The Ministry of Waterways continues to provide trainings to Biosecurity Authority enforcement officers and reps of the fumigation industry.

Opening the Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme Training in Suva yesterday, Permanent Secretary Joshua Wycliffe says this is to ensure proper codes of practice are adhered to.

Wycliffe says the initiative is a training and accreditation system for fumigators and regulatory officers that directly use Methyl bromide.

He says it’s a management system used by many overseas government agencies including Fiji to ensure continued compliance of fumigators with the treatment requirements.

AFAS training has been running for the last six years.

Wycliffe says the training materials are up to date and reflects current laws and policies that govern the use of Methyl bromide.

The Department will also during the training – address other related issues of enforcement including environmental impact assessment of approved fumigation sites in relation to human safety, environmental impacts and introduction of invasive species.