Biosecurity Watch Tackling our most unwanted. DR EDWIN MASSEY
I AM often asked, throughout the country, what the industry’s most unwanted pest is. This month’s column highlights the relaunch of the New Zealand Winegrowers ‘most unwanted’ list, which seeks to answer that question. To view the new poster click on the updated most unwanted link at www.nzwine.com/members/ sustainability/biosecurity/pests-anddiseases/ The most unwanted list – originally released in March 2014 has been one of the key information resources for the industry on pests and diseases that are not present in New Zealand. Three years doesn’t seem like a long time, but in biosecurity nothing stands still and risks always come and go based on trade and travel volumes, dynamics, and other factors. Key changes since 2014 The new list highlights the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) as the industry’s most unwanted pest. Very little was known about the potential impact of this bug before 2014, but since then it has become increasingly high profile. To date in this high risk season - extending from September to the end of April - there has been a significant increase in the number of BMSB interceptions at the border, particularly in goods from Italy.
In February alone: • Several dead bugs were found at the border on an imported grape harvester that had been voluntarily fumigated offshore. • There have been three postborder detections of single bugs in Christchurch, Whitianga and New Plymouth. In each case, the detection has been associated with a specific pathway of introduction, and the bugs were identified as unmated females, which cannot establish a breeding population by themselves. With such significant population pressure on the biosecurity system, it is not hard to see why BMSB must be considered our most significant threat. A second key change to the list is the breakdown of the different pests and diseases into three categories: • Highest threat • Significant threat • Threat This distinction has been made to focus attention on the threats most likely to cause severe impacts on the industry. The difference between pests and diseases in each category is less important than the distinction between categories. This
means that New Zealand Winegrowers, as a prospective Government Industry Agreement (GIA) partner, will work with The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to concentrate our biosecurity readiness efforts against our highest risk threats. New Zealand Winegrowers, along with a range of horticulture industry organisations, is already engaging with MPI regarding the development of a BMSB operational agreement that will set out a suite of readiness activities to ensure we are best prepared to respond to this pest, should it be detected here.
Brown marmorated stink bug
IF YOU SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL
CATCH IT . SNAP IT . REPORT IT . Call MPI biosecurity hotline 0800 80 99 66 28 / Winepress April 2017
