The Port of Townsville is a First-Point-of-Entry Port, meaning international vessels come directly to Townsville – through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area. As a FPOE Port the potential risk of biosecurity impacts from both terrestrial and marine pests is high. Partnering with regulators, other Ports in Queensland and industry partners means we can use technology to monitor and protect our ecosystems from pests.
In 2019 all Five Queensland Port Authorities partnered with Biosecurity Queensland to implement the Q-SEAS marine biosecurity monitoring program. This program uses eDNA techniques for marine biosecurity monitoring.
In 2023 the Port of Townsville joined forces with Biosecurity Queensland and the Purple Hive Project, an initiative by Vimana Tech, supported by Bega Group in a Queensland first to monitor for varroa mites. The Purple Hive Project uses artificial intelligence to scan honey bees for Varroa destructor, which was recently found in Australia for the first time in NSW.
This case study will show how these innovative partnerships has developed strong connections between industry, regulators and science, for the ongoing protection of our ecosystems from introduced pests.