Biosecurity in New Zealand

The current government agency responsible for biosecurity in New Zealand is the Ministry for Primary Industries. It comprises five business units (Agriculture and Investment Services, Biosecurity New Zealand, Fisheries New Zealand, New Zealand Food Safety and Te Uru Rākau - New Zealand Forest Service.) A merger in 2012 established the current structure of the Ministry for Primary Industries. Prior to this, biosecurity was the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF). ==Border controls==

The Ministry for Primary Industries' Biosecurity New Zealand business unit is responsible for biosecurity at the border. As well as being responsible for biosecurity border control where there is international passenger and freight movement, Biosecurity New Zealand officials also undertake biosecurity control duties within the country. At sea and airports, cargo, passengers and passenger baggage is checked for unwanted organisms; with any found being incinerated. Officials designated as "Quarantine officers" are uniformed enforcement officers that exercise numerous powers under the Biosecurity Act 1993 and other legislation. Passengers must sign a declaration form stating that they do not have anything that constitutes a biosecurity risk to New Zealand and can be fined for failing to do so. Visitors to New Zealand are most commonly fined for bringing fishing gear, seeds, fruits, bamboo and wooden products at the border. At border control locations such as airports, beagles are used for detecting material that constitutes a biosecurity risk because they are relatively small and less intimidating for people who are uncomfortable around dogs, easy to care for, intelligent and work well for rewards. If there is a threat of the spread of unwanted organisms within New Zealand, containment measures are carried out. For example, Didymo (Didymosphenia geminata), an invasive algae that was discovered in New Zealand in 2004, has been the subject of a nationwide campaign to prevent its spread. To prevent the spread of the spores of kauri dieback disease it is recommended that pathways in the forests are used and equipment should be cleaned before leaving an area where there are kauri trees. Queensland fruit fly exclusion zone The Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni) has caused over $28.5 million a year in damage to Australian fruit crops. Thus, this species poses a risk to biosecurity in New Zealand. A fruit fly exclusion zone (FFEZ) limits the movement of fruit between Australian states and New Zealand. ==2017 Mycoplasma bovis outbreak==

On 21 July 2017 the Ministry for Primary Industries was informed that some cattle near Oamaru in the South Island were Mycoplasma bovis positive. Until then, New Zealand and Norway were the only OECD countries free of the disease. (The disease is not hazardous to humans.) Initially it was thought that the disease had been contained within South Canterbury. However, subsequently, some 26,000 cattle were culled and in May 2018 the minister, Damien O'Connor, announced that the government had decided (after consultation with farmers) that elimination of the disease was proposed. This would require the culling of some 146,000 cattle over about two years, and would cost $886 million, compared with the cost of $1.2 billion to control the disease. Eradication would also be a "world first". It appeared that perhaps 70% of farmers were not fully complying with the requirements since 2012 to track movements of cattle, particularly calves sold "for cash". Another possibility is the illegal importing of drugs by veterinary companies. The latest estimate of the number to be culled was 152,000 in June 2018; 126,000 plus the 26,000 already culled. In August 2018, a Southland farmer who was traced as the original source for the outbreak was charged under the Biosecurity Act regarding importation of some farm machinery. == Mediterranean fruit fly incursions ==

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) is one of the most destructive fruit pests in the world. As larvae, they infest and damage fruit such as apples and kiwifruit, which also enable them to be unknowingly transported overseas, where they can potentially establish in other countries. Despite efforts to prevent its establishment in New Zealand, in 1907 the fly was detected breeding in Napier in the North Island and Blenheim in the South Island. Later, a remnant population was also detected in a Devonport garden in 1908. To eradicate the fly populations, the government assigned William Boucher, a pomologist (an expert on fruit). The infested fruit was destroyed and then the ground of the affected garden areas was drenched with kerosene which was used as an insecticide at the time. This was apparently successful as the fly wasn’t detected with further monitoring. In 1921 the fly was detected again in Dargaville in the North Island. George Harnett, a fruit inspector, identified the fly from infected peaches collected from a garden. In response, fruit found in the area was cooked in an attempt to prevent the establishment of the fly. This effort was apparently successful as follow up surveys were unable to find more flies. Later in 1996, the fly was found once again at Mt Roskill in Auckland, possibly originating from Hawaii. The fly was caught in traps used for routine monitoring to detect threats such as these. In response, the Ministry of Agriculture intensified monitoring in the area and began an eradication programme that sprayed host trees and laced protein bait with insecticide in the immediate area. The eradication programme was successful and New Zealand remains free of the fly. ==Other notable incursions==

There have been a number of biosecurity breaches in New Zealand, and on occasion widespread eradications of pest organisms have been carried out. • The painted apple moth was discovered in Auckland in 1999. A biocontainment area was set up and a controversial spray programme carried out to eradicate the moth. Claims that it caused cancer were not upheld. • A single male gypsy moth was caught in a surveillance trap in 2003 within the limits of Hamilton city. An aerial insecticide application programme was initiated to prevent the establishment of any potential population. • The Varroa mite was thought to have become established in New Zealand due to a queen bee being smuggled into the country. • The Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni) was discovered in Auckland in 2012 and 2015, resulting in a temporary ban on the movement of plant products in parts of Auckland. • The plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (PSA), which affects kiwifruit, is thought to have arrived in New Zealand 18 months prior to observed symptoms of the disease. In 2018 growers (but not other operators) won a court case against the government, which found that the government breached its "duty of care" to growers, and the 2010 outbreak was on the "balance of probabilities" due to the importing of kiwifruit pollen by a Te Puke company from 2007 to 2010. • Myrtle rust (Puccinia psidii) was found in a Kerikeri nursery in May 2017. The rust has now been confirmed at more than 100 locations across Taranaki, Te Puke, Waikato, Northland, Auckland and Wellington. • Yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) a non-native pest hornet, began to be sighted in Auckland's North Shore as of 2025, and 38 queen hornets were found (25 of which had evidence of nesting). In May 2005, a hoax claim was made that foot and mouth disease had been released on Waiheke Island and would be released elsewhere unless money was paid and tax reforms made. A full agricultural exotic disease response was initiated. No livestock were allowed to enter or leave the island and stock on the island was tested every 48 hours for symptoms of the virus, which would devastate New Zealand's agricultural exports. After three weeks of testing, no infected animals were detected and the response staff were stood down. ==See also==