A series of workshops are set to take place in Queensland, Australia, aimed at forging strong partnerships between the citrus industry and biosecurity officers and ensuring that modern training from international specialists is received by the necessary players.

The first of three exotic citrus pest surveillance training workshops takes place at Mareeba this week with other events coming to Mundubbera on 9-10 June and Brisbane on 11 June.

Senior plant health scientist Ceri Pearce of Biosecurity Queensland noted that the citrus industry became more acutely aware of biosecurity threats following a citrus canker outbreak in 2004.

'The successful response was only achieved with all stakeholders working together,' said Dr Pearce. 'It is important to build on the relationships we forged during the citrus canker response.

Early detection is vital,' Dr Pearce added. 'We all have to be prepared to respond quickly and efficiently.'

As part of the workshop, participants will learn about exotic citrus pests, including those known to occur in Papua New Guinea and neighbouring countries, their potential impacts, and modern surveillance methods.

'The citrus industry relies on the ongoing work of pest scouts to survey and control endemic pests in Australia,' explained Dr Pearce. 'They are at the front line and are often the first to detect pests. This training will help improve their recognition skills for exotic pests as well.'

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