15.1 Risk management optionsThe fol

15.1 Risk management options
The following risk management options were considered by the IRA team.
Sourcing from free stocks (option 1)
Importation of prawns could be permitted from countries or zones determined to be free of the pathogenic agent of concern. Determination of agent freedom would need to be to a standard consistent with that recommended by the OIE, or equivalent. For Australian government authorities to be satisfied that a country or zone is free of a given disease, they must have a knowledge of the Competent Authority (e.g. the veterinary services or equivalent) of that country and be satisfied that the Competent Authority has the capacity for disease control, monitoring and surveillance as appropriate for the disease. In some cases, it might be necessary for the disease to be subject to compulsory reporting or be the subject of consideration in disease investigation. Australia’s ‘Guidelines for the approval of countries to export animals (including fish and shellfish) and their products to Australia’ have been published (ABPM 1999/41 – see Appendix 4). The OIE’s international health standard on zoning and compartmentalisation for aquatic animal diseases is provided in Appendix 5 as a guide. Biosecurity Australia recognises that some exporting countries may wish to make a claim for access based on equivalent risk management measures, such as prawn stock accreditation schemes or the concept of compartmentalisation . These would need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
A rigorous assessment of any application for approval of compartmentalisation or stock accreditation schemes would be undertaken to ensure that effective biosecurity measures are implemented and maintained throughout the complete chain from source population to point of export. A detailed submission would need to be provided by the competent authority of the exporting country and Australia would conduct an on-ground assessment of the proposed compartment or stock accreditation scheme.
Importation from free countries or zones is expected to reduce the overall risk associated with each pathogenic agent so as to achieve Australia’s ALOP, subject to a satisfactory assessment of the country’s Competent Authority and its capacity to determine and maintain disease freedom.