Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Minister
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Plant health
    • Drought and rural support
    • Mouse infestation advice
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030.
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    • Report a concern
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Plant Innovation Centre
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We enhance our agricultural industries and trade, and manage the threat of biosecurity risks to Australia.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    Budget 2023-24

    Budget 2023-24

    The 2023–24 Portfolio Budget Statements were released on 9 May 2023.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Aircraft, vessels and military
  4. Vessels
  5. Disembarking crew

Sidebar first - Biosecurity

  • Biosecurity and trade
    • Biosecurity
      • Catalysing Australia’s Biosecurity
      • Commonwealth Biosecurity 2030
      • Sustainable biosecurity funding
      • Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper-Biosecurity Surveillance and Analysis
        • Improving biosecurity surveillance and analysis
        • Forum Communique-July 2017
        • Australian Livestock Industry Health Studies
      • Biosecurity Matters
        • Gardening
        • Farming
        • Domestic travel
        • International travel
        • Online shopping
        • Recreational fishing
        • Bushwalking
        • Owning pets
        • Boat owner
        • Long distance driver
      • Committees and partnerships
        • Industry Consultative committees
        • International Cargo Cooperative Biosecurity Arrangement
        • Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme
        • National Biosecurity Committee
          • National Biosecurity Forum
            • Previous forums
          • National Biosecurity Emergency Preparedness Expert Group
          • Sheep and Goat Traceability Task Force
          • State and territory biosecurity roundtables
          • Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity
            • Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity Review
              • Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity Review Discussion Paper
              • Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity Review Draft Report
              • Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity Review Final Report
              • AGMIN Joint Statement
              • Response from agriculture ministers
                • Property Identification Reforms
            • Protocol on biosecurity data and information sharing between the Commonwealth, State and Territory biosecurity agencies
            • National Surveillance and Diagnostics Framework
            • National Transition Program Policy Framework
            • National Biosecurity Engagement and Communication Framework
            • National Framework for the Management of Established Pests and Diseases of National Significance
          • National Biosecurity Response Team Arrangements 2017-2019
          • National Environment and Community Biosecurity Research, Development and Extension Strategy 2021-26
          • National RD&E Priorities for Invasive Plants and Animals 2016-2020
          • NBC Membership List
        • Northern Australia Biosecurity Framework
          • Northern Australia Biosecurity Framework Reference Group
        • Partnerships in biosecurity
          • MOU Agriculture and Health
        • National Biosecurity Statement
          • Communication and Engagement Strategy
      • Aircraft, vessels and military
        • Aircraft
          • Aircraft disinsection
            • Aircraft Disinsection Information (ADI) and Import Relationship and Access Manager (iRAM)
            • Aircraft Disinsection Information (ADI) and Import Relationship and Access Manager (iRAM) support
            • Aircraft disinsection procedures for flights into Australia and New Zealand
          • Aircraft application form
          • Arrangements for aircraft invoking sovereign immunity
          • Guidelines for airline and aircraft operators arriving in Australian territory
          • Landing places determined as first points of entry for aircraft
        • Vessels
          • Australian registered vessels
          • Biosecurity legislation and the Australian territory
          • Commercial vessel biosecurity reporting
            • Cabotage cargo (fertiliser, grain and stockfeed)
            • Release from biosecurity control
            • Ship sanitation certification
          • Cruise vessels
          • Disembarking crew
          • First points of entry – information for arriving vessels and goods
          • Human health
          • Marine pest biosecurity
            • Ballast Water
              • Australian Ballast Water Management Requirements
              • Ballast Water Authorisation
            • Biofouling
              • Anti-fouling and in-water cleaning guidelines
                • Australian in-water cleaning standards
                • General recommendations
              • Biofouling management requirements
              • Consultation Regulation Impact Statement
                • Consultation Regulation Impact Statement, 2011
          • Maritime and Aircraft Reporting System (MARS)
            • MARS communications and training materials
            • MARS offline forms
          • Non-commercial vessels
            • Accredited suppliers list for termite detection services
            • Importing vessels with timber components frequently asked questions
            • Importing vessels with timber components
          • Offshore installations
            • Offshore Installations Biosecurity Guide
          • Plants and insects
            • Burnt pine longicorn beetle - person in charge questionnaire and statement
          • Pratique
          • Reportable biosecurity incidents
          • First points of entry and non-first points of entry
            • Alternative biosecurity entry point application form
            • First points of entry - seaport operator requirements
        • Military
          • Australian Defence Force
            • Cleaning instructions - Personal equipment
          • Visiting military
            • Essential biosecurity information for military forces
            • Foreign government vessels invoking sovereign immunity
          • Cleaning requirements
          • Military frequently asked questions
          • Military vessels
          • Offshore inspections of military equipment
          • Ration packs
        • Transhipping through Australia
          • Transhipped ship’s stores lodgement cover sheet
      • Biosecurity in Australia
        • Biosecurity Advanced Analytics Capability
        • Detector dogs
        • Innovative Biosecurity 3D X-ray Project
        • Modernising Australia’s approach to managing established pests and diseases of national significance: Discussion paper
        • Northern biosecurity
          • Aquatic pest biosecurity community awareness
          • Biosecurity-it’s everyone’s business virtual reality experience
          • Country Handle with Care - Costa and dirtgirl Tackle Biosecurity
          • Frontline-northern biosecurity’s community song
          • Rabies Awareness-Keep a Top Watch! in your community animation
          • Report a pest, weed or disease in Northern Australia
          • You can be a Biosecurity Champion too!
            • Developing industry and supporting local growers
        • Indigenous Ranger Biosecurity Program
          • Biosecurity Business Grants Program
          • Ranger Capability Building Grants Program
          • Frontline Ranger Newsletter
        • Northern Australia Biosecurity Strategy 2030
          • The Northern Australia People Capacity and Response Network (NAPCaRN)
        • Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS)
          • Co-operative biosecurity in northern Australia
          • Aircraft arriving on the Australian mainland from Torres Strait
          • NAQS target pests, diseases and weeds
          • Moving goods to, from and within Torres Strait
          • Significant events in the history of NAQs
            • Celebrating 30 years of co-operative biosecurity in northern Australia
            • Commemorating 25 years of NAQS
          • Shipping and yachting in the Torres Strait
          • Map of NAQS zones
        • Public awareness and education
          • Australian biosecurity webinar series
          • Detect and Protect podcast
            • Series 1 - How our biosecurity system works
            • Series 2 – Detector dogs
          • Australian Biosecurity Awards
            • Current Australian Biosecurity Award recipients
            • Past Australian Biosecurity Award recipients
          • Pacific engagement
            • Exporting to Australia from the Pacific
            • Working together with our Pacific neighbours
            • Australia's biosecurity system
            • Inside the department
              • Meet the team
            • Your local authority
          • Be a Junior Biosecurity Officer
          • Visual resources
        • Reform of the biosecurity system
          • Biosecurity Training Centre
          • Industry Partnerships and Engagement
        • Reports and publications
          • 2008-12 Imported cargo processing, a DAFF time release study
          • Biosecurity Matters Newsletter
          • Australian Quarantine a shared responsibility: The Nairn report
            • Australian Quarantine a shared responsibility: The Government response
        • Pest and disease surveillance at Australia’s borders
        • Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area Biosecurity Strategy
      • Biosecurity research and innovation
        • Biosecurity Innovation Program
        • How we work with you
        • Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis
        • Innovation Ideas initiative
        • Innovation Pilots Initiative
        • Biosecurity Innovation Exchange 2018
      • Biosecurity risk analysis
        • Import proposals
        • Conducting a biosecurity risk analysis
          • Appropriate Level of Protection
          • Final Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis report checklist
          • Australia’s international biosecurity obligations
          • Roles and responsibilities in a Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis
          • Scientific Advisory Group
        • Animal import risk analyses
          • Review of prawns and prawn products
            • Background: prawn and prawn products review
            • Prawn imports and biosecurity
            • Submissions received on the Review of prawns and prawn products – draft report
            • Submissions received on Australia’s current prawn import policy
          • Cooked turkey meat from the United States
            • Cooked turkey meat from the United States - Commencement of a review
          • Cooked duck meat from Thailand
          • Dairy products for human consumption
          • Fish and fish products for use as pet food and stockfeed
          • Hatching eggs of poultry
          • Import of live sturgeon for aquaculture
          • Natural sausage casings
          • Psittacine birds
          • Egg powder from approved countries
          • Zoo bovids from approved countries
        • Plant risk analyses
          • Plant commodity/country and pest risk analyses
          • How we conduct a plant risk analysis
        • Group pest risk analyses
          • Group pest risk analysis for scale insects
            • Draft report fact sheet
          • Group pest risk analysis for thrips and orthotospoviruses
            • Draft report
            • Fact sheet
            • Final report
          • Group pest risk analysis for mealybugs
            • Draft report
            • Draft report fact sheet
            • Final report
            • Final report fact sheet
        • Biological control agents
          • Risk analyses
            • Completed Risk Analyses
            • Current Risk Analyses
          • Host test lists
          • Protocol for biological control agents
        • Weed assessments
          • Development of the Weed Risk Assessment system
          • Weed risk assessments frequently asked questions
          • Reasons for the Weed Risk Assessment system
          • The Weed Risk Assessment process
            • Weed Risk Assessment system
        • Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis guidelines
        • Centre of excellence for biosecurity risk analysis
        • Biosecurity advices
        • Register as a stakeholder
      • Emergency preparedness and outbreak response
        • Exercises
          • Exercise Waterhole
        • National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement review
          • NBC approach to the NEBRA five year review recommendations
        • Horse Disease Response Levy review
        • Wildlife Exotic Disease Preparedness Program
          • Feral animals as hosts of exotic disease: Identification of potential disease contact between feral animals and sites of exotic disease incursion
          • Avian Influenza Viruses in Migratory Shorebirds and Nomadic Water Fowl in South Australia
          • Avian Migration and Movement pathogens in the Australo-Papuan context
          • AWHN OIE Report 2004
          • AWHN OIE Report 2005
          • Destroy and Let Lie Disposal Project
          • Development and Validation - Newcastle Disease
          • Field Surveillance and Monitoring - Leishmania in the Northern Territory
          • Final report: preparing Australia by preparing Papua New Guinea
          • GIS Mapping Software in National Surveillance Database
          • Identifying and Mapping Hendra virus
          • Identifying and Mapping Hendra Virus (2)
          • Identifying and Mapping Hendra Virus Strain Diversity (Stage 1)
          • Improving the Relevance and Efficiency of Wild Bird Surveillance for AI
          • Reservoirs of Infection: The Epidemiological Characteristics of an Emerging Pathogen
          • Summary Report - Contraceptives Pigs
          • Summary Report - pigs disease spread
      • Animal
      • Plant
      • Pests, diseases and weeds
      • Environmental biosecurity
        • Australian Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer
        • Environmental Biosecurity Framework
        • Environmental biosecurity stakeholder engagement
        • Priority list of exotic pests, weeds and diseases
        • The Environmental Biosecurity Project Fund
      • Biosecurity questions and answers
      • Legislation
        • List of Biosecurity Preparedness Plans
        • List of Goods That May Carry Hitchhiker Pests
        • The Biosecurity Act 2015
          • Updates to information sharing provisions
          • Changes to import requirements
          • Introduction to the Biosecurity Act Interactive Learning tool
          • Reviewable decisions
        • Reportable biosecurity incidents
          • Reportable biosecurity incidents form
        • Compliance and enforcement
          • Biosecurity Compliance Plan 2016-17
          • Biosecurity Compliance Statement
          • Compliance and enforcement tools
          • Redline - report a biosecurity breach
          • Export and import laws and the role of the department
          • Infringement Notice Scheme
            • Infringement notices at the airport
            • Other infringement notices
      • Fees and charges
      • Forms
      • Coronavirus
        • Food and agriculture
        • Exports
        • Imports
        • Domestic animals

Disembarking crew

​​​Disembarking crew

Increased intervention and a stronger enforcement approach is currently in place to keep African Swine Fever (ASF) out of Australia. Passengers and crew must not remove jerky, biltong and other pork products from the vessel. See Keeping ASF out of Australia.

The department is responsible for the biosecurity assessment and management of international crew members permanently leaving a vessel from Australian territory ports.

Crew members must report any intended crew changes under (s48(2)f) of the Biosecurity Regulation 2016.

Crew are not permitted to take biosecurity risk items off the vessel. Biosecurity risk items are any items that pose a risk of introducing any exotic pests or disease into Australian territory.

What needs to be reported?

The vessel master and/or shipping agent is required to notify the department of crew leaving the vessel permanently (disembarking) and whether they have biosecurity items to declare.

  • Crew disembarkation cannot proceed until pratique is granted. Refer to Pratique.
  • The vessel master or agent must not allow crew to remove items from the vessel without permission from a biosecurity officer.

Biosecurity risk items

Goods and activities of biosecurity concern include:

  • meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy, fruit, vegetables.
  • grains, seeds, bulbs, straw, nuts, plants, parts of plants, traditional medicines or herbs, wooden articles.
  • animals, parts of animals, animal products including equipment, pet food, eggs, biologicals, specimens, birds, fish, insects, shells, bee products.
  • soil, items with soil attached or used in freshwater areas; e.g. sports/recreational equipment, footwear.
  • recent travel that involved contact with farms, farm animals, wilderness areas, or freshwater streams/ lakes etc. in the last 30 days.

When and how to report disembarking crew

Vessel operators and/or agents must notify the department if any crew will be permanently leaving the vessel in Australian territory as soon as this becomes known.

There are two ways that a vessel master or agent can notify the department of crew disembarkation - pre-arrival and post arrival.

Read the Quick Reference Guide for applying for disembarkation from the MARS communications and training materials webpage.

Biosecurity assessment

After vessel arrival, biosecurity officers at the arrival port, will assess the reported crew disembarkation information. Biosecurity officers will determine whether a disembarking crew inspection will be conducted.

Inspection

Where an inspection is required, it is the vessel operators and agent’s responsibility to arrange a suitable inspection time with the local biosecurity office. It is important to confirm with a biosecurity officer when crew members will be available for the inspection, prior to their departure from the vessel.

At the time of inspection, all disembarking crew member goods including baggage may be inspected by a biosecurity officer who will advise crew members on suitable actions to manage any risk.

In most cases crew will be directed to leave the biosecurity risk items on the vessel. Crew members leaving the vessel may also be cleared by biosecurity officers as part of the routine vessel inspection of the vessel.

Biosecurity officers will notify the master operator and/or agent, and provide written permission, for the crew to disembark the vessel.

Fees and charges

A fee for disembarking crew service requests are charged according to the fee for service rate. This fee is in addition to that charged for the routine vessel inspection or other inspection activities. For more information on fees, refer to the department’s charging guidelines.

General enquiries

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 28 November 2023

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.