THE Western Australian government will be funding $370,000 towards improving the state’s marine biosecurity defences.
The funding is part of more than $2.2 million in National Resource Management (NRM) funding which supports the government’s fisheries research.
The Department of Fisheries’ senior fish pathologist Brian Jones says it will enable the purchase of diagnostic tools, for quick identification of aquatic pest and disease incursion.
“Until now, samples of marine pests and potential disease incursions had to be sent to Sydney University for testing, but with the purchase of two important diagnostic tools we can improve the speed and number of biosecurity tests we can do,” Jones says
Jones claims the NRM funding will also facilitate the purchase of a real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) unit.
“The PCR unit allows for large numbers of DNA samples to be identified in a matter of hours rather than days, resulting in time and labour saving that, in a disease incursion, can provide a significant advantage,” he says.
According to Jones, 18 Australian ports have been identified to be responsible for more than 80% of the potential risks of introduced marine pests.
"It is therefore extremely important to prevent marine pests from invading our shores, through shipping activity that is regarded as a major source of introducing and distributing marine pests. Monitoring programs and surveys help as front line defences,” Jones says.
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