KEY POINTS:
Biosecurity New Zealand is still tracing genetically modified tropical fish that were unwittingly allowed into New Zealand this year.
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) officers seized and destroyed some 300 of the zebra danio fish in raids on two Christchurch pet shops and two private premises in July.
They had been alerted weeks earlier by concerned members of the public who noticed the zebra danio fish, a breed popular with ornamental fish enthusiasts, for sale on the internet.
MAF Quarantine Service staff had unwittingly allowed the fish importation under the false impression they were dyed - an apparently accepted practice among tropical fish collectors.
Tests in Britain confirmed the fish had been genetically modified with a red fluorescent protein to make them an unusual bright red/pink colour.
Biosecurity NZ said their importation for aquarium use hadn't been authorised by the Environmental Risk Management Authority and therefore they were new organisms in breach of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act.
Biosecurity NZ incursion manager David Yard said today that since July properties around the country had been visited and fish humanely destroyed using a fish anaesthetic.
To date, 330 genetically modified zebra danio fish had been found and destroyed. The importation involved only 210 fish that were sold to shops, but fish had been bred and sold from the original stock.
Mr Yard said work was continuing to trace and destroy fish that had been on-sold, either by the original pet shops that received stocks, or by "downstream breeders".
"We are continuing to follow leads, but are also keen to hear from members of the public or fish enthusiasts who may have the fish or know someone who does," he said.
People could alert Biosecurity NZ through the freephone number 0800 809966.
"Arrangements will be made for the fish to be collected and humanely put down."
Mr Yard said the zebra danio posed an "extremely low risk in biosecurity terms" as they were unlikely to enter the food chain or have any environmental impacts.
"They are, however, not legally here and it is important that people keeping tropical fish are aware that the importation, possession or sale of unauthorised genetically modified organisms is illegal in New Zealand," he said.
- NZPA
