The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is becoming a major threat to US agriculture. Source Youtube\NortheastIPM
Tens of thousands of jobs in the car retailing industry are at risk as three ships float aimlessly in the Pacific.
The car carriers have been turned away from New Zealand ports after hundreds of marmorated stink bugs were found on board.
The pest has the potential todestroy the country's fruit and vegetable industry.
No facility in New Zealand can effectively treat the infested ships.
Vehicle Importers Association chief executive David Vinsen says the car industry understands the danger to agriculture and MPI has done the right thing, but he says it's causing a huge problem for his industry, which at this time of the year imports about 12,000 vehicles a month.
Vinsen says a disruption like this, even of one to two weeks, has enormous consequences and he's worried about the jobs of tens of thousands of people who process and sell those vehicles.
Three ships, carrying cars from Japan, have all been turned around at New Zealand ports in the past week.
Vinsen says one has headed to Brisbane but has been told it can't berth in Australia either.
