Alerts

Import conditions for aquatic plants will change as a result of a review of the import conditions of aquatic plants in relation to Didymosphenia geminata (didymo).

Didymo is a highly invasive freshwater diatom currently absent from Australia. It occurs naturally in the cool, low nutrient waters of northern Europe and northern America. Since the mid 1980's it has spread considerably through the northern hemisphere and also into New Zealand. It forms massive blooms in waterways and lakes, significantly effecting the ecosystems. Didymo was listed in the top 20 significant exotic environmental pests for Australia (Raphael et al 2009).

What will change?

Emergent and submergent aquatic plants other than tissue culture will not be permitted from didymo high risk countries.

Didymo high risk countries are: Afghanistan, Argentina, Austria, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia (Czech Republic), Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Macedonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales), United States of America, Uzbekistan.

Plants imported to be grown as terrestrial plants during post-entry quarantine are exempt from measures for didymo as this pest is notably sensitive to desiccation (Kilroy et al 2006).

Tissue cultures are considered a very low risk pathway for didymo and are also exempt from measures for this pest.

Also, as Aegagropila linnaei is an ‘Unwanted Quarantine Pest’ in Tasmania and must not be imported into the State, it will also be in a separate BICON case titled ‘Aegagropila linnaei (aquatic plants) for use as nursery stock’.

Affected import permits will be amended to include the updated conditions.

When will the changes take effect?

Effective from 4 December 2018.

Further information

Please contact the Plant Import Operations at imports@agriculture.gov.au or by telephone on 1800 900 090 if you have any queries.