L I C E N S I N G


C R I T E R I A F O R

L I C E N S I N G


A R E C R I T E R I A

C U R R E N T LY B E I N G

R E V I E W E D ?

Victoria In theory, anyone breeding orselling ornamental fishrequires a licence or permitunder the Fisheries Act 1995.However, currently we onlylicense large breeders

Licensing arrangementsare targeted towardslarger aquacultureventures, where fish areproduced for humanconsumption

Sections 42 and 43 ofthe Act provide thecriteria. In effect, itstates that you needauthorisation under theAct if you hatch, breed,display or grow fish forsale or othercommercial purpose oruse or create habitat todo the above

Currently reviewing whatappropriate licensingarrangement there shouldbe for the ornamental fishsector

South Australia South Australia has alegislative basis, through theAquaculture Act 2001, foraquatic organisms kept forthe purposes of business ortrade. Some producers ofaquarium species are alreadylicensed under theAquaculture Act, and powersexist within this legislation tomove towards broaderlicensing of ornamental fishbreeders under the Act. Uponapplication, permits are issuedunder the Fisheries Act 1982for the keeping of particularlisted ‘permitted’ ornamentalfish species. There is currentlyno impetus to enforce thepermit system due to variousflaws and difficulties

Current licensingarrangements for fishkeepers are targetedtowards marine andlandbased aquacultureventures of varyingscales. A permit system is proposed in the reviewof the Fisheries Act,which is likely to bechanged in 2006

Currently in SouthAustralia and accordingto legislation, if youbreed any fish you needto be licensed, and ifyou want to keep fishon the ‘permitted’ listsyou need a permit. Inpractice, if you breedornamental fish, youmost likely have not todate been required byPIRSA Aquaculture tocomply with thelicensing system, andmost likely won’t havea licence. This will beaddressed once theornamental fish reviewprogresses to ensure a complementaryapproach with otherstates/territories

All management andlicensing arrangements are under review. SouthAustralia will await therecommendations of theOrnamental Fish PolicyGroup before reviewinglicensing arrangementsthoroughly

C U R R E N T R E G U L A T I O N O F

O R N A M E N T A L F I S H I N A U S T R A L I A

A P P E N D I X 4




B A S I S F O R

L I C E N S I N G



L I C E N S I N G




R E V I E W E D ?

Queensland In theory, anyone breeding orselling ornamental fishrequires a licence or permitunder the Fisheries Act 1995.However, currently we onlylicense large breeders

Licensing arrangementsare targeted towardslarger aquacultureventures, where fish areproduced for humanconsumption

Act applies to all formsof aquaculture

Yes

Development authorityrequired for anyone whowants to conductaquaculture (grow and sellfish).

For smaller, low-riskdevelopments, a self-assessment code has beendrafted and is being tested

• No registration isrequired for developments>5000 L capacity.

• Registration onlyrequired fordevelopments with– pond area not

exceeding 5 hectares– gross floor area not

exceeding 50 squaremetres

• note: there are somerestrictions to the above.

Larger developments, andthose not considered lowrisk, require approval andpermits

Western Australia Do not license the retailsector. Prohibit import ofnoxious fish. Requireoperators to apply forapproval to translocateaquaculture fish species

N/A N/A No.

Department may supportchanges if there aredemonstrable benefits fromlicensing in terms ofprotection of environmentaland fisheries values.National CompetitionPolicy would have to beaddressed, as well asresource issues. In short, itwon’t be done unless therewere clear cost/benefits notachievable in cheaper ways




B A S I S F O R

L I C E N S I N G



L I C E N S I N G




R E V I E W E D ?

Northern Territory Import of live fish throughpermit system.

All aquarium sales reportedthrough licensing.

Licensing of ornamental fishspecies production underaquaculture permit

Knowledge of who isimporting and trading.

Knowledge of what isbeing imported andtraded.

Knowledge of originwhere the ‘fish’ aresourced.

Control of speciesimported for EPBC Actand noxious listconsiderations.

Control for translocationissues with respect todisease issues

Any individual/company trading inornamental fishmeeting criteriadescribed in theNorthern TerritoryFisheries ActRegulations182 and 199

No

Australian CapitalTerritory

No licence required for sale of fish.

Import licence required forlive fish. Suitable live fishrestricted by declaration Pettrade is licensed and mustreport stock holdings andnumbers of live imports or exports

Live fish imported/exported from the ACTmust be subject oflicence. This is to enablethe possibility of traceforward/back in theevent of an animaldisease outbreak

Section 22 FisheriesAct 2000. Theimport/export of livefish to/from the ACT.Section 28 provides the ‘relevantconsiderations’

No

New South Wales Pet shops are not regulated byNSW Department of PrimaryIndustries In theory, anyperson producing fish for theaquarium trade requires apermit under NSW FisheriesManagement Act 1994.Presently, there are sevenaquaculture permit holdersproducing aquarium fish

Targeting of breedersrather than retail outlets

Permit holders arerequired to abide bythe same protocols asother aquaculturalists

No




B A S I S F O R

L I C E N S I N G



L I C E N S I N G




R E V I E W E D ?

Tasmania The only persons permitted to sell freshwater fish arethose persons holding:

• a commercial freshwaterfishing licence

• a fish farm licence• a fish dealers registration,

and• an exemption permit.

The ‘fish farm licence’ and the‘fish dealers registration’ areboth relevant to thefreshwater aquarium fishtrade. Fish cannot beimported, bred or soldwithout a licence orregistration appropriatelyendorsed. Conditions coverthe activities permitted andthe species allowed.Applicants are required toprovide comprehensiveinformation about theirintended business, coveringapplicant details, site details,system design, species, culturetechniques and marketing

Applications areassessed, andlicences/registrationsgranted with conditionsto ensure (as far as ispractical) that the siteand system are adequateand suitable, and that theoperation does not posean unacceptable risk inrelation to disease andpest potential whichcould adversely impacton cultured and nativefish populations andtheir ecosystems.

The process itself is aneducative devicerequiring applicants tothink about and beaware of the potentialrisks posed by theirbusiness, but this is notthe main focus of thelicensing/registrationsystem.

In the event thatsomething does go awry,the licensing/registrationsystem gives us a greatercapacity to trace forwardand back, and implementcontrols quickly andefficiently. Fees arecharged for licences/registration, but this is tooffset the costs, not as arevenue raising exercise

All those who wish toimport, breed and/orsell freshwater fish

No


M E M B E R ’ S C O D E O F E T H I C S

1 Members shall ensure that all animals under theircare shall be provided with humane treatment andwith correct and proper housing in accordancewith applicable state and federal regulations.

2 Members shall take any necessary action todiscourage any acts of cruelty or mistreatment toanimals under their care and to protect thoseanimals from undue stress or discomfort.

3 Members shall not offer for sale any animal that isknown to be suffering from disease, illness orinjury and shall seek prompt, proper veterinaryattention for any animal in their care that is soaffected.

4 Members shall ensure that any animal in theircare is provided with an adequate and proper diet,in accordance with the needs of the species.

5 Members shall not offer for sale any animal that isclassified as protected fauna other than thosespecies allowed under state and federal Acts, forwhich the necessary certificates must be provided.

6 Members shall ensure that employees in charge oflivestock shall be familiar with the care and needsof such species or shall be under the supervision of a person who is knowledgeable and competentin this regard.

7 Members shall, wherever possible, accuratelydescribe the needs and care of any animal soldand provide or promote any literature relevant tothe well-being of the animal after purchase.

8 Members shall not offer for sale any item orproduct that does not knowingly conform toapplicable state or federal regulations or that mayendanger the safety of the user or animal.

9 Members shall endeavour to maintain theirbusiness premises in a clean and safe conditionand provide any necessary ventilation or lightingthat may be required for the comfort of livestock,employees and customers alike.

10 Members will trade in accordance with applicablestate and federal regulations and, by example,shall strive to promote the Australian pet industryand the benefits of responsible animal ownershipto potential customers and members of the general public.

Pet Industry Association of Australia

PO Box 7108 Baulkham Hills Business Centre NSW 2153

Telephone (02) 9659 5811 Fax (02) 9659 5822Email [email protected]

A P P E N D I X 5

P I A A M E M B E R ’ S C O D E O F E T H I C S


S T A T E / T E R R I T O R Y C O N T A C T P E R S O N T E L E P H O N E , F A X & E M A I L

Australian Capital Territory ACT - Parks, Conservation & Lands Telephone 13 22 81Fisheries

New South Wales Aquatic Pest Unit Telephone (02) 4982 1232Department of Primary Industries Fax (02) 4982 1107

Email [email protected]

Northern Territory Aquatic Pest Management Telephone (08) 8999 2126Email [email protected]

Queensland Fishwatch Hotline Telephone 1800 017 116DPI&F Business Information Center Telephone 13 25 23

South Australia FISHWATCH Telephone 1 800 065 522or PIRSA Fisheries Telephone (08) 8226 2316

Tasmania Inland Fisheries Service Telephone 1300 INFISHBUSHWATCH Telephone 1800 005 555

Victoria DPI Customer Service Centre Telephone 136 186

Western Australia FISHWATCH Telephone 1800 815 507Biosecurity Officer Telephone (08) 9482 7385

R E G I O N A L C O N T A C T S

A P P E N D I X 6


AFMF . . . . . . . . . . . . Australian Fisheries Managers Forum

BA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Biosecurity Australia

CITES . . . . . . . . . . . . Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

DEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . Department of the Environment and Water Resources

EPBC Act . . . . . . . . . Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

GMO . . . . . . . . . . . . . genetically modified organism

IUCN . . . . . . . . . . . . International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

OFPWG . . . . . . . . . . . Ornamental Fish Policy Working Group

OGTR . . . . . . . . . . . . Office of the Gene Technology Regulator

PIAA . . . . . . . . . . . . Pet Industry Association of Australia

QAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . quarantine approved premises

Weeds CRC . . . . . . . . Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management

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A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO...A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISHIN AUSTRALIA 1 The ornamental aquarium fish trade in Australia has been estimated to be worth approximately

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