In response to the rapid expansion of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSB) throughout Europe and North America, the Australian Goverment has strengthened the seasonal measures to manage risk of BMSB from arriving in Australia for the 2019–20 BMSB risk season. The department has used a range of scientific, intelligence and evidence based information when setting the measures including data collected from the 2018-19 BMSB season onshore verification activities.
The BMSB pose a high biosecurity risk to Australia because of their tendency to hitchhike, highly mobile nature and the lack of effective lures. If it established in Australia, this pest would be extremely difficult and expensive to manage, partly due to its broad host range. Preventing an incursion in the first place is a high priority for government and industry.
For the 2019-20 BMSB risk season, measures will apply to certain goods manufactured in, or shipped from target risk countries, and/or vessels that berth at, load or trans-ship from target risk countries from 1 September 2019 and that arrive in Australian territory by 31 May 2020 (inclusive). The seasonal measures do not apply to goods entering Australia as air cargo.
Target Risk Countries
Any target high risk or target risk goods which are manufactured in or shipped from the target risk countries will be subject to BMSB seasonal measures.Any vessel that berths at, loads or tranships from the target risk countries also subject to BMSB seasonal measures. The following countries below have been categorised as target risk:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Italy
- Kosovo
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- Romania
- Russia
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Switzerland
- Spain
- Turkey
- United States of America
- Japan (heightened vessel surveillance will be the only measure applied).
High Risk Goods
High risk goods which will require mandatory treatment prior to shipment include:
- Explosives; pyrotechnic products; matches; pyrophoric alloys; certain combustible preparations
- Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal
- Cork and articles of cork
- Carpets and other textile floor coverings
- Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials
- Ceramic products – including sub chapters I and II
- Glass and glass ware
- Iron and steel – including sub chapters I, II, III, IV
- Articles of iron or steel
- Copper and articles thereof
- Nickel and articles thereof
- Aluminium and articles thereof
- Lead and articles thereof
- Zinc and articles thereof
- Tin and articles thereof
- Other base metals; cermets; articles thereof
- Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal
- Miscellaneous articles of base metals
- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof
- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles
- Railway or tramway locomotives, rolling-stock and parts thereof; railway or tramway track fixtures and fittings and parts thereof; mechanical (including electro-mechanical) traffic signalling equipment of all kinds
- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling-stock, and parts and accessories thereof
- Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof
- Ships, boats and floating structures
- Arms and ammunition; parts and accessories thereof
The approved treatment methods are:
- Heat treatment
- Methyl bromide fumigation and
- Sulfuryl fluoride fumigation.
Treatment providers in target risk countries
All BMSB treatment providers in target risk countries must first register and be approved under the scheme by the department prior to treatment. Treatments conducted by an unapproved treatment provider in a target risk country will not be recognised as valid and the goods will be subject to onshore treatment (if permitted), or be directed for export.
A list of offshore treatment providers can be found here.
Get in contact with the friendly team at Stockwell International for more information about how to get ready for BSMB season by calling 1300 786 468 or click the link below.
