News for 2005

Biosecurity New Zealand has strengthened Didymo control efforts with a South Island-wide Controlled Area, enhanced public awareness activity and a $1 million summer research programme into potential control tools, but personal responsibility remains the key tool in reducing its spread.

The invasive sea squirt, the clubbed tunicate, has been confirmed present in the marina at Tutukaka in Northland.

A Grey African parrot will be allowed to enjoy its kiwi experience and remain on board its vessel for the duration of its stay, Biosecurity New Zealand announced today.

Biosecurity New Zealand’s surveillance of high risk locations for the presence of the sea squirt, the clubbed tunicate, has not detected its presence in Opua in Northland.

Biosecurity New Zealand’s surveillance of high risk locations for the presence of the sea squirt, the clubbed tunicate, has not detected its presence in Napier’s port.

Biosecurity New Zealand’s surveillance of high risk locations for the presence of the sea squirt, the clubbed tunicate, has not detected its presence in Wellington Port or Picton Port and Marina.

Biosecurity New Zealand’s surveillance of high risk locations for the presence of the sea squirt, the clubbed tunicate, has not detected its presence in Dunedin’s Port or Port Chalmers.

Biosecurity New Zealand’s surveillance of high risk locations for the presence of the sea squirt, the clubbed tunicate, has not detected its presence in Tarakohe, Golden Bay.

The national Didymo survey has all but been completed with no further finds of the invasive alga. The last find was reported a week ago from the Von River near Queenstown, bringing the total known affected rivers to eight. However, river users should not assume any river to be free of Didymo and should continue to clean items that have been in contact with water before using in any other New Zealand waterway, Biosecurity New Zealand Team Manager, Surveillance and Incursion Response Amelia Pascoe says.

A sample from the mouth of the Von River near Queenstown has been found to contain Didymo cells, but further work is required to determine the extent of its presence in the river, Biosecurity New Zealand announced today.

Biosecurity New Zealand is asking for help from all marine users to prevent the spread of the invasive sea squirt, the clubbed tunicate, while expanding its search New Zealand-wide for the organism.

Biosecurity New Zealand is taking action to ensure yachts leaving Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour as part of this weekend’s HSBC Coastal Classic yacht race are free of the invasive seasquirt, the clubbed tunicate.

Members of Biosecurity New Zealand’s response team to the incursion of the clubbed tunicate met with representatives of the country’s marine farming industry today to investigate working together on the situation.

Jetboating New Zealand has agreed to exclude all rivers known to be affected with Didymo from the World Jetboat Marathon and complete intensive cleaning of boats between rivers, allowing the event to proceed, Biosecurity New Zealand announced this afternoon.

Work surveying the extent of the clubbed tunicate sea squirt in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour will begin tomorrow (Thursday 13 October 2005).

Biosecurity New Zealand today confirmed that a Painted apple moth trapped in Otahuhu on 26 August 2005 was most probably a hitchhiker that had arrived from Australia after it had pupated, rather than from an established New Zealand population.

Surveys of the Northern third of the South Island have not found any more rivers affected by the invasive Didymo alga, Biosecurity New Zealand announced today.

Testing of North Island rivers for the presence of the invasive Didymo algae will start on Friday 7 October 2005, Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) announced today.

 Biosecurity New Zealand is investigating a confirmed find of the exotic marine pest the ‘clubbed tunicate’ (sea squirt), Styela clava in two New Zealand locations.

Biosecurity New Zealand is calling for precautions to be taken on all South Island rivers with the confirmation that Didymo has been found in the Hawea River, and a further suspect find from the Travers River in the upper Buller catchment still being analysed.

It is likely that a Controlled Area will be declared on the Buller in the next few days, prohibiting use of the Buller River if users are intending to use other rivers. BNZ is working with local councils, DOC and Fish and Game to identify and contact river users. BNZ is aware that the fishing season starts on Saturday and that the whitebaiting season has already started.

Biosecurity New Zealand is asking Aucklanders, and particularly those in Devonport and the central city, to keep an eye out for a pair of red-vented bulbul birds that have recently been sighted in the area.

The appeal comes as BNZ faces a last minute hitch in imposing a controlled area on the rivers, which it had hoped to have in place for the start of the whitebait season on August 15. The controlled area notice is a more formal measure to contain the algae than the public awareness campaign conducted since the algae was first identified last October. It will control access to the area by permit and make it an offence to remove any item from the controlled area without one.

From 1 July 2005, responsibility for keeping the varroa bee mite out of the South Island will transfer from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) to the Varroa Agency Incorporated (VAI), a management agency made up of South Island Councils and beekeeping organisations. Varroa was first detected in Auckland in April 2000, and has now spread throughout the North Island. To date, movement controls on bees and bee products have kept the bee-killing mite out of the South Island. As part of the latest change, revised controls on transport of some materials to the South Island will be implemented.

It only takes one introduced pest to damage our country and one of us to stop that pest.

Below are just eight pests and diseases that are the focus on the campaign, but there are many more undesirables that threaten New Zealand’s economy and environment. Information on other nasties can be found on Biosecurity NZ’s website at www.biosecurity.govt.nz   .

Hawkes Bay residents will next week have the opportunity to help Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) determine the economic, environmental, cultural and social values of the region’s rivers and streams.

 Scientific testing using two different techniques indicates that that the Painted Apple Moth (PAM) trapped at an Otahuhu container facility on 5 May 2005 was a new arrival, and not a remainder of the population in West Auckland that sparked eradication measures in 2002.

Claims that palm kernel extract imports are a risk for the importation of exotic diseases such as foot and mouth disease and avian influenza are completely unfounded, Biosecurity New Zealand says.

Operation Waiheke, MAF’s response to the claimed release of Foot and Mouth disease on Waiheke Island officially ended on Monday.

A second letter, received today by Wellington’s Dominion Post newspaper, has stated that the claims made last week are a hoax and that no foot and mouth virus was released in New Zealand.

 Actions resulting from the claimed release of Foot and Mouth Disease on Waiheke Island continue.

Actions related to the claimed release of Foot and Mouth Disease on Waiheke Island continue.

By mid-afternoon today, MAF officials had contacted 30 Waiheke Island farmers, but were still unable to reach the owners of nine small farms. Any Waiheke farmers who have not spoken to MAF officials are asked to contact MAF on 0800 80 99 66.

 Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Director of Biosecurity Barry O’Neil said today that MAF and Police were responding to a claimed deliberate release of foot and mouth virus on Waiheke Island.

Section 131 – Controlled Area, Movement Controls and Procedures in Respect of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) – Waiheke Island and Surrounding Area

Actions related to the claimed release of Foot and Mouth Disease on Waiheke Island continue to take place.

With duck shooting season starting this weekend, Biosecurity New Zealand is appealing to users of the Mararoa and lower Waiau rivers in Southland to guard against the spread of the invasive algae Didymosphenia geminata.

Biosecurity New Zealand has destroyed a number of freshwater marron crayfish and gudgeon fish, following their discovery at a disused service station in West Auckland and at a pond at South Head Kaipara, Biosecurity New Zealand Post-Clearance Animal team manager Ron Thornton said today.

Illegally and incorrectly develvetting deer without anaesthetic saw three men and a company fined when they were sentenced on animal welfare charges in the Rangiora District Court today.

Kaitaia farmer Alan William Summers was today sentenced in the Whangarei District Court on three charges for ill treatment of cattle. He entered guilty pleas to all three charges on 15 February.

As a result of recent fall webworm moth finds in Mount Wellington Auckland, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has extended vegetation movement controls under Section 131 (2) of the Biosecurity Act 1993, Biosecurity New Zealand manager of eradication programmes Ian Gear said today.

As a result of recent fall webworm moth finds in Mount Wellington Auckland, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has extended vegetation movement controls under Section 131 (2) of the Biosecurity Act 1993, Biosecurity New Zealand manager of eradication programmes Ian Gear said today.

Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) in conjunction with Environment Southland is holding three information meetings this week to explain the latest developments with the algae incursion of Didymosphenia affecting some 200 km of the Waiau and Mararoa Rivers, Biosecurity New Zealand Senior Adviser Christina Vieglais, said today.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) believes that today’s guilty plea to animal welfare charges it laid against Northland farmer Alan William Summers vindicates its decision to lay criminal charges. Sentencing is currently scheduled for 11 March 2005.

A male moth was detected in a fall webworm trap on 7 February 2005 in Mount Wellington Auckland, Biosecurity New Zealand acting director of post-clearance Ian Gear said today.

The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry will lead a major exercise in April simulating an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, Biosecurity Minister Jim Sutton said today.