Fourth bulk carrier ordered to leave NZ

This little bug is causing a bit of a stink in New Zealand.

The Ministry for Primary Industries has directed a fourth bulk carrier from Japan to leave New Zealand waters following the discovery of brown marmorated stink bug aboard the vessel.

The Glovis Caravel was ordered to leave New Zealand yesterday evening after the crew reported finding nearly 600 stink bugs, 12 of them alive, while the vessel was anchored near Auckland.

'Even though the vessel was sealed, we assessed the risk was too high for it to remain in New Zealand waters. It will now have to be treated off shore before it can return,” says Steve Gilbert, MPI Border Clearance Services Director.

MPI has increased its border inspection and verification of bulk carriers arriving from Japan following a recent jump in detections of brown marmorated stink bug.

'Some of the carriers arriving New Zealand require no further action, but where there is contamination we have the option of denying entry.

'We firmly believe our actions to date have prevented stink bugs from getting past the New Zealand border and welcome the support we have been getting from a range of industries.

'Everyone appreciates a brown marmorated stink bug incursion could have a devastating impact on New Zealand agriculture.”

Earlier this month, Jono Allen of Tauranga Cars says the ships being turned away is affecting 'hundreds if not thousands of businesses nationwide and is costing the country huge amounts of lost revenue every day”.

'These boats have several thousand Japanese used vehicles on-board destined for New Zealand marketplace. They are currently in limbo as Australia has refused them to berth to have Fumigation with Sulfuryl Fluoride performed. Because of this the industry is grinding to a stand-still.”

Read more here.

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7 comments

goes

Posted on 28-02-2018 11:07 | By Capt_Kaveman

to show the car import needs to clean up their act


Why

Posted on 28-02-2018 12:21 | By Merlin

Arriving from Japan why are they not detected before sailing from Japan


Keep well away

Posted on 28-02-2018 12:31 | By Active

DONT let these ships near the coast PLEASE. Keep ships with Marmorated bugs on board well out to sea and not near ports. The USDA did a study of the flight of foraging Marmorated Stink bugs . Most bugs flew over 2.7k per day looking for food. A small number flew wind assisted over 117k. Bit of a worry.Lets all of us make the effort to recognize this bug for the good of NZ.


Do the Inspection in Japan by New Zealanders.

Posted on 28-02-2018 12:49 | By Active

The Marmorated Stink Bug if established in New Zealand will affect the lives of all New Zealanders. All wil give up growing fruit , tomatoes etc. Spray programs dont work. It has to be daily and involve all neighbours. This bug is like or worse than Foot and Mouth disease is to the livestock industry. The car importers should have NZ CITIZEN , NZ TRAINED inspectors IN JAPAN inspecting ALL [not some] car shipments to NZ after fumigation and then sign off and send info to MPI. User pays. I spent a lot of my working life as an auditor . Dont accept inspection of exporting countries when you are not there. One sloppy inspector out of a 100 will cause disaster.MPI is doing their job.However its tough and this shoulnt have come to this.


Tough for used cars...

Posted on 28-02-2018 13:14 | By morepork

...but even tougher if these insects get into the country. Devastation of our agriculture affects all of us; Cheap cars affects some of us. Abobsworth asks a fair question; the people shipping the cars should ensure fumigation either on the wharf or during transit.


is it?

Posted on 28-02-2018 13:27 | By Captain Sensible

Is it a Bulk Carrier or a Car Carrier? Very different types of ships.


tis i

Posted on 28-02-2018 16:50 | By Regan Selwyn

Shame on you Japan! Its bad enoughthat you continue your never-ending RESEARCH killing the whales down here. We dont want your bugs, clean up your act!


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