Recreational boat users and fishers

• Prevent unwanted hitchhikers – Keep your moored boat free of fouling by regularly applying a suitable antifouling paint. Clean before you move waterways. Check, clean and dry trailer boats and gear (including anchors, ropes and chains) between waterways.
• Avoid recognised infestation areas, eg. marked Caulerpa patches. Anchors, propellers and the like can pick up pests or weed fragments and spread them to new areas.

Ornamental fish enthusiasts

• Don’t dump that fish! – Take care when cleaning marine aquaria to prevent water, weed or other waste materials ending up in the ocean (including a drain or creek that flows to the sea). Give unwanted marine life to friends or an aquarium shop, rather than putting it in the ocean.

Oyster and marine fish farmers

• Prevent accidental escapes – comply with aquaculture permit conditions designed to prevent the escape of fish (e.g. screened water outlets).
• Don’t experiment with exotics – keep to the prescribed species list.

Everybody

• Learn to recognise significant existing and potential aquatic pests. See freshwater fish pests & marine pests. 
• Report suspected pests to the NSW DPI Aquatic Biosecurity Unit

Advisory booklet

Download the advisory booklet on marine pests (PDF, 1.1mb).