This term in Science, Year 8 have been exploring the importance of biosecurity in Australia’s primary industries. Their investigation uncovered four key ideas:
The importance of biosecurity in Australia
Biosecurity is extremely important in a country like Australia, which relies heavily on the wool industry to maintain a healthy economy. Reasons include:
There are lots of different diseases and threats that affect the wool industry and its biosecurity.
Lumpy wool (mycotic dermatitis) is a common disease in wet areas especially in NSW affecting the wool industry. Lumpy wool is a skin disease that threatens sheep causing hard scab masses to lift of the skin and go into the wool, reducing the value and increasing the handling and treatment cost.
Some examples of disease and threats to wool industry are:
Source: https://www.sheepconnectsa.com.au/LiteratureRetrieve.aspx?ID=135552
Prevention strategies
With Biosecurity prevention is always better than a cure. Ways to prevent diseases are:
The government is in charge of maintaining biosecurity. There are x-rays, detector dogs, surveillance, and screening. They make sure that the security of the Australian country is safe. Things that threaten biosecurity; animal pests and diseases, toxic foods, etc. With over 60 000 kilometres of coastline offering various ways in to pests and diseases, Australian border control has to be thorough.
The importance of biosecurity in Australia
Biosecurity is extremely important in a country like Australia, which relies heavily on the wool industry to maintain a healthy economy. Reasons include:
- Quality of sheep wool will become worse and may carry infections that make people sick
- The amount of sheep meat that is edible will decrease dramatically
- The sheep may carry the diseases to all kinds of animals including humans
- Cloth production will have to change the products it uses to make clothing
There are lots of different diseases and threats that affect the wool industry and its biosecurity.
Lumpy wool (mycotic dermatitis) is a common disease in wet areas especially in NSW affecting the wool industry. Lumpy wool is a skin disease that threatens sheep causing hard scab masses to lift of the skin and go into the wool, reducing the value and increasing the handling and treatment cost.
Some examples of disease and threats to wool industry are:
Source: https://www.sheepconnectsa.com.au/LiteratureRetrieve.aspx?ID=135552
Prevention strategies
With Biosecurity prevention is always better than a cure. Ways to prevent diseases are:
- Keeping animals in good health; by consistently providing them with clean water and good food you lose the risk of them getting diseases
- Keeping animals in a protective and safe environment; by doing this you can achieve safer and happier livestock
- Constant check ups; by having check ups you can find possible diseases earlier and limit the spread of diseases
- Wearing protective clothing; this minimises the risk of transmitting diseases from you to your livestock and vice-versa
- Controlling entries and movement; this helps contain a possible disease
- Quarantine; this makes sure that all diseases are not being transmitted.
The government is in charge of maintaining biosecurity. There are x-rays, detector dogs, surveillance, and screening. They make sure that the security of the Australian country is safe. Things that threaten biosecurity; animal pests and diseases, toxic foods, etc. With over 60 000 kilometres of coastline offering various ways in to pests and diseases, Australian border control has to be thorough.