Avian flu poses top biosecurity threat to NZ, says Hoggard

While foot-and-mouth is currently flaring in Europe, Hoggard says that is a threat we've always been aware of, but he is now particularly worried about avian flu.

"We can put up protections at the border and all the rest of it to keep foot and mouth and these other things out," he told Rural News.

"But there's bugger-all we can do about migratory birds from Antarctica, flying up with this disease and infecting our local wild birds and then potentially the poultry industry."

Hoggard noted that Australasia is the only place in the world that doesn't yet have avian flu, but the disease has moved down through North America - where it is having a major impact on egg production, and is now into the dairy herd - through South America, then island-hopped to Antarctica. It is now moving around the Antarctic coast and has reached the Indian Ocean side.

"So, it's getting around to our side and then it can come up. We can't stop it coming."

As Biosecurity Minister, Hoggaed said his focus was on making sure the poultry industry is prepared for that eventuality.

Egg producers needed to take the threat seriously and get their farms prepared to "do their own little mini lockdowns" to make sure that wild birds can't get into their barns.

"They need to be able to secure from the outside. So, stop any ingress of any wild bird coming into contact with the chickens."

He said it would be a "massive" problem for free-range producers.

Other parts of the world still have free range producers but they work on the basis that they must shut the birds in when they get a warning that bird flu is in the wild population in the area.

Hoggard recently announced the successful testing of a portable laboratory for sampling and testing for avian flu in remote locations like Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands.

Biosecurity New Zealand tested the equipment during a voyage to Antarctica on the icebreaker MV Argus.

"This was an incredible opportunity to be able to locate, sample and test for HPAI in the field under extreme conditions," said Hoggard.

"The benefit of this is that samples don't need to be sent to a laboratory for testing, a process which can take weeks from remote locations like Antarctica. Instead, a confirmed result for HPAI H5N1 can be obtained within 48 hours of taking the sample."

Live Exports

Legislation to re-enable live animal exports could be before Parliament in a month or two.

Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says the legislation "among many other things" is now being drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel Office.

"So, once they're finished writing, then I can introduce it to the House."

Hoggard announced in November that the Government would reinstate the trade of breeding stock exports by sea, while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare.

But the export of livestock for slaughter was stopped in 2007 and this would not change.