Canning Vale Quarantine Officer recognised for fishy find

The important role of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) in protecting Australia and its natural resources was highlighted last week when Quarantine officer Karen Buchanan of Canning Vale was presented with an award recognising her part in halting the illegal importation of Patagonian toothfish in 2004.

While processing paperwork concerning the importation of ‘sea bass’ from China, Karen noticed some inconsistencies and requested additional information. She ended up with far more than she’d bargained for -- instead of sea bass, the new documentation referred to both Patagonian toothfish and Antarctic toothfish.

The toothfish is a threatened species that is fished off the southern edge of Australia’s continental shelf. Imports and exports of toothfish are strictly regulated under international regulations.

Media interest in the illegal fishing of Patagonian toothfish alerted Karen to the potential seriousness of the situation, and she contacted the Australian Customs Service to notify her Customs colleagues of her discovery. 

Subsequent investigation revealed that this was the second shipment to have been illegally imported — almost six and a half tonnes in total. The importers were subsequently prosecuted and fined $45,000.

Without Karen’s diligence and knowledge, this illegal importation may not have been discovered for some time. Customs was so impressed with her work that they presented Karen with an award thanking her for her contribution.

Karen says, “I work as a Quarantine officer because I’ve always wanted to make a difference. My job is to help protect Australia, and I feel I’ve really been able to do so in this case.

“AQIS trains its officers very thoroughly, so I was able to spot the irregularities in the paperwork, identify the fish and help make sure the illegal importation was halted.”

Media contact:

Jen O’Reilly DAFF Media +61 2 6272 3232

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