Offshore treatment stops bugs entering NZ ports

The trial was for containers destined for Napier (pictured) and Tauranga. Picture / Hawkes Bay Today

The number of hitch-hiking pests entering New Zealand has been significantly reduced by containers being de-bugged offshore.

A three-month offshore container management programme trial for containers destined for Napier and Tauranga was carried out at Lae and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea and Honiara in the Solomon Islands.

Major importer Chief Container Services and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Quarantine Service (MAF QS), who ran the trial, have decided to continue treating containers offshore after the success of the programme, Biosecurity magazine reported.

Treating containers offshore reduced costs, time delays and decreased the need for intensive MAF QS inspections, which freed up resources for other uses. It also meant there would be less congestion at the ports.

Before the three-month trial up to 17 per cent of containers were contaminated with ants and about 50 per cent with other contaminants, including soil, grain and insects.

After the trial, ant contamination dropped to nothing from Port Moresby and Honiara and 0.13 per cent for Lae, which was under the goal of 0.16 per cent.

Total contamination from all three was all under 7 per cent, with Honiara's at 4.03 per cent beating the 5 per cent goal.

It was anticipated refinements to the programme and targeting problem areas could further reduce contamination.

- NZPA