12/09/2026
🚨 URGENT — WE NEED YOUR HELP 🚨
The Australian Government has opened public consultation on the Live Import List application for Dubia cockroaches. This is our chance to fight back — and we need as many voices as possible.
Whether you are a reptile keeper, a pet store owner, an insect farmer or just someone who cares about fair regulation — YOUR submission matters. Every single response counts.
📋 WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?
Dubia roaches have been legally farmed and sold in Australia for over 20 years. Earlier this year the National EPA issued compliance notices to farmers ordering them to stop breeding and destroy their colonies. This has devastated small businesses, left pet stores without stock and left thousands of reptile owners without a reliable feed source.
The Pet Industry Association of Australia has formally applied to have Dubia cockroaches added to the Live Import List — which would make breeding and selling them lawful. The government is now accepting public submissions on this application.
This is our window. We need to flood this inbox with real stories from real people.
✍️ HOW TO SUBMIT — IT TAKES 5 MINUTES
Step 1 — Go to the public consultation page:
https://consult.nationalepa.gov.au/import-of-blaptica-dubia-for-commercial-pet-purposes
Step 2 — Read the application terms of reference if you want more detail:
https://storage.googleapis.com/files-au-climate/nationalepa/p/prj3ef15cab1b2dadd75c059/page/fil3ef1649fd82d86ddef701_Application_terms_of_reference_report_Blaptica_dubia_PDF.pdf
Step 3 — Email your submission to:
[email protected]
Step 4 — Share this post with every reptile keeper, pet store, breeder and animal lover you know.
📝 WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR SUBMISSION
You don't need to be a lawyer or a scientist. You just need to tell your story honestly. Here are some ideas depending on who you are:
IF YOU ARE A REPTILE KEEPER OR PET OWNER:
— How long have you been using Dubia roaches to feed your animals?
— What impact has the compliance action had on your ability to feed your reptile?
— Have you noticed Dubias establishing in the wild? (The answer is no — because they can't survive our climate)
— Why do you support the Live Import application?
IF YOU ARE A PET STORE OWNER:
— How long have you stocked Dubia roaches?
— What has the compliance action done to your stock supply and your customers?
— How many customers have come to you looking for Dubias and been unable to get them?
— What would approval of the Live Import application mean for your business?
IF YOU ARE AN INSECT FARMER OR BREEDER:
— How long have you been farming Dubias?
— What investment have you made in your facility?
— Did you seek advice from state or federal authorities before starting?
— What has the compliance action cost you financially?
— What would approval mean for you and your business?
IF YOU ARE A ZOO, WILDLIFE CARER OR VET:
— How have you used Dubia roaches in the care of animals?
— What has the loss of a legal supply meant for animal welfare in your care?
— Do you support the Live Import application and why?
💡 KEY POINTS YOU CAN INCLUDE IN ANY SUBMISSION
Feel free to use any of these facts in your submission:
✅ Dubia cockroaches have been present in Australia for over 20 years with no documented feral population anywhere in the country
✅ They cannot survive outside tropical conditions above 24 degrees Celsius — the Australian climate prevents establishment
✅ Melbourne Zoo was among the first to obtain a live import permit, establishing their use through legitimate government approved channels
✅ Hundreds of commercial farmers, thousands of pet stores and tens of thousands of reptile keepers depend on this species
✅ The enforcement action has not reduced Dubia activity — it has driven it underground, creating worse biosecurity outcomes
✅ Mealworms and crickets have been acknowledged by the department as widely established exotic species that remain legal — Dubias deserve the same assessment
✅ Small businesses have invested in good faith and face devastating financial consequences
⚠️ WHY THIS MATTERS BEYOND DUBIAS
This is bigger than just Dubia roaches. Mealworms, woodies, crickets, superworms and black soldier fly are all in the same legal grey area. If the government can target Dubias overnight with no warning and no consultation, they can do the same to any of these species next.
We fight for Dubias now. We protect the whole industry for the future.
📢 PLEASE SHARE THIS EVERYWHERE
— Facebook reptile groups
— Instagram reptile communities
— Reddit (r/reptiles, r/australia, r/auslaw)
— Your local pet store
— Any breeder or keeper group you are part of
The more submissions they receive the harder it is for the government to dismiss the community impact of this decision.
Let's make our voices heard. 🦗
