Celebrating world first technology this World Wildlife Day

Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, the Hon David Littleproud MP
Minister for the Environment, the Hon Sussan Ley MP

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• The Australian Government together with Rapiscan Systems and Taronga Conservation Society Australia, are working on combating illegal wildlife trafficking using innovative x-ray technologies
• The project targets illegal wildlife trafficking in and out of Australia

The Australian Government together with Rapiscan Systems and Taronga Conservation Society Australia (Taronga), are working on combating illegal wildlife trafficking using world first innovative x-ray technology.

Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency

Management David Littleproud and Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said using emerging x-ray technology to detect illegal wildlife was particularly timely on World Wildlife Day, a day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.

“Illegal wildlife trade is an international problem and has the potential to threaten Australia’s natural environment, $61 billion dollar agriculture industry, and human health” Minister Littleproud said. 

“The Australian Government is continuing to build a stronger environmental biosecurity system to protect our unique natural assets and support our nation’s economic prosperity and way of life.

“Technology like this plays an important role in keeping pests and diseases out and allowing biosecurity officers to do their work more effectively and efficiently.

“The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment and Rapiscan have already been working together to build an impressive list of algorithms which can auto-detect fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood and plant material."

Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said that the Morrison Government was continuing to tighten the net on illegal wildlife.

“Wildlife smuggling is a cruel and insidious trade,” Minister Ley said.

“We need to stop its destructive impacts on species conservation and biodiversity, and stop the horrendous pain it inflicts on animals.

“The Morrison Government continues to work internationally through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and through strong detection measures and prosecutions here in Australia.

“There have been a number of prison terms handed out over the last year and we will continue to crack down on those who seek to smuggle our native species to overseas collectors and those who import potential biosecurity threats.

“Wildlife trafficking is detrimental to Australia’s biodiversity — taking animals from the wild poses risks to the species’ conservation, local populations, habitats and ecosystems. It is also extremely cruel. Smuggled animals often suffer stress, dehydration or starvation and many die during transit.

“Stopping wildlife from being trafficked protecting Australia’s agricultural industries and unique natural environment from exotic pests and diseases.

“The Australian Government will continue to invest in this technology, install more cutting-edge x-ray units and identify more opportunities to innovate our border screening technologies,” Minister Littleproud said.

Fast Facts:

• Since their deployment in 2019 the biosecurity auto-detection algorithms have successfully increased the rate of detections of biosecurity risk items by double at Melbourne airport and triple at the Melbourne mail centre.
• Taronga today announced its new 2021-2025 plan which outlines a plan to save more than 200 threatened species by leveraging its expertise in wildlife health and rescue, conservation science and education.