12 March 2024
The provisional report and scientific advisory group’s report for the sturgeon biosecurity import risk analysis (BIRA) are available on our Import for live sturgeon for aquaculture webpage.
You can submit a request for a review of the process used to conduct the sturgeon BIRA to the Inspector-General of Biosecurity by AEST 11:59 pm 11 April 2024.
In 2015, Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) and beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) were added to the List of specimens taken to be suitable for live import (live import list) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Before these species of live sturgeon can be imported into Australia, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department) must conduct a BIRA to ensure the import achieves Australia’s appropriate level of protection (ALOP). A BIRA is a regulated process under the Biosecurity Act 2015 and the Biosecurity Regulation 2016.
On 11 July 2023, the department released the draft BIRA report for the import of live sturgeon (Acipenser and Huso species) from all countries for aquaculture purposes into Australia (the sturgeon BIRA) for stakeholder comment. The draft report proposed that Acipenser and Huso species be permitted import into Australia, provided they comply with appropriate biosecurity measures. The department received 4 submissions from stakeholders covering a wide range of perspectives.
The department carefully considered the stakeholder submissions and new scientific information while preparing the provisional BIRA report. The provisional BIRA report was reviewed by the scientific advisory group (SAG) to determine if the department had:
- appropriately considered the stakeholder submissions received in response to the draft report
- included and properly considered scientific evidence relating to the environment and that the conclusions of the provisional report are scientifically reasonable and based on the material presented and available
- appropriately applied its methodologies for completing a BIRA.
The SAG reported that the department had appropriately considered all available scientific information and stakeholder submissions and identified biosecurity measures for live sturgeon which achieves Australia’s ALOP. The department has considered the recommendations from the SAG in preparing the provisional BIRA report for release.
It is legislated that within 30 calendar days of the provisional BIRA report being published, a person may request the Inspector‑General of Biosecurity (IGB) to review the process the department used to conduct the BIRA if they consider that:
- the process used did not agree with the process set out in the Biosecurity Regulation 2016
- the departure from the process was significant
- their interests were, are, or may be adversely affected by the failure to conduct the sturgeon BIRA in accordance with the process required by the Biosecurity Regulation 2016.
It is important to note that the IGB reviews the BIRA process only, not the scientific merits of the BIRA, the merits of the recommendations made, or the conclusions reached by the department.
Requests for an IGB review must be lodged in writing by emailing InspGenBiosecurity@aff.gov.au by AEST 11:59pm 11 April 2024.
The IGB will consider any requests for review and decide in each case whether the evidence warrants a review. If the IGB is not requested to conduct a review of the sturgeon BIRA process, or a review request is determined not to be warranted, the provisional BIRA report will be finalised and then published as the final BIRA report on the department’s website as soon as practical.
For further inquiries, please contact abra@aff.gov.au.
Dr Peter Finnin
Assistant Secretary
Animal Biosecurity
Email: animalbiosecurity@aff.gov.au