Australian border officials destroy museum’s 19th century plants
AUSTRALIAN customs officers destroyed “irreplaceable” 19th century plant specimens from the Museum of Natural History in Paris, prompting a review of the government’s apparently overzealous quarantine procedures.
The pressed plant specimens, dating back to the mid-1800s, were being sent on loan to the state of Queensland’s herbarium but were deemed a potential biosecurity threat and incinerated.
Michelle Waycott, from the Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria, said the items were “literally irreplaceable” collections of high historic and scientific value. “They were the first type specimens collected of a species,” she told ABC News.
In a separate incident, Australian customs officers destroyed rare lichen specimens being sent from New Zealand’s Allan Herbarium. The incident prompted the herbarium to ban lending such specimens to Australia.
Prof Waycott said the French were also “very unhappy” about their loss and should be considering a ban. “I suspect they’re in the process of banning sending specimens to Australia,” she said. “That would be my response if it was my herbarium.”
The French and New Zealand institutions were apparently not informed of the decision to destroy the specimens, nor were the Australian scientists due to receive them.
Australia has some of the world’s strictest quarantine and biosecurity laws, and they are strictly enforced. This became apparent when the government threatened to “euthanise” two pet dogs belonging to the actor Johnny Depp and his former wife Amber Heard after the dogs were brought to Australia without permission. Barnaby Joyce, the deputy prime minister and the man who made the threat, insisted his tough approach sent the message “this is one thing Australians are red hot about, don’t take it as a joke”.
The government appeared to be only marginally more apologetic about its destruction in recent months of the two collections of plant specimens.
The department of agriculture conceded the destruction was “premature”. But it said the packages did not indicate the samples’ value and that customs officials held them for 46 days longer than required. A department spokesman said French authorities failed to disclose information such as “a listing of the specimens, botanical nomenclature, whether the goods were preserved or not”.
“Herbarium specimens are not without biosecurity risk,” the spokesman said. “They can include soil and other items that present a pest and disease risk to Australia.”
The department said it had reviewed the incident and was examining ways to improve communication and safety assessments.