17 February 2025
Who does this notice affect?
- Biosecurity industry participants who hold a Class 7.1 approved arrangement for the import of live ornamental fish.
- Importers of live marine ornamental fish.
- Departmental staff who attend the class 7.1 approved arrangement, to inspect and release live ornamental fish undergoing the post arrival quarantine period.
What has changed?
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has received policy advice regarding live marine ornamental fish imports and their susceptibility to infection by viruses of biosecurity concern, such as erythrocytic necrosis virus and megalocytiviruses. The risk of virus transmission in live ornamental fish is increased where fish share a water system (shared recirculating system).
Currently, where multiple consignments are subject to a staggered release on the same water recirculating system, it is possible that newly added fish carrying a disease, may infect fish that are close to finalising their quarantine period. Where this occurs, fish that are close to finalising their quarantine period will not have sufficient time to develop clinical signs of disease prior to the end of the quarantine period, and it is possible that infected fish could be released from biosecurity control.
To address this risk, the department is requiring for the release of marine fish to be managed in accordance with the current release requirements that exist for freshwater fish. That is, where separate consignments of live fish share a recirculating system, fish will only be released from biosecurity control once the last consignment of fish to enter the system has successfully completed the quarantine period.
This change to the department’s release conditions for marine fish sharing a recirculating system, will minimise the risk of infected fish being released from biosecurity control.
From 3 March 2025, separate consignments of marine fish that share a water recirculating system, will only be approved for release from biosecurity control once the last consignment of fish to enter the system, has successfully completed the quarantine period and all other applicable biosecurity requirements.
Import permits
This change does not impact import permit conditions.
Instructional Material for Biosecurity Officers
An Operational Change Advice will be published and instructional material will be updated.
Approved Arrangement (Class 7.1 – Aquarium fish)
The department will amend the approved arrangement conditions document for Class 7.1 – Aquarium fish to reflect this change to policy. Condition 4.13 of the class conditions document will be updated to specify that separate consignments of marine fish, sharing a recirculating system, can only be released from biosecurity control when the last consignment of fish to enter the system has completed the quarantine period.
To facilitate this amendment to the approved arrangement conditions document for Class 7.1 – Aquarium fish, the department will undertake a department-initiated variation under section 413 of the Biosecurity Act 2015, to vary all existing class 7.1 approved arrangements.
The department-initiated variation will be undertaken by issuing biosecurity industry participants who hold a class 7.1 approved arrangement, with the following:
- Notice of Intention to Vary the approved arrangement, and
- Notice of Variation (14 days after the Notice of Intention to Vary is issued).
Further information
Please contact imports@aff.gov.au for further information.