Proposed Australian Biofouling Management Strategies

Public consultation for the proposed Australian biofouling management strategies closed on 29 February 2012. Submissions are available on the website.

All vessels entering Australian waters pose some risk to Australia’s marine biosecurity. To reduce this risk, the Australian government is investigating new biofouling management options for vessels arriving in Australian waters.

In developing the requirements, the Australian government has been, and will continue to, work closely with stakeholders to ensure implementation arrangements are both practical and effective in minimising the biosecurity risk posed by biofouling.

The consultation process

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) proposed two alternative management strategies to manage biofouling on internationally arriving vessels: (1) regulations and (2) voluntary guidelines supported by an educational campaign.

A consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) was prepared to analyse the costs and benefits of each biofouling management option and many wirrten submissions were received during the consultation period. The consultation RIS can be downloaded below.

Risk assessments and other reports were also developed by DAFF to support development of the proposed biofouling management options. Please see supporting documentation below.

DAFF invited interested stakeholders to provide their views on the proposed policies and consultation RIS during the public consultation period, which ran from 1 December 2011 until 29 February 2012. Information sessions were held in each capital city during December 2011 and were well attended.

DAFF was particularly interested in feedback and data relating to the questions posed within the consultation RIS, but comments on any aspect of the RIS were equally welcome. All written submissions will be considered when developing the final biofouling management policy, which is anticipated to be released during 2012.

All submissions were published on the DAFF website, except where the respondent requested that the information be treated as confidential.

Supporting documentation

Reports

Vessel risk profiles

Fact sheets

Last reviewed:
19 Apr 2012
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