Overview
Only approving imports to areas that are unfavourable for the establishment of the pest.
- Examples include allowing imports to specific ports where the climate is unsuitable for the pest, or where facilities are designed to manage pest establishment risks (e.g. ports with concrete pads for storing shipping containers). There may also be limits on the post-border movement of the commodity.
- Evaluating the efficacy of this measure requires knowledge of the biology of the pest relative to the environmental conditions and host availability in the importing area.
- Habitat suitability is considered during a pest risk assessment. Restricting imports to destination areas with poor pest habitat is sometimes used in climatically diverse jurisdictions, and where there is good management oversight of the supply chain.
- Assurance can be achieved by issuing import permits for approved ports only, and audit of the destination of imports and post-border supply chain movement.
Evidence to support efficacy
Evidence is needed to demonstrate that the habitat is sufficiently unfavourable in the importing area to allow imports into those areas. Important considerations include the climatic conditions needed for establishment, which can be informed by bioclimatic modelling, host availability, the presence of vectors, and existing pest management practices. The feasibility of imposing post-border restrictions on the movement of the commodity to unfavourable habitat also needs to be assessed.
Applying the measure
How it is used
Habitat suitability in the importing country is considered during pest risk assessment when assessing the likelihood of establishment and spread. No additional phytosanitary measures may be required if the likelihood of establishment and spread is acceptably low.
As a measure, it can be applied through port of entry restrictions and restrictions on the subsequent movement of the commodity. For example, the marketing and sale of imported fruits can be restricted to certain areas that lack suitable hosts for the quarantine pest. It is more relevant to jurisdictions that are climatically diverse, and to commodities and markets where the restriction of post-border movement is feasible.
On a smaller scale, handling goods in areas with poor habitat can reduce establishment risks. For example, shipping container yards could be required to have concrete pads and have no alternative hosts in the immediate vicinity.
Use with other measures
This measure can be considered together with seasonal restrictions, limiting the seasonality of imports to when conditions are also unsuitable for the pest.
Similar measures
Restricted to poor pest habitat reduces exposure risks to the pest within the exporting jurisdiction, whereas poor destination habitat reduces establishment risks in the importing jurisdiction.
Assurance of correct implementation
Assurance may include import permits that specify the approved ports of entry or destination facilities (e.g. Approved Arrangement facilities) for the commodity. Audit of the destination of imports and post-border supply chain movement may be required. This measure can be challenging to implement as the NPPO or relevant authority may not have direct oversight of post arrival movement of the commodity.