Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
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The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) is the Australian government agency responsible for enforcing Australian quarantine laws. AQIS is part of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
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[edit] Quarantine in Australia
AQIS’s import and export inspection and certification is essential to maintaining Australia’s highly favourable animal, plant and human health status and access to export markets. Quarantine controls at Australia’s borders minimise the risk of exotic pests and diseases to protect Australia’s agriculture industries and environment. AQIS does this by specialist Federal law enforcement officers known as Quarantine & Exports Inspectors 'Quarantine Officers'
[edit] History
On 30 March 1908, the commonwealth Quarantine service came into operation and took over quarantine stations in every Australian state.
[edit] Role of AQIS
AQIS is the agency responsible for animal, plant and human quarantine border controls, of passengers and cargo. AQIS officers use X-ray machines and sniffer dogs in airports, seaports and mail centres to search for quarantine risk material.
Along with Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) AQIS administers the Imported Food Programme, which ensures that food commercially imported into Australia meets Australia’s Quarantine Standards and the Food Standards Code.
AQIS also provides inspection and certification for a range of agricultural products exported from Australia, to ensure compliance with overseas countries importation requirements.
[edit] Biosecurity Australia
Biosecurity Australia is a prescribed agency within the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry. Biosecurity Australia provides policy advice to AQIS concerning the importation of quarantine risk material to Australia when requested by AQIS. It should be noted that AQIS ultimately sets the rules concerning the imports, not Biosecurity Australia (read the Quarantine Act 1908). Some of the rules set by AQIS (as advised by Biosecurity Australia) on the importation of overseas foods have been controversial and argued to risk Australia’s health status.
[edit] External links
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