We’re a nation of traders and travellers – and the statistics bear this out. Between July 2007 and June 2008, 4.8 million air passengers and crew arrived in New Zealand on close to 30,000 aircraft. Also arriving were 631,000 sea containers, 32,900 personal effects, 127,500 used vehicles and pieces of machinery, 3081 vessels and over 40 million mail items. Any one of these could have carried a biosecurity disaster.
The export of primary products is the mainstay of the New Zealand economy. It is absolutely imperative that pests and diseases are kept out of New Zealand in order to maintain our current trading advantage. The consequences of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, for example, would be disastrous for the New Zealand economy: virtually all exports of meat, animal by-products and dairy products would stop until at least three months after the slaughter of the last infected animal. The country’s trade reputation would be damaged, unemployment would rise (up to about 20,000 jobs) and gross domestic product (GDP) would lose $10 billion over a two-year period.
As a simple example, the recent USA ban on New Zealand cut flower exports due to the presence of a single light brown apple moth in a consignment of flowers to the US is an example of the damage that can be caused to our reputation by biosecurity lapses. New Zealand’s cut flower and foliage exports to the US are worth around $12 million per annum.
Keeping out the known – and the unknown
The reality is that it is simply not possible for MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) to inspect everything coming across our borders. Consequently, ‘hitchhikers’ and threats to our biosecurity will occasionally arrive.
Of course New Zealand has stringent measures in place and response plans to action in the event of finding the significant known biosecurity threats like foot and mouth disease. But making the job more difficult for MAFBNZ, and indeed any international biosecurity agencies, are the biosecurity risks that we don’t know about.
These are things that generally do not affect the country or environment they originate from. Had any of us heard of didymo before its arrival in New Zealand where this ‘rock snot’ has shown the potential to affect our outdoor way of life?
Despite the challenges, MAFBNZ continues to work hard to ensure that biosecurity risks are mitigated effectively and efficiently without unnecessarily hindering the supply chain.
Speeding up the supply chain
Speed of the supply chain can be improved by low intervention and by ensuring the intervention only occurs where it will have minimum impact on the speed of commerce, and this is where importers and exporters can help speed the flow. There is much scope for MAFBNZ/industry collaboration in the biosecurity process.
By ensuring they are aware of biosecurity requirements before goods are packed for export to New Zealand, and by keeping biosecurity risk associated with contamination offshore, importers and exporters can support lower intervention for their goods on arrival at the border.
As well, offshore cleaning and inspections prior to shipping support a seamless biosecurity clearance. In some instances, MAFBNZ sends biosecurity inspectors overseas to inspect and advise on the condition and contamination of goods prior to export – examples of this are the USA, Australian and Mexican grape programmes, used Japanese car inspections, offshore inspection of second-hand equipment such as forestry machinery, sawmills, windmills, oil rigs, and vessels that have been in gypsy moth areas during high-risk times. MAFBNZ also inspects offshore incoming vehicles and equipment for the Hamilton V8 Supercars, the Taupo A1GP cars, rally cars and Cirque de Soleil.
By inspecting items offshore, delays can be cut down, along with handling costs on arrival in New Zealand. This allows the goods to go directly to the importer’s site on arrival. This service is cost recovered from industry.
Container hygiene
Another current MAFBNZ/industry initiative to improve import supply chain biosecurity is the Pacific Island container hygiene programme. This involves industry operators cleaning containers offshore prior to export to New Zealand and ensuring that container storage areas are free of pests to prevent recontamination.
When carried out correctly, this procedure reduces costs to the supply chain by reducing inspection charges and enabling containers to be released more quickly. It also lessens the chance of outbreaks of high-risk pests such as ants, the giant African snail, lizards and snakes.
A further example of the benefits of MAFBNZ and industry working together is the use of accredited persons at transitional facilities. Accredited persons undergo a MAF-designed training course to build awareness of biosecurity issues associated with imported sea containers. There are currently 6500 approved transitional facilities, with around 16,000 MAFBNZ accredited persons who help manage these risks. Accredited persons are required to attend refresher training every two years.
Play your part!
MAFBNZ and government initiatives make a major contribution towards keeping our country and our industries free from biological threats. Our importing and exporting industries also have a role to play in protecting New Zealand. If nothing is done, more than 500 new pests are expected to become established in New Zealand over the next decade at a cost to the economy in direct and ongoing control costs of $921 million.
The knowledge and cooperation of all New Zealanders is the best weapon we have in the battle against keeping others out.
For further information,
visit www.biosecurity.govt.nz
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