Navya Nair, a Malayalam actress, has just had a memorable and costly experience at the Melbourne international Airport when she was fined a whopping AUD 1,980 which is more or less 1.14 lakh INR to carry a small string of jasmine flowers. The accident happened because of her travelling to attend Onam celebrations organized by the Malayali Association in Victoria. Not knowing anything about the formidable biosecurity regulations in Australia she carried along a garland of 15 centimeters of jasmine, a kindly gift bestowed by her father, in her carry bag.
During her appearance at a general meeting in Melbourne, she wrote in an open letter explaining her experience, admitting her error and saying that ignorance is no defence. This has become viral, and her story is now an example to international travelers. This incident shows that it is extremely important to learn and follow the biosecurity policies of other nations.
Australian Biosecurity Regulations: A Strict Warning
Without any doubt, Australia has among the toughest biosecurity legislations worldwide which are aimed at safeguarding its unique and sensitive life forms against the invasive pests and diseases. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the country regards all incoming luggage with strict checks. Fresh flowers, fruits, seeds and soil are highly restricted and have to be declared on arrival of the plant material.
The idea of having such strict regulations is to avert the importation of alien organisms that would destroy the indigenous farming, plants and animals. A tiny fragment of unidentified vegetation can harbor a microscopic pest or disease that can have a long-lasting detrimental effect of a large scale on the immediate surroundings.
The Price of Unintentional Error: Facts and Figures
The case of Navya Nair who was fined AUD 1,980(1.14 lakh INR) is a good lesson that there are repercussions of not reporting restricted items. Biosecurity measures by the Australian government are not open to compromise and the punishment may be fines on the spot to a worst case of visa cancellation or even a criminal prosecution. The situation faced by the actress highlights the point that the motive behind the traveler does matter; the only thing that matters is the obedience to law. A fine of 28 days has been awarded to her.
It is not an isolated case, and such instances can be seen with similar cases being conducted, such as the time the Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh were fined in New Zealand concerning refusing to declare dirty shoes, and it only serves to force the point home that these countries are taking biosecurity very seriously.
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A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
