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Introduction Invasive Alien Species: The Nature of the Problem Invasive Pathways and
Prevention: The North American Great Lakes as a Case Study Australian Perspectives on
Marine Bio-security and the Role of Risk Assessment Infectious Diseases and Disease Vectors as
Invasive Species: Public Health Perspectives Integrating
Disciplines, Datasets and Information Tools to Stop Invasives Invasive Species in
Eastern Africa: Regional Status, Initiatives, and Linkages Efforts to Stop Invasive Species in Southern
Africa The Role of Science in
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Australian Perspectives on Marine Bio-security and the Role of Risk Assessment
Keith Hayes
Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests
Commonwealth Science and
Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)
Castray Esplanade
GPO Box 1538
Hobart, Tasmania 7001
Australia
Telephone: (+61) 03 6232 5260
Fax: (+61) 03 6232 5485
Email: keith.hayes@marine.csiro.au
A nation's bio-security depends on three things: preventing incursions of new species, early detection of incursions followed by rapid response, and the control and management of established pest populations. Australia's approach to preventing marine pests incursions focuses on the role of quantitative risk assessment in preventing new ballast-water introductions, slowing the spread of established marine pests by small craft, and identifying potential pest species before they arrive in Australia.
A ballast water risk assessment tool is being developed for the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service to quantify the risk that a vessel from a particular port could carry and introduce a pest in an Australian port. The assessment focuses on the probabilities that the donor port is infected with the species, that the vessel is infected with the species, that the species survives the journey from donor port to Australia, and that the species will survive in the recipient (Australian) port.
Quantifying the hazard of spreading an established pest by small craft employs techniques drawn from industrial risk assessment (e.g., failure modes and effects analysis). Working with fishermen, recreational boaters, etc. vessel components (hull, propeller, deck, etc.) and infection modes (external fouling, sediment retention, etc.) are identified and ranked according to likelihood of carrying pests. This allows inspectors to focus their efforts on the parts of boats where pests are most likely to be.
Deductive and inductive approaches are being developed to predict high-risk pathways and species for future invasions. Who will be the next invader? A set of criteria using past history (a species has been reported in a shipping vector, has an invasion history elsewhere, etc.) is used to create a watchlist of potential invaders not currently in Australia, while predictive methods are being used to identify high risk species irrespective of history.
For more information, visit the website for the Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests, http://crimp.marine.csiro.au/. The site includes Technical Reports by Dr. Hayes as well as a list of his other scientific publications.