The Department of Fisheries for Western Australia issued a notice informing industry that they have developed on line tool named Vessel Check for managers of commercial, non-trading, petroleum, and commercial fishing vessels coming to Western Australia to assess the risks of introduction of invasive marine pests by means of biofouling.
Vessel Check is an online vessel risk assessment tool designed to help manage vessel’s biofouling risk. This tool is the result of ongoing development and testing, in consultation with key stakeholders in government, industry, academia and the community. Vessel Check is intended as a tool to enable vessel managers to take an active role in management of biofouling on their vessels, and reduce their risk of moving marine pests into and around WA. Vessel Check is a voluntary tool.
All vessels entering the state of Western Australia may be subject to inspection by the Department’s compliance team to check the vessel is not carrying a marine pest and so is compliant with the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA).
Use of Vessel Check and appropriate management actions to lower the vessel’s biofouling risk will be recognised as strong evidence of an effort to minimise your vessel’s risk.
Vessel Check uses specific vessel information to provide with a risk assessment of the likelihood that any will transfer an IMS to Western Australia, and provides a choice of detailed management actions to reduce this risk.
After completing the questionnaire, the tool will calculate a risk status for the vessel. Person submitting the information will get a Risk Assessment Report. This report will contain a detailed summary and a range of recommended management options to reduce the vessel risk status.
Vessel Check is intended for use by managers of commercial, non-trading, petroleum and commercial fishing vessels, for all international and interstate vessel movements to Western Australia.
Future versions of Vessel Check for yachts and rigs are being considered for development.
The tool is designed to support ongoing effective management of vessel biofouling, encourage best practice, and helps to minimise the chance of committing offences under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 and regulations related to transferring non-endemic or noxious fish into WA.
This should be used before vessel movement into WA and before departure, to ensure that vessel risk status is Low / Acceptable.
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