Draft report for the non-regulated analysis of existing policy for fresh strawberry fruit from the Republic of Korea

1Introduction

1.1Australia’s biosecurity policy framework

Australia’s biosecurity policies aim to protect Australia against the risks that may arise from exotic pests entering, establishing and spreading in Australia, thereby threatening Australia's unique flora and fauna, as well as those agricultural industries that are relatively free from serious pests.

The risk analysis process is an important part of Australia’s biosecurity policies. It enables the Australian Government to formally consider the level of biosecurity risk that may be associated with proposals to import goods into Australia. If the biosecurity risks do not achieve the appropriate level of protection (ALOP) for Australia, risk management measures are proposed to reduce the risks to an acceptable level. If the risks cannot be reduced to an acceptable level, the goods will not be imported into Australia, until suitable measures are identified.

Successive Australian Governments have maintained a stringent, but not a zero risk, approach to the management of biosecurity risks. This approach is expressed in terms of the ALOP for Australia, which reflects community expectations through government policy and is currently described as providing a high level of protection aimed at reducing risk to a very low level, but not to zero.

Australia’s risk analyses are undertaken by the department using technical and scientific experts in relevant fields, and involve consultation with stakeholders at various stages during the process.

Risk analyses may take the form of a biosecurity import risk analysis (BIRA) or a non-regulated risk analysis (such as scientific review of existing policy and import conditions, pest-specific assessments, weed risk assessments, biological control agent assessments or scientific advice).

Further information about Australia’s biosecurity framework is provided in the Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis Guidelines 2016 located on the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources' Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis guidelines website.

1.2This risk analysis

1.2.1Background

The Republic of Korea (henceforth Korea) formally requested market access for a number of horticultural commodities including strawberries to Australia in a submission received in November 2008 (NPQS 2008). This submission included information on the pests associated with strawberry crops in Korea, including the plant parts affected, and the standard commercial production practices for strawberries in Korea.

In September 2014, Korea advised that market access for strawberries was its top priority. Additional information on production practices and pests was received from Korea in 2015 (QIA 2015b) and 2016 (QIA 2016).

Australia already has established conditions for the importation of strawberries from New Zealand and California (USA). A preliminary pest categorisation for strawberry from Korea indicated the pests and diseases of quarantine concern are the same as or similar to those for New Zealand and California. For these reasons the department uses a non-regulated risk analysis process to consider this market access request.

On 1 April 2016, the department announced the formal commencement of this risk analysis, advising that it would be progressed as a non-regulated analysis of existing policy.

Officers from the department visited major strawberry production areas in Korea in March 2016, to observe production systems and packing house operations.

1.2.2Scope

The scope of this risk analysis is to consider the biosecurity risk that may be associated with the importation of fresh strawberry fruit (henceforth strawberries) (Fragaria × ananassa), from Korea, for human consumption in Australia.

In this risk analysis, strawberries are defined as strawberry fruit which include calyx, fruit and achenes (seeds) (Figure 1). This risk analysis covers all commercially greenhouse grown strawberries of all cultivars from all strawberry producing regions of Korea.

1.2.3Existing policy

International policy

Import policy exists for strawberries from New Zealand and California, USA (Department of Agriculture and Water Resources 2016a). Trade of strawberries from these two countries has occurred for over 20 years. Import policies of other commodities which assess known pests of Korean strawberries also exist, for instance, the import policy for table grapes from Korea (Biosecurity Australia 2011b) and the People’s Republic of China (Biosecurity Australia 2011a) as well as the import policy for nectarines from China (Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources 2016).

The import requirements for these commodity pathways can be found at the department's Biosecurity Import Conditions (BICON) website. The department has considered all the pests previously assessed in the existing policies and where relevant, the information in previous analyses have been taken into account in this risk analysis.

Domestic arrangements

The Australian Government is responsible for regulating the movement of goods such as plants and plant products into and out of Australia. However, the state and territory governments are responsible for plant health controls within their individual jurisdiction. Legislation relating to resource management or plant health may be used by state and territory government agencies to control interstate movement of plants and their products. Once plant and plant products have been cleared by Australian biosecurity officers, they may be subject to interstate movement conditions. It is the importer’s responsibility to identify, and ensure compliance with, all requirements.

1.2.4Contaminating pests

In addition to the pests associated with strawberries from Korea that are assessed in this risk analysis, there are other organisms that may arrive with the imported commodity. These organisms could include pests of other crops or predators and parasitoids of other arthropods. The department considers these organisms to be contaminating pests that could pose sanitary and phytosanitary risks. These risks are addressed by existing operational procedures that require a 600 unit inspection of all consignments, or equivalent, and investigation of any pest that may be of quarantine concern to Australia.

1.2.5Consultation

On 1 April 2016, the department notified stakeholders, in Biosecurity Advice in 2016/09, of the formal commencement of a non-regulated analysis of existing policy to consider a proposal from Korea for market access to Australia for strawberries.

The department has consulted with Korea and Australian state and territory governments during the preparation of this draft report. The department provided a draft pest categorisation to Australian state and territory agricultural departments, for their advance consideration of regional pests.

For the first time, the department is using a Biosecurity Liaison Officer in this risk analysis to enhance two-way communication. The Biosecurity Liaison Officer has conducted face-to-face meetings across Australia with representatives from the strawberry industry and regional representative bodies to discuss the risk analysis process. The Biosecurity Liaison Officer will continue to engage with stakeholders throughout this risk analysis.

1.2.6Next Steps

This draft report gives stakeholders the opportunity to comment and draw attention to any scientific, technical, or other gaps in the data, misinterpretations and errors.

The department will consider submissions received on the draft report and may consult informally with stakeholders. The department will revise the draft report as appropriate. The department will then prepare a final report, taking into account stakeholder comments.

The final report will be published on the department’s website along with a notice advising stakeholders of the release. The department will also notify the proposer, the registered stakeholders and the WTO Secretariat about the release of the final report. Publication of the final report represents the end of the risk analysis process. The conditions recommended in the final report will be the basis of any import permits issued.