'Big Bugs' Bite Quarantine Cheats

AQIS 20705

New Quarantine Matters! TV campaign launch

A giant beetle and a metre-long grub are the latest recruits in the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service’s (AQIS) Quarantine Matters! advertising campaign, launched at Parliament House today.

AQIS Executive Director Peter Yuile says new television commercials will go to air this weekend featuring the larger-than-life khapra beetle and Asian longhorn beetle larva.

“These ‘Big Bugs’ remind travellers that quarantine deals with risks that aren’t readily visible. In real life, a khapra beetle is no bigger than a poppy seed, and the longhorn beetle larva is not much bigger,” Mr Yuile says.

“If quarantine risks were as obvious as these giant pests, no-one would fail to declare them – that’s the message of the new commercials.”

The ‘Big Bugs’ campaign will continue to increase the Australian community’s awareness of the dangers posed by exotic pests and diseases, and follows the popular series of commercials featuring the late Steve Irwin.
 
 “Strong border management is an important part of our layered approach to managing risks to Australia’s $30 billion a year agriculture export industries, our unique environment and biodiversity, and our reputation for producing pest and disease-free commodities for domestic and overseas markets,” Mr Yuile says.

The ‘Big Bugs’ campaign targets travellers by informing them about the importance of quarantine and reminding them of the consequences of failing to comply with quarantine laws.

It also serves to reinforce that AQIS will enforce penalties for quarantine breaches, ranging from on-the-spot fines to prosecution and potentially imprisonment.

Media contact:
Heather Le Nevez, DAFF Media +61 2 6272 3232
High resolution digital images of the ’Big Bugs’ launch are available on request