Senator O'Brien asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, upon notice, on 12 July 1999:

(1) When did the sampling and testing of pilchards imported into Australia commence.

(2) Is that testing undertaken by the Australian Animal Health Laboratories in Geelong, Victoria.

(3) (a) What was the nature of the testing; (b) What is the sample size for the testing; (c) What were the fish tested for; (d) What was the result of the testing.

(4) If the testing of imported pilchards has ceased; (a) Who made the decision to halt the testing; (b) On what basis was the testing stopped.

Senator Alston (Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) —The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) Samples of imported pilchards were collected between 4 August 1995 and 11 January 1996 and subsequently tested between September 1995 and March 1996.

(2) The testing was conducted by the Fish Diseases Laboratory at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL).

(3) (a) Pilchards were tested for a specific list of viruses and bacteria. Tissue extracts were prepared from the gill and pooled kidney/liver/spleen. These extracts were then used to inoculate four different susceptible cell lines in tissue culture for viral testing. The cell cultures were monitored for 21 days for the appearance of plaques (changes to the appearance of the cells) caused by viruses. The pilchard extracts were also used to inoculate bacterial culture plates. Plates were examined over a period of seven days. Presumptive isolates of either Aeromonas salmonicida or Vibrio spp were subcultured and then identified via a range of biochemical tests.

(b) AAHL received 360 individual fish from 63 sample batches for testing.

(c) The fish were tested for the presence of viral agents, including those that cause the following diseases: Epizootic haematopoietic necrosis; Infectious haematopoietic necrosis; Oncorhynchus masou virus disease; Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia; Infectious pancreatic necrosis; Spring viraemia of carp.

The bacterial testing was specifically designed to identify the presence of Aeromonas salmonicida and Vibrio spp.

(d) No evidence of the presence of the targeted viral or exotic bacterial pathogens was found in the samples examined.

(4) (a) and (b) Testing was conducted as part of an Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) project, jointly funded by AQIS and AAHL to assess whether imported pilchards were carriers of detectable levels of exotic salmonid pathogens. At the conclusion of the project, which had over six months sampled and tested 360 fish from 63 sample batches, without detecting any of the targeted viral or exotic bacterial pathogens, AQIS, in consultation with the Chief Veterinary Officer of Australia, decided that testing should cease.