Sailor convicted of concealing goods

BORDER CONTROL: Monique Hendriks and sniffer dog Chess at work inspecting a newly-arrived yacht at Opua. PICTURE / MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM

A 61-year-old sailor became the first person to be convicted of deliberately concealing biosecurity goods on a visiting yacht when she appeared before the District Court at Kaikohe last week.

French national Sylvie Berthe Barre, currently in New Zealand on a three-month visitor's visa, had earlier pleaded guilty to charges of knowingly possessing unauthorised goods and misleading an official. She was fined $3000.

Ministry for Primary Industries manager north cargo, Stu Rawnsley, said Barre had deliberately tried to conceal items that could have been harbouring animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, or pests such as the Queensland fruit fly.

"Either could have a devastating effect on the New Zealand economy," he said.

"The conviction and fine sends a message that yachties will face harsh consequences if they don't take our biosecurity rules seriously."

MPI laid charges after a quarantine inspection at Opua on November 22 revealed undeclared goods. Barre, who was the master of the yacht Belissima, and had arrived at Opua from New Caledonia with her husband, had had declared that there were no plant or meat products on board. She told officials that she was aware of New Zealand's biosecurity regulations, and had deliberately kept the yacht's stores low.

MPI quarantine officers subsequently found a bunch of green bananas, two packets of Spanish ham, one packet of New Caledonian ham and one piece of dried venison concealed in an emergency bag, however. Two limes were found hidden under a scarf in a drawer, and six jars of meat pate were found hidden under clothes in a cupboard.

The court heard that Barre had admitted intentionally failing to declare the food because she wanted to eat it, and that she had concealed it to prevent it being seized.

MPI stepped up its border controls for visiting yachts in Northland this season following last year's Queensland fruit fly scares in Whangarei. The new measures include employing additional quarantine officers to check vessels after the initial inspection is completed, trialling the use of detector dogs, and taking part in Naval and Air Force surveillance patrols over the summer.