Barney wins biosecurity gong

Mr Joyce was chastised for threatening to euthanise Mr Depp’s two Yorkshire terriers Boo and Pistol after they entered the country illegally on a private jet earlier this year.

In May, the minister warned the two pet dogs would face fatal consequences unless they “buggered off” back to the US within a set time frame which subsequently sparked national and international reaction.

“A gentlemen by the name of John Christopher Depp – otherwise known as (Captain) Jack Sparrow - has decided to bring into our nation two dogs without actually getting the proper certification and the proper permits required,” Mr Joyce told media at the time.

“Now, Mr Depp either has to take his dogs back to California or we’re going to have to euthanise them.

“It’s time Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States - and after that I don’t expect to be invited to the opening of Pirates of the Caribbean.”

The pets were eventually deported within the 72-hour limit and Mr Depp’s wife Amber Heard was subsequently charged with producing a false document to quarantine officials and illegally importing the dogs into Australia.

Today, the minister’s actions in standing up to the Pirates of the Caribbean star and defending the nation’s tough quarantine laws were recognised with a Froggatt Award for principled decision-making.

The Froggatt Awards are named in honour of Australian entomologist Walter Froggatt who was a lone voice in the 1930s warning about dangers associated with releasing the cane toad into Australia as a control agent for beetle infestations, in the sugar cane industry.

Mr Joyce was acknowledged for “acting quickly and decisively in expelling Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s dogs, Pistol and Boo, which had been brought into Australia in an apparent breach of the country’s strict quarantine laws", the award said.

The award also recognised his decision in December to introduce mandatory biofouling rules to prevent marine pests entering Australia.

Invasive Species Council CEO Andrew Cox said the issue with Mr Depp’s dogs may have seemed like a bit of a joke at the time.

But he said Mr Joyce did the right thing by enforcing Australia’s strict quarantine laws after discovering the two dogs had been brought into the country in an apparent breach of quarantine laws.

“Standing up to Johnny Depp was not enough to earn a Froggatt on its own, but Minister Joyce’s award was guaranteed when he decided this month to implement new controls to limit marine biofouling on vessels arriving in Australia," he said.

The awards also recognised four Queenslanders in their fight to eradicate yellow crazy ants from the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

“Without the tireless efforts of Lucy Karger from the Wet Tropics Management Authority, Edmonton cane farmer Frank Teodo, James Cook University’s Dr Lori Lach and Cairns Post journalist Daniel Bateman few people would appreciate the danger posed by the highly invasive and environmentally destructive yellow crazy ant,” Mr Cox said.

Response teams also received a gong for their rapid and effective effort in eliminating red imported fire ants from Port Botany, Sydney.

Mr Cox said Biosecurity NSW mobilised government staff and volunteers, oversaw extensive community education and worked closely with interstate colleagues to get sniffer dogs on the ground as soon as aggressive red imported fire ants were discovered in Sydney’s east.

“Mop-up and surveillance operations continue but we’re very hopeful the efforts of three agencies and emergency volunteers has been successful in eradicating this incursion of red imported fire ants,” he said.

Mr Joyce’s use of language in his warning to Mr Depp was criticised by Sydney based radio host Kyle Sandilands during a terse on-air exchange on May 15.

But Mr Joyce’s office subsequently made a formal complaint to the Australian Communications and Media Authority about the radio host’s use of language.

However, the media watchdog eventually ruled codes of decency were not breached when the minister was called a “wanker”, “clown”, “gerbil” and other names during a live radio interview.