'management of ornamental fish'

[greybeard]

Is anyone planning on making public comment on the proposed changes the commonwealth gov. wants to make to our hobby??
the draft plan can be found at http www.daff.gov.au/ornamental.

enjoy.

[ndoboi]

Couldnt get that link to work, but here's the previous thread discussing the same subject:

http://www.qldcichlid.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=2717

[red]

hi all

i have a copy of (management of ornamental fish)
 in pdf format

i can send it for buy email to you if wanted it about 1.8 megs.


cheer's red

[red]

hi all.

[u:918e0643fc]just converted to (txt format) for your reading[/u:918e0643fc]


A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF
ORNAMENTAL FISH
IN AUSTRALIA
CONSULTATION DRAFT
A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT
OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIACONSULTATION DRAFT

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF
ORNAMENTAL FISH

IN AUSTRALIA

CONSULTATION DRAFT


Marine and Coastal Committee
Natural Resource Management Standing Committee
2005


Disclaimer

The Commonwealth of Australia acting through the Bureau
of Rural Sciences has exercised due care and skill in the
preparation and compilation of the information and data
set out in this publication.

Notwithstanding, the Bureau of Rural Sciences its
employees and advisers disclaim all liability, including
liability for negligence, for any loss, damage, injury,
expense or cost incurred by any person as a result of
accessing, using or relying upon any of the information or
data set out in this publication to the maximum extent
permitted by law.

© Commonwealth of Australia 2005

ISBN 0 642 47595 4

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted
under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by
any process without prior written permission from the
Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning
reproduction and rights should be addressed to the
Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Intellectual
Property Branch, Department of

Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, GPO
Box 2154, Canberra ACT 2601 or at www.dcita.gov.au/cca


CONTENTS

Public consultation procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

7 Recommendations and next steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Next steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Appendix 1 Proposed noxious list and grey
list species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Proposed noxious fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Noxious in all jurisdictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Noxious in particular climatic or
other conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Grey list (species requiring further information/
consideration and risk assessment) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Appendix 2 Noxious aquatic plants . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Water plants as weeds of national significance . . . . . 29
Water plants with identified establishment

potential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Appendix 3 Current regulation of
ornamental fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Appendix 4 PIAA accreditation scheme . . . . . . . . . 34
Appendix 5 Ornamental Fish Policy
Working Group membership . . . . . . . . 36
Appendix 6 Regional contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Abbreviations and acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Tables
Table 1 Summary of current national, state and
territory legislation used for the regulation
and control of exotic fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Table 2 Indicative information about live rock
harvesting in Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Table 3 Options available for management
of undesirable species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Figures

Figure 1 Flow chart of DEH live import process . . . .

5

Figure 2 Classification of activities on the
basis of the sale/trade of fish . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Figure 3 Ornamental fish regulation
decision tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA

iii


PUBLIC CONSULTATION


PROCEDURE

The general public, ornamental fish traders, breeders
and hobbyists, and other stakeholders are invited to
provide comment on the draft strategy to inform final
content of the strategy. The consultation period ends
on 28 February 2006.

Please note that comments should centre on the major
objectives and intent of the proposed strategy, rather
than debating the status of individual fish species and
their inclusion or exclusion as noxious species. As
stated in the draft strategy, the 'grey list' of species is
by no means exhaustive and will be subject to
thorough review (risk assessment) by a technical
working group, with major stakeholders being
involved in this process. The inclusion of a species on
the grey list does not necessarily mean that it will
eventually be declared noxious.

Copies of this document are available from the
regional contact persons listed in Appendix 6, or
by contacting Richard Tilzey (02 6272 4044 or
richard.tilzey@brs.gov.au). Electronic copies can be
downloaded from http://www.brs.gov.au/ornamental.
The regional contact persons can also provide advice
on strategic issues relevant to their state or territory.

Comments should be mailed to:

Richard Tilzey
Ornamental Fish Working Group
Bureau of Rural Sciences
GPO Box 858
Canberra, ACT 2601

or emailed to:

richard.tilzey@brs.gov.au

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The ornamental aquarium fish trade in Australia is
estimated to be worth approximately $350 million
annually. This figure includes commercial fish-
breeding facilities, wholesale traders, retail outlets
and the hobby industry.

The trade is complex, with each jurisdiction having
different regulatory frameworks and management
regimes. Translocation of fish across borders occurs
with impunity and no-one, apart from some major
wholesale businesses and hobby groups, really knows
which species are being traded in Australia, or the
numbers of prohibited or noxious fish being bred and
traded in the industry.

Ornamental fish present a significant risk to
freshwater systems in Australia and have the potential
to trigger or contribute to a future major aquatic
animal pest or disease incursion. This document does
not consider disease risks associated with ornamental
fish, as those risks are subject to separate review by
Biosecurity Australia and the National Aquatic
Animal Health Committee.

A number of populations of exotic or non-endemic
ornamental fish species are established in Australia,
and these 'pests' are seriously impacting on
biodiversity in our freshwater systems. Some marine
plants, such as Caulerpa taxifolia (which was traded
in the aquarium industry until recently), can have
devastating effects on marine systems if released, and
future escapes and aquatic invasions need to be avoided.

Many fish species in the trade are not on the current
national permitted species lists established under Part
13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 or covered by quarantine
regulations. It may be that such species have been
permitted under previous statutory arrangements,

but they are no longer on the list and are unlikely to
have been assessed for their potential risk to the
environment. There is no consistency between
mechanisms or controls across regulatory agencies to
deal with the serious issue of noxious aquatic pests,
with the exception of a few species (eg European
carp). Past efforts to regulate the ornamental fish
industry have failed, primarily as a result of heavy-
handed approaches to regulation, and a lack of
consultation and failure to engage effectively with
industry stakeholders. The Pet Industry Association of
Australia (PIAA) has supported this review of the
ornamental fish trade. The PIAA, in association with
state and territory governments, has committed to the
implementation of this report's recommendations, to
ensure that the industry has an economically sound
and environmentally sustainable future.

This report contains seven recommendations for the
future management and regulation of the ornamental
fish trade in Australia (see page 20). The Ornamental
Fish Policy Working Group, which researched the
industry and developed the recommendations,
recognises that unless there is a consistent, national
approach to regulate and manage the industry, the ad
hoc approach taken to date will continue, with the
likely outcome of further exotic invasions and disease
threats to Australian fisheries and aquaculture
industries.

The recommendations of the report address the need
for a nationally recognised noxious species list and
new management frameworks for the ornamental
sector as a whole. The report also recognises the
importance of improved communication with
all stakeholders through a comprehensive
communication plan.

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA

1


CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION



Worldwide, the keeping of ornamental fish in aquaria
is a popular hobby; aquaria are a regular sight in
many homes and in workplaces and other public
spaces. In the United Kingdom, for example, the
population 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 estimated
to be around 12 million (although industry suggests
that this is a conservative estimate).

In Australia, it is also estimated that between 12%
and 14% of the population participate in the aquarist
hobby at some level (Patrick 1998). The Australian
aquarium industry is relatively small, with total
turnover at the retail level estimated to be about $65
million. Approximately 1500 retailers (aquariums and
pet shops) across Australia deal in aquarium fish.
According to the Pet Industry Association of Australia
(PIAA) approximately 60% of aquarium fish are
supplied domestically by local breeders; the other
40% are imported. Imports of ornamental fish in
2002–03 were estimated to be worth about $3.87
million (ABARE 2004).

There is an active but difficult to quantify unregulated
trade in fish within hobby associations and between
enthusiasts. Given data for the United Kingdom which
estimates that about 7% of hobbyists keep more than
100 fish (over 40% of the total number of pet fish
owned) and indications that this trend is global, it is
reasonable to assume that there is a significant
unregulated and (officially) unrecorded trade in fish
between hobbyists in Australia. This view is certainly
supported by the anecdotal information available in
club bulletins, magazines and aquarium websites.

With many millions of fish being transported around
the globe, many well beyond their natural range,
importation of aquarium fish is seen by many
countries as a major potential source of invasive
species (McDowall 2004). Recent studies (Lintermans
2004) suggest that approximately 34 exotic freshwater
species have established populations in Australia; the
pathway for 22 of these species is thought to have
been the ornamental fish industry. Given the well-
demonstrated difficulties in eradicating species once
they are established, the sound investment of resources
requires a focus on effective management and control
both of new species coming into Australia and of
those already known to be circulating in the trade and
hobby associations within the country.

2

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA

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

• Within jurisdictions, a lack of personnel adequately
trained to identify aquarium species (fish and
aquatic plants) is leading to ineffective monitoring
of aquarium retailers and hobbyists.
• Listed plants and aquatic organisms (both
prohibited and permitted) need to be revised to
clarify the status and actions required for many
species already in the country. This information
also needs to be published and made broadly
available to regulators and stakeholders.
• A system is needed that recognises aquarium
industry and large-scale hobby operators who are
not covered by existing state and territory fisheries
regulations. This is not to create unnecessary
regulatory burdens, but rather to:
– facilitate effective and timely dissemination of
information to all sectors within the aquarium
industry — information from government about
matters affecting the industry has often been
slow to reach it under current arrangements
– improve aquarium dealers' access to information
about differing regulations across jurisdictions,
including notification of changes to prohibited
species lists.
– disseminate information to those dealers and
hobbyists who are outside existing formal
networks (eg professional associations).
• There is a strong informal system of trade among
hobbyists, which is currently unrecorded and
unregulated. While formal regulation of this sector
may not be necessary, the capacity to develop
networks for the collection and dissemination of
information (particularly about pests and animal
health issues) is important for future strategic
management.
• A concise guide to the variations in regulations and
permitted species between jurisdictions is needed to
reduce confusion and abuse of the system.
Interstate trade and other cross-border movement
of aquarium specimens are currently inadequately
controlled.
A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA

3


Inconsistencies between jurisdictions in the regulation
of aquarium fish species have meant that many species
that have managed to bypass import control
arrangements (ie species smuggled, or legally imported
under previous legislation) can be, and frequently are,
openly traded commercially and among hobbyists.
Currently, through one avenue or another, any exotic
fish species sought is effectively available in Australia.

A recent review (McNee 2002) suggested that over
1100 exotic ornamental fish species are in Australia.
As the 'permitted import' list under Part 13A of the

Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) currently lists only
481 species or genera that have been assessed as
permitted imports, it is clear many species were either
here before the Act was passed or have entered the
country illegally. Uncertainty about these species and
how best to regulate them was one of the driving
factors in the establishment of a national review of the
ornamental fish trade.

Need for a national approach

On 13 September 2002, Australian Government and
state/territory fisheries agency representatives met
aquarium industry representatives and officers from
Environment Australia (now the Department of the
Environment and Heritage, DEH) and Biosecurity
Australia (BA) in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales to
get a better overall picture of the aquarium industry
and to find a practical way to deal with the issues of
pests and diseases within the aquarium fish trade.

Key issues arising from this meeting included
concerns about:

• the large number of ornamental species in the
country that are not on the permitted list under
the EPBC Act
• the disease and pest status of animals that may
have entered the country illegally
• inconsistencies between jurisdictions in legislation
and policy relating to permitted/noxious species and
effective controls
• the effectiveness of current border controls to
prevent illegal imports of species and consequent
potential animal health risks.
These issues were summarised in a report submitted to
the third meeting of the Australian Fisheries Managers
Forum (AFMF).

Having reviewed the paper at its fourth meeting, on
14 July 2003, the AFMF agreed to pursue the
development of a national strategic approach on
ornamental/exotic fish to address these matters. The
meeting also agreed that it should form a national
policy working group to further this aim. Subsequently,
the Marine and Coastal Committee of the Natural
Resource Management Standing Committee endorsed
this approach at its seventh meeting on 16 July 2003.

The Ornamental Fish Policy Working Group
(OFPWG) consists of representatives from state and
territory fisheries agencies, all Australian Government
agencies with responsibility for ornamental fish
importation and animal health, and representatives
of the industry and hobby sectors.

The full membership of the OFPWG is listed in
Appendix 5.

4

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA


Terms of reference

The key objectives for the development of a nationally
agreed approach on aquarium fish addressed in this
plan are:

1. the development of a strategic plan for management
for ornamental fish1 in Australia
2. the development of a national list of high-risk
noxious 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 with
any species currently in Australia that may not have
previously been assessed
5. a process for dealing with species already in the
country deemed to be undesirable, including but
not limited to recall/removal/licensing, monitoring,
and surveillance
6. consultation with stakeholder groups on the
implementation of proposed changes.
Notwithstanding that fisheries legislation in most
jurisdictions includes aquatic invertebrates within the
definition of 'fish', the OFPWG made a conscious

decision to focus this strategic plan primarily on
freshwater fish species used in aquaria. Comments on
aquatic plants and 'live rock' were included because
they have been identified as significant potential pest
issues within the aquarium industry, but they have not
been reviewed in any detail. A full review of aquatic
invertebrates, such as those occurring on or as live
rock, would potentially be as large a task as for fish,
but there is little or no background information on
such species.

Marine species currently make up a small proportion
of the trade (~5%). Most of the current permitted
import listings for marine species under the EPBC Act
are at the family or genus level, which means that any
clarification of the risk status of specific species in the
country would be a significant task.

The OFPWG has been cooperating with the National
Introduced Marine Pest Coordinating Group, which
has agreed to consider the outcomes of this process on
ornamental fish as it applies to its work on the
development of a national approach to introduced
marine pests.

The National Aquatic Animal Health Committee is
currently considering potential disease transmission
risks within the aquarium trade.

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 on freshwater fish.

2 This refers to low-risk species, within Australia, that may not be on the current permitted import 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 their natural range (non-endemics).

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA

5


CHAPTER 2

EXISTING CONTROLS


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

• The importation of fish into Australia is controlled
at the Australian Government level by the
Department of the Environment and Heritage
(DEH) and by the Department of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) through the
Australian Quarantine and Inspection
Service (AQIS).
• Domestic breeding, keeping and movement are
controlled through state and territory legislation.
Importation

Both the EPBC Act and the Quarantine Act 1908
regulate the import of live animals and plants into
Australia. These Acts are administered by the DEH
and AQIS, respectively. It is important to note that
approval from both agencies may be required when
importing live specimens.

Section 303(EB) of the EPBC Act establishes a list of
specimens that are approved for live import. If a
species is not on the list, it cannot be legally imported
into Australia. The list of approved specimens is
available on the DEH website.4

The list comprises two parts and covers both
unregulated and regulated imports:

• Part 1 is a list of live specimens that do not require
an import permit under the EPBC Act. It may not
include any specimen listed on the Convention on
the International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
• Part 2 is a list of live specimens that require an
import permit from DEH under the EPBC Act.
Imports of specimens from this part of the list may
also be subject to certain conditions or restrictions.
Applications to amend the list
of permitted imports

If a species intended for live import does not currently
appear on the list of specimens approved for live
import, a person may apply to amend the list. A new
species can be added to the list only after the potential
impacts of the species on the environment have been
fully assessed to the satisfaction of the Minister for the
Environment and Heritage.

Details of the procedures for applying to amend the
list of specimens suitable for live import are available
on the DEH website.5

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

The flow chart in Figure 1 is a simplified diagram of
the steps involved in submitting an amendment for
consideration. However, the process is currently under
review, so the DEH website should be consulted for
the most up-to-date information.

Roles and responsibilities of AQIS
and Biosecurity Australia

All fish import permits are issued in Canberra by the
Live Animal Import Section of AQIS. The section is
responsible for assessing and issuing all live
ornamental fish permits, providing import protocol
advice to AQIS regional officers and importers, and
ensuring that all national documented information,
including work instructions and training packages, is
updated as required.

AQIS quarantine officers in each region implement the
operational aspects. Their duties involve approval and
registration of quarantine approved premises (QAPs),
inspection of documentation and fish at point of entry,

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

6

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA


FIGURE 1

Flow chart of DEH live import process

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY
Step 1
Applicant submits an application
form and draft terms of reference
to DEH.
Step 3
Applicant addresses comment
received and final terms of
reference are agreed by minister.
Step 4
Applicant prepares draft report
addressing agreed terms of
reference.
Step 6
Applicant addresses stakeholder
comments.
If the minister approves the
amendment, Applicant seeks an
import permit from DEH to
import species.
APPLIC ANT
Step 2
DEH publishes draft terms of
reference on DEH website and
notifies stakeholders.
Step 5
DEH publishes draft report on DEH
website and notifies stakeholders
and appropriate state and territory
ministers. DEH also provides
independent input.
Step 7
When the report is finalised,
minister makes a decision on
amending the live import list and
notifies applicant.
Step 8
If the minister approves the
amendment, DEH tables
instrument before both Houses of
Parliament for 15 sitting days.
DEH/MINISTER
A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA


final inspection of tank records and fish at the QAP,
and release of fish from quarantine.

AQIS verifies that the health certificates match the
import permit conditions and have been prepared by
the appropriate certifying authority. The fish are
visually inspected to confirm that they are species
on the permitted import lists under the EPBC Act and
quarantine regulations.

The fish must be contained in bags of single species
and must be clearly visible to the inspector. Fish that
appear to be healthy (active, with no obvious signs of
disease) are directed to a QAP to undergo post-arrival
quarantine. Shipments or consignments of fish that are
obviously diseased are rejected and either re-exported
or destroyed at the importer's expense. Full details of
quarantine requirements for particular species can be
found in ICON, the AQIS import conditions database,
which is available on the AQIS website.6

Biosecurity Australia (BA) is responsible for
developing and reviewing biosecurity policies and, on
request, provides technical advice to AQIS about the
interpretation of those polices. BA is also responsible
for assessing the competence of overseas authorities
and makes recommendations to AQIS about the
recognition of those authorities.

An application for the live import of a genetically
modified fish (which is a genetically modified
organism, or GMO) will be referred to the Office of
the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR). The OGTR
undertakes a risk assessment process (based on the
effect of the genetic modification — not the organism
per se — on human health and the environment) and
issues a licence if risk is minimal. The import
consignment will still require an AQIS import permit
as well. If the OGTR refuses import of a GMO, the
DEH and AQIS will defer to that decision. If the
GMO is approved for import, it must still undergo
AQIS and DEH assessment before import or addition
to permitted import lists.

State/Territory regulation

All states and territories have some controls in place
to manage exotic fish in the aquarium trade, usually
within the umbrella of fisheries regulation through
fisheries agencies. However, the controls are far from
comprehensive and are not necessarily tailored to the
needs or concerns of the sector. In most jurisdictions,
larger commercial breeders of fish are usually required
to operate under conditions on an aquaculture licence.

The retail sector, however, does not fall specifically
under fisheries regulation in most jurisdictions, and
retailers would only be covered by industry codes of
practice if they are members of the PIAA. Membership
of the PIAA is voluntary.

The states and territories generally rely on one or both
of two mechanisms to regulate the aquarium fish
trade: a prohibited species list and a permitted species
list. Under the former approach, authorities target fish
species that are recognised as pests (in the broadest
sense) and include them on a prohibited (or noxious)
species list, usually making the possession of such fish
illegal.

Prohibited species lists are generally relatively short
and easy to enforce; however, they do not provide a
mechanism to prevent trade in species whose pest risk
status is unknown and which therefore do not appear
on the list. Under this arrangement, fish that are not
on the EPBC Act permitted import list and are not on
a state or territory prohibited list can be owned and
traded easily once they are in the country, as their
legal status is not specified in any legislation.7 Most of
the fish that are smuggled into Australia belong to this
group, along with species that may have been
imported into the country before the advent of
existing legislation.

Inconsistency between jurisdictions also compromises
the efforts of individual jurisdictions to manage risks
through restricting trade in potentially noxious
species. In many cases, a fish that is prohibited in one
jurisdiction is freely available in neighbouring
jurisdictions and may be moved across borders
relatively freely by the public.

A further difficulty in controlling smuggling at borders
and enforcing existing prohibitions is the difficulty in
identifying species permitted for import among the
wide diversity of the world's freshwater fish species.
The identification of exotic ornamental fish species on
sight, particularly at all life stages, is a relatively
specialised skill not always readily available in
regulatory agencies. The permitted import system
relies heavily on accurate records being provided with
imported stock. However, it is suspected that
individuals seeking to bypass regulations may simply
mix cryptic juvenile forms of prohibited species
together with legitimate species.

Table 1 summarises state, territory and Australian
government regulations relating to the declaration
of noxious species and the capacity to recall or seize
fish species.

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.

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA


Summary of current national, state and territory legislation
used for the regulation and control of exotic fish
JURISDICTION LEGISLATION RESPONSIBLE CA PA CITY CONTROL/
AGENCY TO DECLARE SEIZURE OF
NOXIOUS ANIMALS
SPECIES

TABLE 1
Australian Nature Conservation Act 1980 Environment ACT
Capital Territory Fisheries Act 2000
Pest Plants and Animals Act 2005


New South Wales Stock Diseases Act 1923 Department of Primary
Fisheries Management Act 1994a Industries


Northern Territory Fisheries Act 1988 Industry and Fisheries
and Regulations


Queensland Fisheries Act 1994 QDPI&F
Fisheries Regulations 1995



South Australia Livestock Act 1997 PIRSA
Fisheries Act 1982


declared under regulation exotic fish

Tasmania Living Marine Resources Act 1995 DPWIE
Inland Fisheries Act 1995 IFS
controlled spp


Victoria Livestock Disease Control Act 1994 VDPI
Fisheries Act 1995


Western Australia Exotic Diseases of Animals Act 1993 Department of Agriculture
Fish Resources Management Act 1994 Department of Fisheries


Commonwealth Fisheries Management Act 1991 AFMA
Quarantine Act 1908 AQIS
Environment Protection and DEH species that
Biodiversity Conservation threaten
Act 1999 biodiversity

a The New South Wales noxious fish list has three categories, ranging from a ban on possession
to permission to possess and sell, but with offences relating to release to the environment.

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA


Risk assessment framework

As indicated above, a major concern is the number of
species already in Australia that have not been
assessed for their pest or disease potential. The policy
arm of AQIS (now Biosecurity Australia) conducted
an import risk analysis for ornamental fish (AQIS
1999). However, this only covered species on the
permitted import list at the time and therefore did not
consider other species that may already have been in
the country, and being bred and traded.

The DEH's statutory process for assessing the
environmental risks associated with live species
proposed for import into Australia can be time
consuming. Moreover, many of the unassessed species
may currently be bred successfully here, so there is
little need to import fresh stock.

The key to assessing the risks of a given species'
establishment in the environment is the identification
of those factors that determine the probability of its
successful establishment. Bomford (2003) developed a
model for assessing the risks, in Australia, from the
import and keeping of exotic terrestrial vertebrates.
The model was developed following a review of past
introductions to determine the factors most likely to
influence successful establishment of a species in the
wild. Unfortunately, this report did not consider any
fish species among the vertebrate pests reviewed.

The DEH has recently concluded a consultancy with
the author of this model to develop a risk assessment

model for the establishment of freshwater and
estuarine fish (Bomford and Glover 2004). The review
of the risk assessment model for terrestrial vertebrates
found that the established framework was an effective
tool for measuring risk of establishment (as tested
against species known to have established, versus
those that have been released but failed to establish).
The key factors identified for determining
establishment 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 the
probability of establishment, the advantage of using
the factors listed above is that information on most is
readily available in easily accessible sources (eg
Fishbase). This allows relatively quick and effective
screening of large numbers of species.

DEH representatives on the OFPWG have indicated
that they plan to adopt this risk assessment model into
their suite of tools for conducting assessments of
potential risks of importing exotic live freshwater fish
species. The OFPWG also recommended that the
model could be used by a technical review group
established to review 'grey listed' species.

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


CHAPTER 3

NOXIOUS SPECIES


Of the 34 alien fish species that have established feral
populations in Australian waters, 22 are thought to
have come into the country via the ornamental fish
trade (Lintermans 2004). It is commonly accepted in
invasive species management theory that eradication
of species once they are established is difficult, if not
impossible, and that the most (cost) effective
management is achieved through the prevention and
management of introduction and spread.

As noted above, changes to regulations relating to
permitted imports and permitted and noxious species
lists across Australia have created significant
uncertainty within government and industry and
among hobbyists about the status of many species
already here (and, in many cases, still actively traded
in industry and hobby circles). Attempting to remove
some of this uncertainty, particularly in the context of
identifying future potentially invasive species and
regulating them accordingly, was one of the key
drivers in the formation of the OFPWG.

One of the terms of reference of the OFPWG was to
develop a nationally agreed list of high-risk noxious
species. As shown in Chapter 2, a number of noxious
species lists are currently in use across jurisdictions;
these range from those containing a few species to
comprehensive lists. When the OFPWG was formed,
both Queensland and Victoria were in the process of
reviewing their noxious species listings. Both
jurisdictions agreed to utilise the OFPWG process to
progress their deliberations, with a view to adopting
any nationally agreed noxious species list. The starting
point for consideration of the nationally agreed list
was a compilation of existing jurisdictional lists,
including the species proposed for addition in
Queensland and Victoria.

All jurisdictions assessed this list of species
independently, and results were compiled to form the
agreed list. Uniform criteria for listing were not
predetermined; however, reasons were provided when
a species was proposed as noxious, and these followed
the primary criteria by which potential 'pestiness' of a

species is determined. These include aggressive
behaviour; piscivorous diet; high fecundity and/or
frequent spawning and long life span (ie effective
reproductive potential); potentially large size; broad
habitat tolerances; and similarity to native species.
Meeting one of these criteria alone was not sufficient
to qualify a species as noxious; those species proposed
for addition to a national list met many, if not all, of
the criteria.

The compiled lists (see Appendix 1) are the outcome
of deliberations within the OFPWG and feedback
from consultations held with key scientific and
industry stakeholders across jurisdictions. The only
species that have been included in the proposed
noxious list are those to which all OFPWG members
agreed. The separation of the list into species noxious
in all jurisdictions and a smaller number of species
noxious under certain climatic or other conditions
takes into account the limited chances of
establishment of the species in the smaller section if
released in non-optimal regions.

Where there was not unanimous agreement on the
status of a species, it was added to what is described
in this report as the 'grey' list. Species on the grey list
require further scientific review and investigation to
determine whether they should be added to, or
exempted from, a national noxious species list in the
future.

It should be noted that the species currently on the
grey list are those that were being considered by
jurisdictions for possible addition to their own
noxious species lists.

Recent reviews of ornamental species thought to be in
the country (McNee 2002) list many species that are
not on the current permitted import lists and that do
not appear on either of the proposed lists. Potentially,
these species should be added to the grey list (along
with any other species that subsequently come to light
in the trade or hobby sectors) for further review and
clarification of their status.

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA 11


Any species proposed for addition to the live import
list under the EPBC Act would still be required to be
assessed for potential environmental risk, consistent
with the requirements of that legislation.

Proposed action

Subject to the endorsement of the proposed national
noxious species list by the Natural Resource
Management Standing Committee, there will need to
be a process to gather information and assess the
status of species on the grey list. This is a national
priority if management and control of ornamental fish
across Australia is to be successful.

The OFPWG has proposed that a scientific/technical
working group be established, drawing relevant
expertise from around the country (academia,
museums, government, industry and private sector) to
conduct assessments of these species. The proposal is
that grey list species could be put through the risk
assessment framework outlined in Chapter 2, with the
scientific/technical working group providing
information on species (although detailed information
will be limited for many species) and ultimately
deciding the status of species guided by the outcome
of the risk assessments. It is critical that the PIAA and
representatives of the hobby sector are directly
involved in this process, or acceptance of the process
and the outcome by the wider ornamental
fish/aquarium trade will be unlikely.

Those species that have been through the assessment
process and are not considered for addition to the
national noxious species list would then constitute a
group of low-risk species known to be in the trade or
hobby sectors. It would then be up to individuals or
industry, should they so desire, to have the species
assessed by the DEH and BA for addition to the
permitted import list.

Because the DEH has indicated that it plans to use the
risk assessment framework outlined in Chapter 2 as
one of its tools for future live import determinations,
there is a reasonable expectation that the assessments
conducted through the scientific/technical working
group could be utilised in future DEH assessments,
thereby potentially reducing the timeframe for the live
import assessment process. If, however, a species is
found to fall outside the scope of the existing
BA–AQIS ornamental fish risk assessment (AQIS
1999), the species would also need to undergo risk
assessment by BA.

The OFPWG was also tasked with investigating other
potential risks in the aquarium trade, including live
rock and aquarium plants. Details of the group's
considerations 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 Reef
Marine Park (1997) and Fossa and Neilsen (1997),
coral rock is colonised and burrowed through by
various organisms, such as:

• bacteria
• unicellular animals (Protozoa)
• sponges (Porifera)
• cnidarians (soft and hard corals)
• flatworms (Platyhelminthes)
• threadworms (Nematoda)
• ringed worms, annelids (Annelida)
• peanut worms (Sipunculida)
• crustaceans (crabs, shrimps, other Crustacea)
• sea spiders (Pycnogonida)
• molluscs (clams, nudibranchs, snails, chitons, other
Mollusca)
• bryozoans (Bryozoa)
• entoprocts (Entoprocta)
• echinoderms (starfish, brittle stars, other
Echinodermata)
• ascidians or sea squirts (Ascidiacea)
• algae (including coralline, micro and macro algae).
The use of live rock in marine aquaria is considered a
natural method of filtration to remove the pollution
caused when uneaten food, excreta and other alien
matter breaks down into nitrogen gas and forms
nitrates (Hargreaves 1978).

Because of the costs of collection, protective
packaging and shipping, live rock is an expensive way
of cycling the tank, compared with other methods
such as adding ammonia directly to the tank or using
mechanical filters. Only the more enthusiastic and
dedicated aquarists maintain marine aquaria, but live
rock use is considered to be increasing in Australia.

Information provided by the various state and
territory fisheries agencies (Table 2) indicates that
most live rock and coral collected in Australia
originates from Queensland reefs. Smaller amounts
are harvested from reefs in Western Australia and the
Northern Territory.

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


TABLE 2
Indicative information about live rock harvesting in Australia
STATE/ ESTIMATED NUMBER OF COLLECTION LOCATION
TERRITORY ANNUAL LICENCES/PERMITS LOCATION OF SALE
HARVEST OF (INDICATIVE
LIVE ROCK (KG) ONLY)

Queensland 10,000 – 20,000 Live coral and rock — 60 Mostly Cairns/ Qld, NSW, Vic.
(22 in Great Barrier Reef Townsville and
Marine Park) Mackay

Western 1500–3000 Live rock — 3 Majority around WA, NSW
Australia Live coral — 5 Exmouth – Port Headland
Live sand — 0 (may also be Some also slightly north
collected under live rock of Shark Bay and around
endorsement) Perth

Northern Territory 100–300 Aquarium collection — 12 Gove and Darwin regions Vic., SA, WA
Harvest of coral (incl.
live rock) — 3

The risks of introducing exotic species and diseases
through the movement of live rock have yet to be
quantified. As most live rock originates in tropical
waters and is destined for markets in temperate
Australia, the tropical species in and on the rock
would be unlikely to establish viable populations in
temperate southern waters. If an exotic pest or disease
establishes in an area of Australia from which live
rock is sourced, the potential for translocation arises if
the pest is not detected and contained, or if there is no
process for tracking live rock from the point of
collection to its final destination.

It is illegal under the EPBC Act to import species from
overseas into any part of Australia, other than those
species listed as approved for importation (this is
enforced by AQIS and the Australian Customs
Service). As some live rock potentially carries a wide
array of unknown species, it is not a permissible import;
this restriction must be continued, unless a thorough
risk assessment suggests otherwise. It is not known
whether an illegal 'black trade' in imported live rock
exists, and this possibility cannot be ruled out.

Potential management options

Management options to address marine pest risks
from live rock should be developed in conjunction
with the National Introduced Marine Pests
Coordination Group. Although the risks of the spread
of marine pests through the trade in live rock and
associated aquarium products are likely to be minor in
comparison with risks from other activities (eg the
trade in species with identified pest potential), several
potential management options could be considered:

• Improved education of public and industry about
the risk of dumping unwanted fish where they
could end up in waterways, and the risk of
microscopic organisms/spores from live rock
entering waterways when tanks are cleaned.
• Improved monitoring of and information sharing
on the distribution of marine pests.
• Increased regulation of the trade in live rock within
Australia. This could involve tracing the movement
of live rock between states and territories, possibly
through a permitting/licensing process. The
prospect of effective control/compliance of illegal
imports would also have to be considered.
A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA 13


• Certifying cultured products, which could involve
enhancement of artificial culturing of live rock (see
Box 1). The rock to be seeded would also need to
be collected locally, taken from the terrestrial
environment or artificially created. There would
need to be ways of sanitising the rock or certifying
what would grow when the rock is introduced
to a tank.
A descriptive paper on live rock in Australia was
prepared for the OFPWG and is held at the Bureau of
Rural Sciences, Canberra.

BOX 1

Culture of live rock in the United States

Due to the large amounts of coral rock being
exported from the Florida Keys in the early 1990s,
Florida banned the harvest of live rock from its
waters in 1997. As a result, marine ornamental
companies in the United States started to develop
aquaculture for live rock. To 'create' live rock,
ordinary dry rock is placed in the ocean and
harvested one to several years later.

Live rock can be purchased either 'cured' or
'uncured'. On collection from the ocean, the rocks
harbour a large variety of sea life, some of which
(such as certain species of anemones and mantis
shrimp) are common pests on live rock. 'Uncured'
rock is rock that has been collected and directly
exported. 'Cured' rock, on the other hand, is material
that has been placed under a fine spray of highly
saline water for several hours or days before export.
The objective is to keep the coralline algae alive
but kill and wash out less hardy, unwanted
organisms, which would foul the tank water.

Aquatic plants

The OFPWG also considered the issue of known
noxious weeds being traded within the aquarium
industry. Problems arising from ornamental aquatic
plants are well documented, particularly through the
work of the Cooperative Research Centre for
Australian Weed Management (the Weeds CRC) and
state and territory agencies.

Good summaries of nationally noxious aquatic plants
and those that are considered problems in particular
jurisdictions can be found at the websites of the New
South Wales Department of Land and Water
Conservation8 and the National Weeds Strategy.9
A list of key noxious plant species is provided in
Appendix 2 of this report.

A limited survey of plants for sale in the aquarium
industry (including those sold as pond plants for
outdoor use) indicated the availability of about a
dozen species listed as weeds, either nationally or in
one or more jurisdictions. The OFPWG acknowledged
that it did not have extensive expertise in water
plants, but recognised the need to establish national
linkages between groups currently working on
noxious aquatic plants (such as the Weeds CRC) and
to encourage a review of ornamental aquatic plants.
Further, fisheries agencies and their enforcement
officers need to develop the capacity (training, field
guides, etc) to recognise noxious plant species
that they may encounter in dealings with the
aquarium industry.

8 http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/wetlands/facts/paa/weeds
9 http://www.weeds.org.au/

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


CHAPTER 4

PROPOSED REGULATORY
FRAMEWORK

The breeding and sale of ornamental fish is being
controlled and regulated in a number of different
ways by the various jurisdictions, ranging from
internal policy arrangements through to legislative
arrangements. Currently, there is no consistency of
approach across Australia, which creates uncertainty
among both industry and the general public about the
movement and sale of fish between states and
territories. Existing regulations specific to the
ornamental fish industry across jurisdictions are
summarised in Appendix 3.

One major issue is that the largest sector in the
industry is the hobbyist or enthusiast group. The
policy or regulatory boundary between a 'hobby' and
a 'commercial activity' is blurred and open to various
interpretations. Currently, there is no clear direction
from the jurisdictions on this matter. However, it is
important to recognise that this strategy is primarily
focused on large-scale operators who are breeding
large numbers of fish, not the local hobbyist with a
small number of fish in a tank in their home.

In some jurisdictions, there is friction between licensed
commercial aquaculture operators and 'backyard'
breeders. In general, the main complaint from licensed
aquaculture operators is that they are required to
obtain development consents from local government,
pay licence or permit fees to state regulatory bodies,
and pay appropriate taxes. The backyard breeder or
hobbyist might not obtain such approvals, nor pay
such charges. This results in tough competition 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.

BOX 2
When is a hobby a business?

The courts have provided some guidelines to help
determine whether an activity is a business or a
hobby, but there are no hard and fast rules. The
Australian Taxation Office looks at all the
circumstances of a case in determining whether a
business exists. Guidelines adopted by the courts
include the following:

• Does the activity have a significant commercial
purpose or character?
• Does the person have more than just an intention
to engage in business?
• Does the person have a purpose of profit as well as
a prospect of profit?
• Is there repetition and regularity to the activity?
• Is the activity of the same kind and carried on in a
similar manner to businesses in that industry?
• Is the activity planned, organised and carried on in
a businesslike manner?
• What are the size, scale and permanency of the
activity?
• Is the activity better described as a hobby,
recreation or sporting activity?
The reasons for seeking to regulate the ornamental
fish trade in Australia include:

• to provide a communication capability (distribution
lists) to industry breeders and stakeholders for
current information and educational materials on
management issues
• to provide an avenue through which to monitor
and control disease (including point-of-import
records to determine possible trends or to give
advance warning of potential disease problems with
offshore suppliers)
A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA 15


• to ensure that all appropriate local and state
government regulatory requirements are being met
(publicity about poor adherence to regulatory
requirements by a licensed operator may also reflect
badly on other licensed operators)
• to confirm the status of species being traded
• to address the minority of illegal operators
• to reduce or eliminate smuggling distribution points
for noxious fish or endangered species.
In most jurisdictions, the keeping and/or trading of
pets is controlled by various means, which may
include:

• restrictions on numbers that may be kept by
individuals in urban areas, and licensing
arrangements for those wishing to keep more than
the permitted numbers (eg breeding kennels or
poultry breeders)
• licensing arrangements for the keeping of native
fauna
• licensing arrangements for the keeping of exotic
animals
• licensing arrangements for the keeping of noxious
or pest species.
Therefore, the precedent of regulating hobbyists is
already in place for non-aquatic animals, and
regulation of the aquarium fish trade may fit in with
other pet industry sectors. That said, the regulation
applied at this level is usually low cost and may
simply be a one-off or annual permit, or even a
voluntary registration through some form of online
system. Registration would assist with compliance,
disease control and communication programs.

The aim of regulation at this level is not to raise
revenue or to apply 'zero tolerance', but to establish
networks through which information can be gathered
and distributed for better long-term management (eg
disease or pest notifications, changes to regulation,
permitted/prohibited species).

Similarly, the classification of large-scale breeding
activity in the hobby sector as aquaculture under state
regulations is not an attempt to leverage licence fees
from non-commercial operations, but rather to ensure
consistency of accountability and traceability of
product across all large-scale producers for the
purposes of future management. In some jurisdictions,
this may require minor regulatory changes to
recognise different classes of aquaculturalists for
licensing/levy purposes.

Regulation of pet shops

Pet shops in most jurisdictions are not required to be
licensed or registered by fisheries agencies, and may
only require licensing by local government or the
jurisdiction's environmental protection agency if they
dispose of wastewater to the sewerage system or the
environment.

The Pet Industry Association of Australia has
developed a voluntary code of practice for its
members. The association is also working towards an
accreditation scheme whereby member operators
would have the option of going through a series of
training programs to achieve accredited operating
standards and also submit to an auditing regime to
ensure that standards are being maintained. While
these schemes would only apply to member premises,
if accreditation programs are successful in improving
standards of operation, it is hoped that commercial
pressure would mean that accreditation will have
significant financial benefit and there will be an
incentive to pursue it. Details of the code of practice
and accreditation scheme are in Appendix 4.

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

The decision trees in Figures 2 and 3 have been
developed to help jurisdictions consistently classify
operations into particular sectors of the ornamental
fish industry. They do not provide prescriptive
regulatory frameworks because, in many cases,
control may fall outside formal regulatory
frameworks. Instead, they require individual
jurisdictions to examine their existing regulatory
frameworks and amend them as necessary to provide
a consistent framework across Australia.

The decision trees provide regulators, those in the
ornamental fish industry and hobby sector, and the
general public with simple pathways for determining
how a particular activity should be classified. Working
through the first tree, for example, it is obvious that a
person trading the odd fish with fellow hobbyists or
at a local fete is not running an ornamental fish
business. Similarly, following that line through the
second tree, it is clear that regulatory agencies would
only be interested in the activities of that person if
they were keeping and/or breeding particular species
(either noxious or determined to be of special interest
after the assessment process), or to provide the person
with general information of interest (new
permitted/prohibited species, known disease or pest
issues, etc).

The note at the bottom of the second tree is
important. There have been concerns that, under this
decision framework, large hobby operations could fall
within the water volume criteria to be considered for a
state or territory aquaculture permit. Most concern
stems from the costs associated with the permit system
in some jurisdictions. During discussions with
jurisdictional aquaculture regulators, it was recognised
that this is a minor issue that can be clarified by the
introduction (in regulations) of a tiered permit system
in those jurisdictions without such a system. The
tiered permit system would create a minor registration
permit, possibly based on additional criteria such as
'qualifying as operating a business' (see Box 2).

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


FIGURE 2Classification of activities on the basis of the sale/trade of fishYES NO
Registered business(ABN etc)
Barter/trade
YES YES NONO
Sell only to tradeAdvertise Hobby Pets
Considered asretail operationsfor purpose ofregulation
Hobby RetailGrower/aquaculturewholesaler importer
SELL F OR PROFITYES NOYES NO
A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA 17


YES NOPlanning/environmental/
council approvals for facility
YESNO
Is fish breeding actively taking place?
EXISTING A QUA CUL TURE PERMIT (FISHERIES) F OR F A CILITIESSale to public?
Breed for sale
Associationmembership
RetailIndustryaccreditationprogram
PetsInfo distributedthrough retailerswith sale
Registrationwith state codeof practice
WholesaleMay consider state aquaculture permita
HobbyMay require registration for certain sppImportAQIS certification for quarantineapproved facilities
Public aquariaComply with appropriate state regulations
YES NO
Volume of water>10 000 litres
YES NO
HobbyMay requireregistration forcertain spp
Applicable state aquaculturepermita
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
FIGURE 3Ornamental fish regulation decision treea 'Applicable state aquaculture permit' refers to the regulatory framework operating within a jurisdiction.
In many jurisdictions there is a tiered system whereby full regulation would only be applied to largecommercial operators while smaller operations might only be registered (for a minimal fee).
18 A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL FISH IN AUSTRALIA


CHAPTER 5

MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL
PESTS AND NOXIOUS SPECIES
IN AUSTRALIA

In developing a regulatory framework for ornamental
fish, it is important to recognise the diversity of
players involved, including aquaculturalists, breeders,
wholesalers, importers, retailers, and hobbyists and
enthusiasts. To date, discussions on regulation have
focused on the need to improve knowledge of the
species of fish available, and of when and where they
are being traded.

With the development of a new national noxious species
list to supplement import lists, there will also be a
need to create clarity and certainty about those species
that can be possessed and traded, particularly for species
considered noxious that are already in the country.

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

• classify an operation type on the basis of sales of or
trade in fish
• determine the level of regulation that should be
applied in different situations.
The next stage of regulation of aquarium species is the
development of a process for dealing with those
species that it is determined should be removed or
controlled. Table 3 is a summary of options derived
from discussions by the OFPWG.

It will be necessary to develop an agreed set of
decision rules that can be incorporated into the
regulatory framework to support existing regulatory
arrangements within jurisdictions. Where there is no
existing framework, these decision rules may form the
basis of new regulation.

This strategic planning document sets out a
framework for future management of ornamental fish.
For most issues, implementation will mainly occur
within individual jurisdictions. Assuming that national

agreement is reached on national noxious species lists
and guidelines such as those outlined in the table
below, regulation should have much in common
across jurisdictions.

The next stage in the process would be the
establishment of an implementation plan to guide the
adoption of the nationally agreed approaches outlined
in this strategy and to address cross-jurisdictional
issues, such as translocation and movement and
regulatory or licensing requirements for such actions.
Nationally agreed guidelines for the translocation of
live aquatic organisms already exist (MCFFA 1999);
there are also existing regulatory frameworks for the
movement of other live animal species across
Australian jurisdictions, and these may well guide the
development of such arrangements for exotic fish.
Regulations controlling movements should
complement the national translocation policy.

An implementation plan would also need to finalise
appropriate reporting arrangements to review progress
on the implementation of agreed actions within the
strategic plan. Much of the on-ground implementation
will fall to jurisdictional fisheries agencies. However,
because of the close links between this work and
current work on marine pests and aquatic disease
risks, it will be important to ensure that longer term
arrangements maintain those linkages. Marine species
represent only a small proportion of the total
aquarium trade, but some species that may be
imported or translocated could have a significant
impact on Australia's marine environment if released.
Actions involving ornamental marine species should
be developed in conjunction with the National
Introduced Marine Pests Coordination Group to
ensure that they are integrated into the National
System for the Prevention and Management of Marine

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ORNAM

[wrk21]

I was at the meeting where that doc was tabled and yes it is a bit of a read but well worth it....please take the time....it effects all of us.