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Biosecurity Aust accused of putting trade before safety
7 May 2004
Biosecurity Australia has increased the risk of the agriculture sector being bit by invasive diseases or pests, claims the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies. This has occurred because there is now a stronger emphasis on trade within the organisation, the federation claims. It has also resulted in confidence in Biosecurity Australia being diminished: agricultural scientists are concerned that BA is giving trade considerations a higher priority than scientific analysis of the risks associated with plant or animal product imports.
The federation is also concerned about scientific errors in BA modelling and data used to assess risks, and about inadequate record-keeping by BA's import risk assessment panels. The federation also claimed that BA had tried to "direct" scientific teams on IRA panels towards decisions that assisted trade.
Australian Financial Review, 7/5/04.
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