Australia-Bound

\ word of warning to yachts leading for Australia comes rom the Australian Depart nent of Health in Canberra. \ssistant Director-General Animal Quarantine) K. A.

Joyle, writes: f you are planning to visit Aus ralia, you will be most wel ;ome. But spare a thought for ie fact that Australians are ery dependent upon primary idustries such as livestock nd horticulture, which are Drtunate to be free from the lajor diseases of animals and lants which occur in many arts of the world. As a result uarantine restrictions are trict, especially in relation to nimal and plant products.

Animal quarantine officials re concerned on two main 'onts the live animal, and nimal products derived from

it. Both can transmit import ant, dangerous animal and human diseases.

If you have a cat of dog on board you will be required to confine the animal. You will have to enter into a bond that it will not escape and you will only be permitted to moor mid water, away from the shore or any wharf. If these require ments cannot be met it may be necessary to destroy the ani mal. We take this attitude be cause we are so concerned at the risk of introducing rabies, which can have a very long in cubation period much longer than most sea voyages and Australia is the only populated continent which is free from this dreadful dis ease.

If you have a bird on board it will also have to be placed in bond under secure con

ditions. This is because there can be no guarantee that a serious exotic disease such as Newcastle disease will not be transmitted to free flying birds and thence poultry. Newcastle disease would devastate Aus tralian poultry flocks and the aviaries of bird fanciers, not to mention our wild birds.

Of equal importance in dis ease transmission are animal products. Many exotic disease viruses have been transmitted in this way, especially in frozen foods such as meat. If you are travelling from the east you may be aware that an outbreak of African swine fever is raging through South America and the Caribbean countries. This disease was recently intro duced from Europe to South America via aircraft garbage.

We are keen to see that there is no similar occurrence here.

There is also, for instance, a serious outbreak to our west of foot-and-mouth disease in

Malaysia. This disease would most seriously affect all our livestock exports and cause havoc in our livestock indus tries. If you have any fresh food on board it too must be placed in bond or destroyed by the animal quarantine service.

This food otherwise could inadvertently or unthinkingly be fed to pigs, for instance, and cause disease. Tinned goods also may be placed in bond and will be released to you when you are ready to de part. Otherwise, these goods can be re-exported or surren dered for destruction.

There is no possibility of our relaxing these requirements, so, if you have any doubts, please write to us in advance and give details of what food products or artifacts you will have on board. If necessary we can issue a permit which specifies the conditions under which you can import these goods.