Final policy review: Alternative risk management measures to import Lilium spp cut flowers from Taiwan
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Method for pest risk analysisThis section sets out the method used for the pest risk analysis (PRA) in this report. The Department of Agriculture has conducted this PRA in accordance with the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), including ISPM 2: Framework for Pest Risk Analysis (FAO 2007) and ISPM 11: Pest Risk Analysis for Quarantine Pests, including analysis of environmental risks and living modified organisms (FAO 2013). A PRA is ‘the process of evaluating biological or other scientific and economic evidence to determine whether a pest should be regulated and the strength of any phytosanitary measures to be taken against it’ (FAO 2012). A pest is ‘any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal, or pathogenic agent injurious to plants or plant products’ (FAO 2012). Quarantine risk consists of two major components: the probability of a pest entering, establishing and spreading in Australia from imports; and the consequences should this happen. These two components are combined to give an overall estimate of the risk. Unrestricted risk is estimated taking into account the existing commercial production practices of the exporting country and that, on arrival in Australia, the department will verify that the consignment received is as described on the commercial documents and that its integrity has been maintained. Restricted risk is estimated with phytosanitary measure(s) applied. A phytosanitary measure is ‘any legislation, regulation or official procedure having the purpose to prevent the introduction and spread of quarantine pests, or to limit the economic impact of regulated non-quarantine pests’ (FAO 2012). A glossary of the terms used is provided at the back of this report. PRAs are conducted in three consecutive stages: initiation, pest risk assessment and pest risk management.
1.8Stage 1: Initiation of the PRAInitiation identifies the pest(s) and pathway(s) that are of quarantine concern and should be considered for risk analysis in relation to the identified PRA area. The pests assessed for their potential to be on the exported commodity (produced using commercial production and packing procedures) are listed in column 1 of Appendix A. Appendix A does not present a comprehensive list of all the pests associated with the entire plant, but concentrates on the pests that could be on the assessed commodity. Pests that are determined to not be associated with the commodity are not considered further in the PRA. Contaminating pests that have no specific relation to the commodity or the export pathway have not been listed and would be addressed by Australia’s current approach to contaminating pests. The identity of the pests is given in Appendix A. The species name is used in most instances but a lower taxonomic level is used where appropriate. Synonyms are provided where the current scientific name differs from that provided by the exporting countries NPPO or where the cited literature uses a different scientific name. For this PRA, the ‘PRA area’ is defined as Australia for pests that are absent, or of limited distribution and under official control. For areas with regional freedom from a pest, the ‘PRA area’ may be defined on the basis of a state or territory of Australia or may be defined as a region of Australia consisting of parts of a state or territory or several states or territories. 1.9Stage 2: Pest Risk AssessmentA pest risk assessment (for quarantine pests) is: ‘the evaluation of the probability of the introduction and spread of a pest and of the likelihood of associated potential economic consequences’ (FAO 2012). In this PRA, pest risk assessment was divided into the following interrelated processes: 1.9.1Pest categorisationPest categorisation identifies which of the pests with the potential to be on the commodity are quarantine pests for Australia and require pest risk assessment. A ‘quarantine pest’ is a pest of potential economic importance to the area endangered thereby and not yet present there, or present but not widely distributed and being officially controlled, as defined in ISPM 5: Glossary of phytosanitary terms (FAO 2012). The pests identified in Stage 1 were categorised using the following primary elements to identify the quarantine pests for the commodity being assessed: presence or absence in the PRA area regulatory status potential for establishment and spread in the PRA area potential for economic consequences (including environmental consequences) in the PRA area. The results of pest categorisation are set out in Appendix A. The quarantine pests identified during pest categorisation were carried forward for pest risk assessment and are listed in Table 4.1.
1.9.2Assessment of the probability of entry, establishment and spreadDetails of how to assess the ‘probability of entry’, ‘probability of establishment’ and ‘probability of spread’ of a pest are given in ISPM 11 (FAO 2013). A summary of this process is given below, followed by a description of the qualitative methodology used in this IRA. Probability of entryThe probability of entry describes the probability that a quarantine pest will enter Australia as a result of trade in a given commodity, be distributed in a viable state in the PRA area and subsequently be transferred to a host. It is based on pathway scenarios depicting necessary steps in the sourcing of the commodity for export, its processing, transport and storage, its use in Australia and the generation and disposal of waste. In particular, the ability of the pest to survive is considered for each of these stages. The probability of entry estimates for the quarantine pests for a commodity are based on the use of the existing commercial production, packaging and shipping practices of the exporting country. Details of the existing commercial production practices for the commodity are set out in Section 3. These practices are taken into consideration by the department when estimating the probability of entry. For the purpose of considering the probability of entry, the department divides this step of this stage of the PRA into two components:
Factors considered in the probability of importation include: distribution and incidence of the pest in the source area occurrence of the pest in a life-stage that would be associated with the commodity mode of trade (such as bulk or packed) volume and frequency of movement of the commodity along each pathway seasonal timing of imports pest management, cultural and commercial procedures applied at the place of origin speed of transport and conditions of storage compared with the duration of the lifecycle of the pest vulnerability of the life-stages of the pest during transport or storage incidence of the pest likely to be associated with a consignment commercial procedures (such as refrigeration) applied to consignments during transport and storage in the country of origin, and during transport to Australia. Factors considered in the probability of distribution include: commercial procedures (such as refrigeration) applied to consignments during distribution in Australia dispersal mechanisms of the pest, including vectors, to allow movement from the pathway to a host whether the imported commodity is to be sent to a few or many destination points in the PRA area proximity of entry, transit and destination points to hosts time of year at which import takes place intended use of the commodity (for example for planting, processing or consumption) risks from by-products and waste. Probability of establishmentEstablishment is defined as the ‘perpetuation for the foreseeable future, of a pest within an area after entry’ (FAO 2012). In order to estimate the probability of establishment of a pest, reliable biological information (for example, lifecycle, host range, epidemiology, survival) is obtained from the areas where the pest currently occurs. The situation in the PRA area can then be compared with that in the areas where it currently occurs and expert judgement used to assess the probability of establishment. Factors considered in the probability of establishment in the PRA area include: availability of hosts, alternative hosts and vectors suitability of the environment reproductive strategy and potential for adaptation minimum population needed for establishment cultural practices and control measures.
Probability of spreadSpread is defined as ‘the expansion of the geographical distribution of a pest within an area’ (FAO 2012). The probability of spread considers the factors relevant to the movement of the pest, after establishment on a host plant or plants, to other susceptible host plants of the same or different species in other areas. In order to estimate the probability of spread of the pest, reliable biological information is obtained from areas where the pest currently occurs. The situation in the PRA area is then carefully compared with that in the areas where the pest currently occurs and expert judgement used to assess the probability of spread. Factors considered in the probability of spread include: suitability of the natural and/or managed environment for natural spread of the pest presence of natural barriers potential for movement with commodities, conveyances or by vectors intended use of the commodity potential vectors of the pest in the PRA area potential natural enemies of the pest in the PRA area. Assigning qualitative likelihoods for the probability of entry, establishment and spreadIn its qualitative PRAs, the department uses the term ‘likelihood’ for the descriptors it uses for its estimates of probability of entry, establishment and spread. Qualitative likelihoods are assigned to each step of entry, establishment and spread. Six descriptors are used: high; moderate; low; very low; extremely low; and negligible (Table 2.1). Descriptive definitions for these descriptors and their indicative probability ranges are given in Table 2.1. The indicative probability ranges are only provided to illustrate the boundaries of the descriptors. These indicative probability ranges are not used beyond this purpose in qualitative PRAs. The standardised likelihood descriptors and the associated indicative probability ranges provide guidance to the risk analyst and promote consistency between different risk analyses. Table 3.1 Nomenclature for qualitative likelihoods
The likelihood of entry is determined by combining the likelihood that the pest will be imported into the PRA area and the likelihood that the pest will be distributed within the PRA area, using a matrix of rules (Table 2.2). This matrix is then used to combine the likelihood of entry and the likelihood of establishment, and the likelihood of entry and establishment is then combined with the likelihood of spread to determine the overall likelihood of entry, establishment and spread. For example, if the probability of importation is assigned a likelihood of ‘low’ and the probability of distribution is assigned a likelihood of ‘moderate’, then they are combined to give a likelihood of ‘low’ for the probability of entry. The likelihood for the probability of entry is then combined with the likelihood assigned to the probability of establishment (for example ‘high’) to give a likelihood for the probability of entry and establishment of ‘low’. The likelihood for the probability of entry and establishment is then combined with the likelihood assigned to the probability of spread (for example ‘very low’) to give the overall likelihood for the probability of entry, establishment and spread of ‘very low’. Table 3.2 Matrix of rules for combining qualitative likelihoods
Time and volume of tradeOne factor affecting the likelihood of entry is the volume and duration of trade. If all other conditions remain the same, the overall likelihood of entry will increase as time passes and the overall volume of trade increases. The department normally considers the likelihood of entry on the basis of the estimated volume of one year’s trade. This is a convenient value for the analysis that is relatively easy to estimate and allows for expert consideration of seasonal variations in pest presence, incidence and behaviour to be taken into account. The consideration of the likelihood of entry, establishment and spread and subsequent consequences takes into account events that might happen over a number of years even though only one year’s volume of trade is being considered. This reflects biological and ecological facts, for example where a pest or disease may establish in the year of import but spread may take many years. These considerations have been taken into account when setting up the matrix. Therefore any policy based on this analysis does not simply apply to one year of trade. Policy decisions that are based on the department’s method that uses the estimated volume of one year’s trade are consistent with Australia’s policy on appropriate level of protection and meet the Australian Government’s requirement for ongoing quarantine protection. Of course, if there are substantial changes in the volume and nature of the trade in specific commodities then the department has an obligation to review the risk analysis and, if necessary, provide updated policy advice. In assessing the volume of trade in this PRA, the department assumed that a substantial volume of trade will occur. 1.9.3Assessment of potential consequencesThe objective of the consequence assessment is to provide a structured and transparent analysis of the likely consequences if the pests or disease agents were to enter, establish and spread in Australia. The assessment considers direct and indirect pest effects and their economic and environmental consequences. The requirements for assessing potential consequences are given in Article 5.3 of the SPS Agreement (WTO 1995), ISPM 5 (FAO 2012) and ISPM 11 (FAO 2004). Direct pest effects are considered in the context of the effects on: plant life or health other aspects of the environment. Indirect pest effects are considered in the context of the effects on: eradication, control domestic trade international trade environment. For each of these six criteria, the consequences were estimated over four geographic levels, defined as: Local: an aggregate of households or enterprises (a rural community, a town or a local government area). District: a geographically or geopolitically associated collection of aggregates (generally a recognised section of a state or territory, such as ‘Far North Queensland’). Regional: a geographically or geopolitically associated collection of districts in a geographic area (generally a state or territory, although there may be exceptions with larger states such as Western Australia). National: Australia wide (Australian mainland states and territories and Tasmania). For each criterion, the magnitude of the potential consequence at each of these levels was described using four categories, defined as: Indiscernible: pest impact unlikely to be noticeable. Minor significance: expected to lead to a minor increase in mortality/morbidity of hosts or a minor decrease in production but not expected to threaten the economic viability of production. Expected to decrease the value of non-commercial criteria but not threaten the criterion’s intrinsic value. Effects would generally be reversible. Significant: expected to threaten the economic viability of production through a moderate increase in mortality/morbidity of hosts, or a moderate decrease in production. Expected to significantly diminish or threaten the intrinsic value of non-commercial criteria. Effects may not be reversible. Major significance: expected to threaten the economic viability through a large increase in mortality/morbidity of hosts, or a large decrease in production. Expected to severely or irreversibly damage the intrinsic ‘value’ of non-commercial criteria. The estimates of the magnitude of the potential consequences over the four geographic levels were translated into a qualitative impact score (A–G)3 using Table 2.34. For example, a consequence with a magnitude of ‘significant’ at the ‘district’ level will have a consequence impact score of D. Table 3.3 Decision rules for determining the consequence impact score based on the magnitude of consequences at four geographic scales
The overall consequence for each pest is achieved by combining the qualitative impact scores (A–G) for each direct and indirect consequence using a series of decision rules (Table 2.4). These rules are mutually exclusive, and are assessed in numerical order until one applies. 1.9.4Estimation of the unrestricted riskOnce the above assessments are completed, the unrestricted risk can be determined for each pest or groups of pests. This is determined by using a risk estimation matrix (Table 2.5) to combine the estimates of the probability of entry, establishment and spread and the overall consequences of pest establishment and spread. Therefore, risk is the product of likelihood and consequence. Table 3.4 Decision rules for determining the overall consequence rating for each pest
When interpreting the risk estimation matrix, note the descriptors for each axis are similar (such as low, moderate, high) but the vertical axis refers to likelihood and the horizontal axis refers to consequences. Accordingly, a ‘low’ likelihood combined with ‘high’ consequences, is not the same as a ‘high’ likelihood combined with ‘low’ consequences – the matrix is not symmetrical. For example, the former combination would give an unrestricted risk rating of ‘moderate’, whereas, the latter would be rated as a ‘low’ unrestricted risk. Table 3.5 Risk estimation matrix
1.9.5Australia’s appropriate level of protection (ALOP)The SPS Agreement defines the concept of an ‘appropriate level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection (ALOP)’ as the level of protection deemed appropriate by the WTO Member establishing a sanitary or phytosanitary measure to protect human, animal or plant life or health within its territory. Australia expresses its ALOP in qualitative terms. Australia’s ALOP, which reflects community expectations through government policy, is currently expressed as providing a high level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection aimed at reducing risk to a very low level, but not to zero. The band of cells in Table 2.5 marked ‘very low risk’ represents Australia’s ALOP. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||