RE: Kirstenbosch seeds

Its a system we are going to have to adapt to Susan

WA currently runs such a system and we have been operating under these rules
for nearly three years now.
Our "Permitted List" is almost 10,000 names which encompasses over 20,000
taxa
Our "Prohibited Species" list is 1,700 taxa.

AQIS have a much smaller list for a few reasons.
They only implemented the protocols last year
They get far fewer taxa entering the country regularly (WA by comparison has
10's of thousands of plants covering 1000's of taxa each week)

The environmental weeds on the AQIS permitted list are a fact of life.
These species are here and naturalised already and unless they are under
official control we cannot legally keep them out, hence on the list.
The system aims to screen spp. as they enter the system to catch potentially
weedy spp. before they get a chance to establish.

To speed up entry of any seed you wish to purchase is obvious, but few
people are doing it, get the consignment checked beforehand. The costs in
these screenings are pretty horrendous and as public servants we are
spending public funds to protect the environment and industry. Note though
that Industry don't pay anywhere near the actual costs its just a set fee.

We consider the assessments in WA are of "Public Benefit" and do not charge
at all.

Look at it this way, my costs and those of my technician comes to somewhere
in the region of $100,000 pa.  

Weeds cost us all as tax payers over $4 Billion Aust dollars pa (just in
Australia)
Weeds cost the US taxpayers over $ 20 Billion US dollars in 1994 alone,
increasing annually.

I only have to prevent the entry of one significant weed, in my working
life, to justify my salary and that of my technician.

Its obviously not as simple as that ,we fight hard for our funds
while some people (in this agency) have massive budgets and huge staff
numbers all based on a potential increase in production for one crop in the
range of 5%.
We continue to try to prevent entry of  weeds on a nil overheads budget and
protect not only all those heavily invested crops, but the environment and
human and animal health.  

If I sound like I'm preaching then so bit it but consider this,

"Weeds starve us more than all other pests combined"
Jonathan Gressel, President, International Weed Science Society

The same stands true for the environment, the species that weeds displace
are a source of food and shelter for the native fauna once gone the fauna
goes.

So please next time you consider importing seeds
check first to see if any of the spp. are weeds or potential weeds in your
country.
The time and effort may seem out of all proportion to your percieved
benefits,
but its not.

Rod 
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Rod Randall
Weed Risk Assessment
Weed Science Group, Agriculture Western Australia

                 "I weed..." 

Weed Risk Assessment Home Page:
http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/progserv/plants/weeds/weedsci2.htm

Weed List Page:
http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/progserv/plants/weeds/weeds/weedlist.htm

Weed Activity Calender:
http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/progserv/plants/weeds/calendar.htm

WeedBusters Home page:
http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/progserv/plants/weeds/buster/buster.htm

Weed Science Group Home Page:
http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/progserv/plants/weeds/

Plant Protection Society & Western Weeds Homepage:
http://www.wantree.com.au/~weeds/

 ph: 08 9368 3443
fax: 08 9474 3814
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

> ----------
> From: 	Susan George
> Reply To: 	susan_c_george@hotmail.com
> Sent: 	Wednesday, 17 March 1999 10:31 AM
> To: 	lizr@ozemail.com.au; medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
> Subject: 	Re: Kirstenbosch seeds
> 
> Liz
> 
> receiving seed is always exciting - I grow some of the species that you 
> have listed but some I don't know I will have to look them up. 
> 
> I have been away from the list since Dec so not sure whether you have 
> discussed the changes to AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection 
> Service) or not??
> 
> I am thinking about ordering some seeds from Silverhills (i didn't know 
> that Kirstenbosch had a seed exchange!! please send me details!!) but 
> have been hesitating because of the recent change in approach by AQIS - 
> in late Jan I spent some days getting my Alpine Garden Society seeds 
> back from them after they had been seized (they were all returned but 
> the time and effort required was extraordinary). 
> 
> Seems that AQIS is now taking the approach of developing an 'allowed 
> list of plants' and only allowing those seeds through (the list is very 
> limited at this stage - the version on the internet in Jan didn't list 
> stacks of plants that are commonly grown in Australia eg peony!!)  All 
> other seeds are seized and the onus is on the importer to prove that 
> they are not weeds etc (the irony is that a number of plants that I 
> would consider environmental weeds are on the list). 
> 
> Although protecting Australia's environment is important - the 
> additional costs and time of the new system seem overly burdensome. The 
> AQIS officers I have spoken to are saying that they are going to have to 
> start changing private individuals for the time that it takes to 
> implement their new system!! They are already charging businesses. 
> 
> Has anyone else had this problem??
> 
> Susan George
> McCrae, Australia
> 
> 
> >From: Liz Runciman <lizr@ozemail.com.au>
> >Reply-To: lizr@ozemail.com.au
> >To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
> >Subject: Kirstenbosch seeds
> >Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 22:50:28 +1000
> >
> >Just received my allocation of seeds from 
> >the Botanical Society of SA.  Always an 
> >exciting time as one nurtures them full of 
> >hope!  I wondered whether any other medit-l 
> >members subscribe to this society and receive 
> >seeds.  These are some of the seeds I got  
> >and I'd be interested in comments from anyone 
> >growing these plants.  Burchellia bubalina I 
> >know is not a medit plant but subtropical. 
> >However for sentimental reasons I have to 
> >give it a go. The others I chose mainly on 
> >the grounds that they tolerate shade (according 
> >to the notes).  They are predominantly western 
> >Cape and thus mediterranean, so it would be 
> >interesting to know if other list members grow 
> >them.  The different agapanthus sp. would be 
> >such an interesting change as one only sees 
> >the common-or-garden blue or white here,   
> >A. praecox I think.
> > 
> >Agathosma gonaquensis
> >Heteromorpha trifoliata
> >Peddiea africana 
> >Tarchonanthus camphoratus
> >Streptocarpus johannes
> >Sparrmannia africana
> >Diospyros whyteana
> >Sclerochiton harveyanus
> >Phylica axillaris
> >Maytenus bachmannii
> >Burchellia bubalina
> >Helichrysum populifolium
> >Lobelia pinifolia
> >Agapanthus praecox ssp. minimus 'Adelaide'
> >Agapanthus praecox ssp. minimus 'Storms River'
> >
> >Liz
> >
> >Liz Runciman
> >3a The Crescent
> >Marryatville SA 5068
> >Australia tel: 61 8 8332 9035
> >fax 61 8 8331 9041
> >
> >
> 
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
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