Displaying items by tag: Biosecurity

OPINION: The news could not have been more concerning – an industry member deliberately and illegally imported grapevines into New Zealand, and then grew those vines in one of our major winegrowing regions, thereby threatening the livelihoods of friends, neighbours, and colleagues in the industry, and potentially the wider primary sector.

The Director General of MPI, Ray Smith says it's important for his department to celebrate the success of a whole range of groups and people around the country.

In this biosecurity article, I touch on four subjects of recent interest: the new New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) Biosecurity Contractor Resources, a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug update, a Xylella Action Group update, and the Forest Biosecurity Conference.

Taranaki has launched Biosecurity Taranaki in an effort to safeguard the region’s environment.

Every year, the New Zealand Winegrowers biosecurity team is sent an increasing number of images from members of suspected grapevine pest insects and disease symptoms, evidence that a high level of biosecurity awareness is building amongst the industry.

Biosecurity New Zealand says its frontline teams are ready for the anticipated influx of summer travellers with changes to arrivals processing at airports and the introduction of new hosts to help people.

Biosecurity New Zealand has welcomed 23 new quarantine officers and four new detector dog handlers this month.

Biosecurity stakeholders are becoming increasingly concerned about how well our biosecurity system will stand up to challenges such as climate change, future trade patterns, changing population dynamics and agrichemical availability.

Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor claims the success of the M. bovis eradication programme has saved NZ billions of dollars.

A container of dead tarantulas and 28 mangoes are among the items found by Biosecurity New Zealand quarantine officers at the border as passenger arrivals climb.