Biosecurity Solomon Islands (BSI) and Honiara Herbarium staff together with departmental staff have recently returned from a plant health survey in the Solomon Islands. These joint plant health surveys are a key part of a collaborative partnership that has been running for over a decade which has enabled our department and BSI to work together on many shared biosecurity priorities and activities.
This year the plant health survey had two key focus areas, Honiara the capital city and Lata in Temotu Province. Solomon Islands recently hosted the Pacific Games 2023 in Honiara and as with any large regional event, the Pacific Games had the potential to increase biosecurity risk. This risk could have been due to the increased importation of construction materials and catering, the influx of travellers, spectators and workers from around the region. In response to this, BSI took a number of precautionary steps including increasing their staffing at the borders and follow-on plant and animal health surveillance activities.
This most recent joint plant health survey linked in with BSI's established post-games trapping program. It involved visiting 'high-biosecurity-risk' sites around Honiara with the aim of detecting any exotic plant pest threats that may have been introduced as a result of the Pacific Games. The timing of this increased surveillance immediately following the Games is important as it provides the best opportunity to detect, respond and potentially prevent the further spread of a biosecurity incursion.
The team also surveyed sites in and around Lata in Temotu Province. The key pathways of interest in Lata were the movement of international tourist yachts, foreign logging activities and cross-border movement and trade with Vanuatu.
Activities such as these strengthen formal and informal networks between Australia and the Solomon Islands, increase capacity for detection and response to biosecurity incursions within the Solomon Islands and contribute information on emerging pest threats in the region. These activities are part of the department's agreed deliverables under the Solomon Islands Biosecurity Development Program, which is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
