The aim of this project is to develop a rapid and customised (for Australia) internet web crawler which will detect organisations who would intend to market via the internet, regulated organisms and commodities (invasive species) which are prohibited entry to Australia owing to the threat they present to Australian plant health generally, and specifically, those organisms which would threaten Australia's plant-based industries.

What is the biosecurity problem?

Worldwide the risk of pests crossing national borders (pest pressure) is becoming evermore acute as volumes of trade and the movement of goods continue to increase. The purpose of conducting this project is to augment existing border quarantine mechanisms by way of addressing the specific risk area presented by internet sales of commodities which may threaten plant health in Australia. As normal pathways for the movement of goods across borders have increased, so too have internet sales. Internet sales represent a special challenge for border quarantine regulators because the movement of the risk goods involved (plants, seeds, plant parts) is often via mail or parcel delivery by private mail contractors which are difficult to monitor for quarantine purposes.

The main outputs of this project are to:

• Develop applicable local search terms in consultation with local subject matter experts
• Create/generate initial search data with includer/excluder terms
• Conduct an Internet search/crawl
• Creation of end-user interface
• Evaluation of a filtered list relevance and refinement of includer/excluder terms

Who will be the end-users of this research?

All sectors of the Australian biosecurity community - federal, state and industry - in plants, animals and natural resources.