Biosecurity is a Shared Responsibility

Biosecurity is the series of preventative measures taken to stop the effects of major threats to plants and animals, such as pests, introduced species, transmittable/infectious diseases and modified species. It is crucial to the environment to have stable biosecurity, as mass devastation can occur without adequate protection, and it can pose a huge threat to biosecurity.

For farmers, biosecurity is integral to their work and must be maintained in order to produce healthy, quality products and prevent the possible spread of pests and diseases. Farmers are encouraged to have biosecurity plans in place in order to maximise their own biosecurity. Measures may include keeping a close eye on each animal’s health and being aware of the signs of dangerous infectious diseases and also recognising possible pests, weeds or other unwanted threats early on to prevent them from spreading. Without stable biosecurity, farmers are at risk of devastating consequences that can majorly affect their farms, animals, crops, etc. However, it’s a huge thing to maintain, and sometimes nationwide action for a healthy biosecurity system is beneficial to supporting farmers.

The Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture encourages regular citizens to take daily measures in their various hobbies to increase biosecurity- for example, domestic travellers should check what items they are allowed to take to different states to prevent spreading contaminated items, and bushwalkers should make sure there is no debris, dirt or residue on their shoes or clothing that could contain pests or seeds that are unwanted in the area.

Biosecurity is an incredibly important issue, and is crucial in order to protect agriculture and food security. We as individuals can all do our bit to help sustain, or even increase, biosecurity nationwide.