เข้าใจอะไรยากOn 19 July, 1999, The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) alarmed conservationists, anglers and domestic salmon growers by ending a 24-year ban on imports of uncooked salmon. The ban was supposed to keep fish diseases out of Australia. It must now be replaced by increased watchfulness by AQIS scientists.
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has ruled that the salmon ban violated international trade obligations. Australia, with a merchandise trade deficit of $7.9 billion in 1998, wants trading partners to remove import barriers - and therefore cannot afford to be accused of "protectionism".
There was immediate criticism from Tasmanian fishfarmers and the Australian Conservation Foundation.
"This decision to allow salmon imports is an unacceptable gamble based on trade desire at the expense of basic environmental and quarantine control. Australia is allowing short term trade interests to undermine our marine and estuarine environments" said Ms Margi Prideaux, ACF National Marine Campaigner. (1)
The Tasmanian Salmonid Growers Association reportedly called on the Federal Government to guarantee compensation to the industry of up to A$500 million in the event exotic diseases are imported. (2)
The World Trade Organisation has sweeping power to enforce its rulings with compensation orders and punitive sanctions. And, if Australia wants to use those powers to challenge other countries, eg, the USA over its tariff barrier against lamb imports, we need to have "clean hands" ourselves.