Review of Current Biosecurity Research in New Zealand

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The Executive Summary and Introduction is below:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Biosecurity research is a vital element in building New Zealand’s capacity to successfully exclude, eradicate and control unwanted organisms that threaten the economy, environment and people’s health. This review reports on the national research effort related to biosecurity that has been completed, or has been contracted for, since 1999/2000.

In all, 406 research projects were identified and account for over $64.5 million in expenditure. Seventy-five percent of this expenditure was for projects in the years 2000-01 and 2000-02. Each project was classified into one of four categories – General, Pre-border, Border, or Post-Border. Within each of these main categories, sub-categories were used to define more specific areas of research activity.

The greatest research effort was in the Post-Border category, which accounted for $57 million, or 88% of the expenditure. Border-related research was $3.3 million (5%), followed by General ($2.6 million – 4%) and Pre-Border ($1.7 million – 3%). The majority of funds, $41.4 million or 64%, came from FRST, including Technology NZ input. Other significant funders were the Department of Conservation (DOC) ($6.6 million – 10%), the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) ($3.5 million – 9%) and Animal Health Board (AHB) ($4.7 million – 7%). Landcare led five Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) and DOC as the main providers of biosecurity research. These five CRIs accounted for 72% of the total expenditure. Universities, Forest Research (another CRI) and the Cawthron Institute are other important providers.

Details are given of the 17 sub-categories of Post-Border research for which expenditure exceeded $1 million. These sub-categories fell into two distinct groupings. The first group of sub-categories had few projects but large individual expenditures. These were in the production-centred sectors (horticulture, crops and pastoral), based around large multi-component projects with an emphasis on integrated pest management approaches to pest and disease control.

The second group of sub-categories had multiple funders and a larger number of projects, but with smaller individual budgets. These projects were focused mostly on the operational needs of management agencies - DOC, MAF, AHB and councils. The operational focus was reflected in the main areas of research involved – biocontrol, possums, poisons/baits, invertebrate pests, mustelids, weeds, mammalian pests and marine. These are the areas of research where overlap of research effort is most likely, although there was insufficient detail to show if significant overlaps actually occurred.

The distribution of research across all four categories needs to be considered when identifying gaps or unnecessary overlaps. In some cases it is possible to identify a coherent and wide-ranging group of projects. For example, there are projects relating to marine biosecurity in the Pre-Border, Border and Post- Border categories that reflect the decision by Government in 2000 to spend $9.8 million over five years on marine biosecurity. These form a coherent and cohesive package of research projects that start to address a neglected area of biosecurity concerns.

Most sub-categories of high expenditure in the Post-Border category continue earlier efforts to improve control and management techniques of known pests, such as possums. This is not to downplay the importance of such research. What does appear to be missing, however, is ‘anticipatory biosecurity research’. This could include, for example, a consideration of cost-effective techniques to improve detection and eradication around known high-risk entry points such as major ports and airports. It would also suggest more research is warranted into a wider range of risk pathways and consideration of how global change, including global movements of major invasive species, is likely to affect risks to New Zealand.

This review also identified significant gaps in research relating to the human dimensions of improving biosecurity management. These needs apply to border as well as post-border situations. These needs have been specified in earlier reports, but funding has not yet followed. There was very little research identified that related to human health considerations of biosecurity, the main exception being a cluster of projects relating to mosquitoes.

New Zealand’s centres of research collectively represent a wide range of scientific expertise and information (collections and databases) relating to biosecurity research. These skills appear to be complementary, rather than overlapping, although the competitive funding system may not be conducive to developing the optimal synergies that are needed with respect to problems that require a multi-disciplinary approach.

INTRODUCTION

In November 2000 the Cabinet approved terms of reference, a structure and process for the development of a comprehensive Biosecurity Strategy for New Zealand. The purpose of the Strategy is to obtain agreement on the goals, objectives and measurable targets for New Zealand’s biosecurity programmes. Subsequently, a Biosecurity Strategy Development Team was established in mid-December 2000 with responsibilities for managing the strategy development process.

One of the outcomes that Government expects from the Strategy is “Identification of biosecurity research requirements” since research is needed to provide the information necessary to make decisions about the management of biosecurity risks. The Biosecurity Strategy will make provision for the development of a research strategy by identifying research needs and establishing research priorities.

Accordingly, the Biosecurity Strategy Development Team commissioned EcoLogic Conservation Consultants “to review and report on recent, current and approved biosecurity research.” The objective was to give the “big picture” of biosecurity research, identify the major players, where the focus is and identify gaps or unnecessary overlaps.

The working definition of ‘biosecurity’ used in the review, as used by the Biosecurity Council was as follows: “Biosecurity” means the protection from the risks posed by organisms to the economy, environment and people’s health, through exclusion, eradication and control.

 The terms of reference for this review defined the following scope:

  • Biosecurity research completed in New Zealand since January 2000;
  • Current biosecurity research in New Zealand;
  • Biosecurity research that has been approved, but not yet commenced; and
  • Recent or current overseas biosecurity research that contributes directly to

New Zealand’s biosecurity, for example, collaborative research involving New Zealand researchers. Since the major funding agencies have financial years running from July to June, research that was funded for the 1999-2000 financial year was included in the review.

Providing an overview of biosecurity research capabilities and expertise in New Zealand and/or particular technical skills, specialised equipment, collections or databases was also in the terms of reference.

Page last updated: 16 October 2008