When many people think about farm biosecurity, they think about fences, foot baths… They might think about quarantine at the airport and so on. Keeping out foot-and-mouth disease, European house borers, insects and plants and fruits…
Who did this year’s Australian Farm Biosecurity Award go to? To an aquaculture operation! And in Tasmania!
Read more below –
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Dr. David Scarfe <DScarfe@avma.org>
Date: Tue, Oct 1, 2013 at 7:53 PM
Subject: AquaVetMed e-News: Australian Aquaculture Operation receives 2013 Biosecurity Farmer of the Year Award
To:
October 1, 2013
Winner announced for 2013 Biosecurity Farmer of the Year
In a first for the Australian Farmer of the Year Awards, an aquaculture business has not only been chosen as a finalist in the 2013 Biosecurity Farmer of the Year Award, but has taken the title. The 2013 Biosecurity Farmer of the Year Award winners are Peter and Frances Bender, salmon and trout farmers from Hideaway Bay, Tasmania.
Originally cattle farmers, the Benders diversified into salmon in 1988. Twenty-five years later, the Benders have grown their business, Huon Aquaculture Company Pty, into a vertically integrated company which farms, processes and sells Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout products to domestic and international markets. Last year Huon Aquaculture implemented a whole of chain biosecurity plan based on a detailed risk assessment of the business. Born from the need to protect the company from the effects of devastating diseases such as salmon anaemia, the plan outlines a number of procedures and protocols designed to minimise the spread and impact of endemic and exotic diseases.
Peter and Frances’ message to fellow producers is simple: “Take biosecurity seriously—pathogens have no respect for spin.”
The other award finalists, sheep producers Richard and Jacquie Halliday from South Australia and Shelley and Chris Cocker from Tasmania demonstrated excellent on-farm biosecurity when their flocks were threatened with ovine Johne’s disease (OJD). Their swift and appropriate actions were crucial to managing the disease, helping to reduce their losses and mitigate the potential broader impacts to clients and neighbouring producers.
Learn more about Farm Biosecurity at www.farmbiosecurity.com.au.
Source: Animal Health Australia (http://tinyurl.com/mfnz6t7).
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