The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) has joined QLD Agriculture Minister Mark Furner in calling on the federal government and other states to update the national preparedness strategy to deal with the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB).
This comes following successful Biosecurity Queensland surveillance and trapping operations in Lytton, Fisherman Islands and New Chum after the pest was discovered in Brisbane this summer. As BMSB becomes more established around the world, the number of border and post-border detections is increasing.
QFF President Stuart Armitage said BMSB was a major agricultural pest in Europe, Asia and North America where it has attacked over 300 plants and crops including corn, soybean, apples, grapes and peaches.
“Biosecurity incursions are one of Queensland agriculture’s greatest business risks with exotic pests, diseases and weeds having a potentially crippling impact on plant and animal production systems across the state,” Mr Armitage said.
“In 2018, more than 350,000 items of biosecurity concern were intercepted across the country. As Australia’s frontline biosecurity state, it should therefore come as no surprise that Queensland had five biosecurity incursions in five years.”
“Our biosecurity system plays a critical role in protecting the quality of life of all Australians, so it is critical that state and federal agricultural departments and our industries are properly resourced to deal with the increasing number of interceptions and the growing spread of pests and diseases around the world.”
“Our country’s reputational advantages, worth many billions of dollars, rely on a strong, focused and adequately resourced national biosecurity system.”
“Everyone has a biosecurity responsibility and must play their part to maintain Australia’s relative pest, disease and weed freedom.”
Source: QFF