Notes from MPSC for the period June 2020 – November 2020 
         Notes from the Chair – MPSC20
         The Marine Pest Sectoral Committee (MPSC) held          Please take care of yourselves, each other and 
         its twentieth committee meeting online on               remember to chat and enjoy the coffee 
         12 November 2020.                                       Dr Justin McDonald  
         As Chair, I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks        Chair MPSC20 
         to all MPSC members (current and previous), 
         observers, partners, stakeholders and all who 
         participated in MPSC workshops and meetings             MPSC High Priority Work Items 
         over 2020. In particular, I would like to thank 
         Brett Herbert and Louise Caldwell without whom          In the second half of 2020, MPSC progressed the 
         it would all fall apart.                                following high priority work items. 
         It was certainly a strange period as chair, what        National Strategic Plan for Marine Pest 
         with a global pandemic I spent most of the time         Biosecurity: MarinePestPlan 2018-2023 
         chairing virtually. In contrast to this time last 
         year, the one thing we can be sure of is that Covid     Activities in MarinePestPlan 2018–2023 are being 
         will continue to shape our context throughout           progressed. 
         this year and beyond. Thankfully our Melbourne 
         colleagues are now free to leave their homes.           Of the 29 activities listed: 
         Despite the challenges we all faced MPSC                •  12 activities are complete 
         delivered some great work and outputs. I have           •  11 have commenced 
         two main reflections from 2020.                         •  1 is ongoing  
                                                                 •  5 are yet to commence. 
         Firstly, the work we do through MPSC is                 More information on MarinePestPlan 2018-2023 
         important, we must remember that. We are a              activities and current status can be found on the 
         small group that produce a lot.  The quality of our     Marine Pests website. 
         work is acknowledged by our partners and we             MarinePestPlan 2018-2023 mid-term review 
         have received great praise from NBC and EIC for 
         our project delivery, collegiate and open               Over 2020, MarinePestPlan 2018-2023 underwent 
         approach                                                a mid-term review.  All activities in the plan are 
         Secondly, there will continue to be inevitable          either complete or underway, or waiting on 
         curve balls locally, nationally and internationally     progress in other areas. 
         and we’ll need to keep an open and flexible             An additional activity to develop a national 
         mindset and be ready to roll with whatever              marine pest surveillance work plan, to support 
         shocks and challenges arise.  I urge all of you to      implementation of activity 2.1 (Develop a 
         continue to push marine pest issues and to              national marine pest surveillance strategy), has 
         support one another.                                    been added to the plan and project commenced. 
         Finally, I would like to welcome Dr John                Activity 4.4 has been reworded and is now ‘Make 
         Robertson as the new MPSC Chair. I am confident         recommendations and implement measures to 
         John will be an amazing chair and I hope he will        improve management of marine pest vectors and 
         enjoy, as I have, working with MPSC members             pathways’. 
         and stakeholders to progress the valuable work          The MarinePestPlan 2018-2023 mid-term review 
         of the committee.                                       can be found on the Marine Pests website. 
          
           
          National Marine Pest Surveillance Strategy                  Emergency Response (EMPPlan) 
          and Work Plan                                               MarinePestPlan activity 3.5 – Plan and implement 
          MarinePestPlan activity 2.1 – Develop a national            procedures to develop and update the EMPPlan 
          marine pest surveillance strategy.                          rapid response manuals and related guidance 
          The National Marine Pest Surveillance Strategy              materials. 
          was endorsed at MPSC17 (May 2018) and is now                The Biosecurity Incident Management System: 
          published. The accompanying Work Plan is in                 Marine pest version (BIMS:MPV) is now 
          development, with a proposed implementation                 published. The document provides guidance on 
          period of 2021–26.                                          managing marine pest incidents, including 
          Passive Surveillance Education and                          establishing control centres. 
          Awareness                                                   A Rapid Response Manual for invasive crabs is 
                                                                      currently in development. This is the first draft of 
          MarinePestPlan activity 2.3 – Promote tailored              the new structure for EMP Plan response 
          education and awareness materials to engage                 manuals-focusing on a functional group instead 
          marine pest observer groups in passive                      of single species.  
          surveillance activities.                                    A Marine Pest Management Manual – covering 
          Four sectors have been identified as likely to              topics including destruction, decontamination 
          benefit from the provision of passive surveillance          and disposal of marine pests – is currently in 
          education and awareness material: aquaculture,              development. 
          commercial divers, ports/marinas, and shipping.             Marine Pest Impacts 
          The task group is now discussing what activities            MarinePestPlan activity 4.3 – Review the 
          could be undertaken to improve availability of              economic, environmental and social impacts of 
          education and awareness material. Initial focus is          marine pests in Australia. 
          on the ports and shipping sectors.                          The Marine Pest Impacts Task Group has 
          NIMPIS                                                      completed its review of the economic, 
          MarinePestPlan activity 2.7 – Review surveillance           environmental and social impacts of 16 
          information management needs and ensure an                  introduced marine pest species in Australia, 
          appropriate information system is in place.                 however finalising the report has been delayed. 
          The National Introduced Marine Pest Information             National Awareness Campaign 
          System (NIMPIS) website has been revitalised                MarinePestPlan activity 5.3 – Design a targeted 
          and launched (beta version).                                national campaign to improve awareness of 
          The website provides information on the biology,            marine pest biosecurity risks, management 
          ecology and distribution of marine pests either             actions and shared responsibilities. 
          established or that pose a risk of future                   New members have joined the National 
          introduction to Australia, and acts as a central            Awareness Campaign Task Group, and the scope 
          repository for validated Australian marine pest             is being narrowed and more clearly defined. 
          surveillance data.                                          Terms of Reference and a workplan of activities 
          Further updates and adjustments to the website              are being developed. 
          are underway, based on feedback from users.                 The primary aims of the project are to direct 
                                                                      target audiences toward existing material, and to 
                                                                      ensure a consistent message is delivered across 
                                                                      jurisdictions.  
           
    mpsc@awe.gov.au        GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 
          
         Australian Priority Marine Pests List                 New South Wales 
         The Australian Priority Marine Pest List (APMPL)      A number of projects are underway, or 
         contains three established and six exotic marine      commencing soon, including:  
         pest species, assessed as being of national           •   literature review project to identify and 
         significance, and therefore potentially eligible for      determine potential marine pest surveillance 
         cost-sharing under the NEBRA.                             techniques suitable for NSW 
         MPSC agreed to add Mytella strigata (Charru           •   development of an online training module 
         mussel) to this list.                                     that will focus on marine pest biosecurity 
         Mytella strigata was previously not considered        •   a Marine Estate Management Strategy 
         eligible for listing on the APMPL, but has since          (MEMS) funded project that will deliver social 
         been reassessed using recent data and found to            research and a behaviour change program for 
         meet the criteria. This decision was based on new         marine biosecurity awareness, targeting 
         literature available regarding the morphology,            biofouling management on small-medium 
         invasion ecology of its spread in Asia and control        sized vessels moored or berthed in NSW 
         of the species, and on its increased invasion risk.       marine estate waters. 
         M. strigata was identified as a species of rapidly    There has been a range extension of Sabella 
         growing concern in the region.                        spallanzanii (European fan worm) confirmed on 
                                                               scientific equipment deployed 3nm offshore from 
                                                               Bondi, Sydney. There have been three re-
                                                               confirmations of Caulerpa taxifolia (killer alga) 
         Jurisdictional Updates                                confirmed in areas where it is already known to 
                                                               occur. NSW DPI has also investigated the illegal 
         Australian Government                                 online sale of Carcinus maenas (Asian shore crab) 
         The Department of Agriculture, Water Resources        via Facebook. 
         and the Environment has progressed a range of         Northern Territory 
         marine pest biosecurity work, including:              Marine pest surveillance and risk mitigation and 
         •  progressed implementation of domestic and          communication activities continued during this 
            international ballast water management             period. 
            policies                                           Queensland 
         •  contributed to the review and development of 
            international ballast water and biofouling         Queensland has been finalising deliverables from 
            standards                                          the Marine Pest Prevention and Preparedness 
         •  collaborated on international marine pest          Project; planning for and securing resources to 
            biosecurity partnerships.                          ensure benefits realised from the project are 
         •  progressed projects under the Agricultural         retained into the future. This includes the 
            Competitiveness White Paper and other              continuation of the Queensland Seaports eDNA 
            administered funding                               Surveillance Program in partnership with port 
         •  progressed activities under MarinePestPlan         authorities. 
            2018-23.                                           Queensland has also continued to respond to and 
                                                               manage risks associated with in-water cleaning 
                                                               operations, which are continuing to increase, and 
                                                               detections of invasive marine species on vessels. 
          
   mpsc@awe.gov.au      GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 
           
          South Australia                                                including 6 adult females in berry. Surveillance is 
                                                                         continuing and samples have been sent for 
          In this period, South Australia has:                           analysis; a formal notification to CCIMPE has 
          •   provided advice to the South Australia                     been submitted. 
              Department of Infrastructure and Transport                 Western Australia 
              and proponents for a number of ports in SA to              The Department of Primary Industries and 
              minimise biosecurity risks                                 Regional Development (DPIRD) has been 
          •   provided advice to a biofouling contractor                 involved in a range of marine biosecurity science, 
              regarding in water cleaning                                compliance, policy and communications activities 
          •   worked with the Department of Defence on                   since the last report.  
              biosecurity risks of vessels in Port River 
          •   Biosecurity Act Technical Directions Paper                 Highlights of these activities include: 
              out for public consultation 
          •   provided advice to DIT and proponent for                   •   continued surveillance of 11 ports across the 
              proposed Floating Storage and Regasification                   state 
              Unit at Outer Harbour.                                     •   targeted surveillance at high value and high-
          Tasmania                                                           risk assets 
                                                                         •   implementation of the Vessel-Check portal as 
          In this period, Biosecurity Tasmania has:                          part of DPIRD’s biofouling management 
                                                                             strategy, and continuing to contribute to the 
          •   continued to work on developing regulations                    portal's development. 
              to the Tasmanian Biosecurity Act 2019 
          •   continued to develop Remote Operated 
              underwater Vehicle (ROV) inspection                        Chair Handover 
              capability through the ROV enhancement                     Upon the conclusion of MPSC20, MPSC Chair 
              program                                                    duties transferred from Western Australia 
          •   begun below-water inspection of high-risk                  (Justin McDonald) to Queensland (John 
              vessels entering Tasmania or prior to                      Robertson). MPSC thanks Justin for his leadership 
              embarkation to high value environments.                    of the committee. 
          A new build vessel originating from Vietnam and 
          travelling to Hobart was detected (pre-arrival) to 
          have Mytella strigata (Charru mussel) and Perna                Upcoming MPSC Meetings & 
          viridis (Asian green mussel), and appropriate                  Activities 
          steps taken to manage the risk. 
          Victoria                                                       MPSC21 
          Victoria continues to build its capability in the              The twenty-first MPSC meeting and 
          management of marine pests. Victoria has                       corresponding Partners workshop will be held 
          focused on emergency preparedness and                          online in early May 2021, dates to be confirmed.  
          response activities.                                           MPSC22 
          At MPSC 20, Victoria notified members that they 
          are currently investigating a detection of                     The twenty-second MPSC meeting and 
          Hemigraphsus sanguineus (Asian Shore Crab) in                  corresponding Partners workshop will be held in 
          Port Phillip Bay. The initial detection was                    November 2021, dates to be confirmed. If a face-
          reported and identified via iNaturalist. Further               to-face meeting is possible, Western Australia 
          surveillance discovered 27 crabs across two sites,             will host; otherwise the meetings will run online. 
           
           
    mpsc@awe.gov.au         GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601