MAJOR biosecurity threats have been knocking on Western Australia's door in recent months, leaving livestock producers on tenterhooks.
And the knock became even louder this week, after Indonesian authorities officially confirmed an outbreak of foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease in holiday hotspot Bali.
On Tuesday, a total of 63 positive cases were reported on the island and livestock movement restrictions had been implemented.
Those cases are in addition to more than 285,000 reported by the most recent Indonesian Government official data on June 27.
The Bali outbreak is a ticking time bomb for Australia's livestock industry, with up to 13 flights leaving the country for the Indonesian island daily.
This is expected to more than double later in the year.
Argyle Cattle Company and Yougawalla Pastoral Company manager Haydn Sale sends 80 per cent of his cattle into the live export trade each year.
Of that 70pc are exported to Indonesia and the remainder to Vietnam, Malaysia and other destinations.
Mr Sale labelled the outbreak as concerning and one of the greatest threats industry has faced in a long time.
He had been forced to stop trade into Indonesia even before FMD was detected in Bali, as exporters and buyers didn't want to risk purchasing cattle.
"At the moment, our trade is pretty much on hold until it gets worked out," Mr Sale said.
"There are two fronts to this - one is the live export trade and the other is the risk to Australia's cattle herd should FMD get in.
"The big question here is how long it will take for the vaccine to be administered and how that affects our season (because we have to sell all our cattle through the dry season)."
Mr Sale found selling large volumes of cattle into the domestic market difficult.
He has looked at moving livestock onto fresh pastures and holding paddocks where there was a couple of months' feed with the hope the market opened up again.
"We are dealing with it, but it isn't easy," Mr Sale said.
"We should be dramatically ramping up our biosecurity for anyone returning from Indonesia until those vaccines are sorted and what not - otherwise this will be catastrophic for the Australian herd.
"There will be stoppages, movement restrictions and markets won't be able to take on cattle until they work out new protocols on whether or not they'll take FMD beef."
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Hedland Export Depot owner Paul Brown said the northern Australian live export cattle industry was feeling the impact from Indonesia movement restrictions and the spread of FMD.
Mr Brown said trucks -which would usually be flat out carting cattle to export depots and ships - were now heading south.
It comes as muster heads into full swing, after being delayed by rain.
"I expect the local sales market to be saturated with pastoral cattle soon, unless they can be sold east as breeders or restockers," Mr Brown said.
"Given the already tight labour problems at abattoirs here with killing being restricted, I would think we're not far away from seeing a big price collapse.
"That is unless pastoralists put them directly into feedlots themselves and hope that this FMD outbreak can be solved with the vaccination program being rolled out in Indonesia.
"Let's cross our fingers it doesn't make it here because our economy and livestock industry would be decimated."
WA Livestock Exporters Association (WALEA) chairman John Cunnington said live exports out of northern Australia had been significantly reduced.
Mr Cunnington said while there were a couple of factors driving this, the main concern was Indonesian feedlots having limited access to the FMD vaccine.
As a result of this, he said importers were nervous to take in new cattle and were waiting until they had the vaccine to protect them.
"Importers are concerned about being restricted in selling cattle and the impact of FMD should it be detected in their feedlots," Mr Cunnington said.
"The issue now lies with being able to get the vaccine."
Mr Cunnington said at the moment, vaccine providers were being sourced to approve the vaccine as soon as possible.
However, it still needed to be done through due process.
"As the disease has become more widespread in those areas, some importers and exporters have seen the risk as too large and have decided to wait for the vaccine," he said.
"I think a few pastoralists were holding on, they had some grass and were making do.
"Now, they've reached a crossroad where they may start looking at alternatives as a backup plan."
Mr Cunnington said there were some importers who had taken the risk and were still purchasing cattle.
He said they were trying to manage the situation by limiting movement of the disease within their facilities.
"It is also a situation when vaccines come in - most importers would get them at the same time - and we will probably see a larger demand for cattle pretty quickly.
"There's definitely been more enquiries from pastoralists about what's happening and when they think they can sell.
"We think there's light at the end of the tunnel, but it is just waiting for that at the moment and working through the bureaucracy."
Mr Cunnington encouraged pastoralists to hold onto cattle - if they could - for the live export market.
Furthermore, he said the industry was seeking alternative markets to continue shipping.
Bali-based veterinarian Dr Ross Ainsworth said there was a special window of risk at the moment because there was no vaccine coverage.
He said three million vaccines had been imported to Indonesia - 800,000 of which were distributed to agencies to start vaccinating.
However, a total of 40 million vaccines were needed.
Dr Ainsworth said the vaccines had been distributed a week prior to infection being reported in Bali, meaning the area received an insignificant number of doses.
He urged tourists to stay away from cattle where possible and to wash shoes and clothing with soap-water.
"The Balinese love their cattle and keep them close to home," Dr Ainsworth said.
"This means it is more than likely the virus would be in the environment and that tourists would come across it in the next six to 12 months (until they get the vaccine here)."
Dr Ainsworth said the number of pigs in Bali was also concerning, as the animal was known to spread the virus far more efficiently than cattle.
He said pigs generated 3000 times more virus than an infected cow.
"Infected pigs will help the virus to continue to spread in the environment until the pigs are vaccinated as well.
"According to resources, there are about 700,000 pigs in pens or small farms in Bali and 600,000 cows as rough numbers.
"That's a lot of work to do."
FMD infected animals spread the virus through saliva and ruptured blisters on their feet.
As cattle are known to walk in tourist areas, Dr Ainsworth said it was quite feasible for people to unknowingly step in infected saliva.
"The virus then gets under the shoes - where it can be viable for a couple of days," he said.
"Tourists could then take it into the airport."
Dr Ainsworth suggested airports implement a disinfectant sponge walk-through to mitigate risk of the virus entering Australia.
A Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry spokesperson said strict protocols were in place to prevent high risk materials, such as contaminated equipment or clothing, animals or animal products, being brought in by travellers who may have been exposed to diseased animals.
The same biosecurity checks are in place for all travellers from Indonesia.
"Response activities currently underway also include enhanced targeted communication material (distributed both on and offshore) profiling and inspecting passengers and mail users," the spokesperson said.
"Australia undertakes extensive planning and preparedness activities to ensure that should an incursion occur, the disease can be contained and controlled as quickly as possible.
Australia maintains an FMD vaccine bank internationally and vaccine is available for use if there is an incursion in Australia."
If livestock exhibit any unusual signs, people are urged to call their veterinarian or Australia's Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.
Anyone returning to Australia after visiting a farm or interacting with livestock abroad should declare this upon their return.
- More information: agriculture.gov.au/footandmouthdisease