News for 2009

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) announced today that the review of the Animal Welfare (Pigs) Code of Welfare 2005 has been delayed and will not be completed until early next year.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) has ordered Plant and Food Research Ltd to take a number of actions as part of its review into a report of genetically modified Arabidopsis thaliana plants being found growing just outside a containment glasshouse on the Plant & Food Research site at Lincoln.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) is consulting on changes to the biosecurity clearance charges and levies for goods imported into New Zealand.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) has announced new regulations affecting the sale and use of rodent glueboard traps.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) is investigating a possible breach of containment, reported by Plant & Food Research, around a containment glasshouse located on the Plant & Food Research campus at Lincoln.

A senior researcher at the University of Auckland's Liggins Institute has been selected as the recipient of the 2009 National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee (NAEAC) Three Rs award.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) today confirmed that a series of New Zealand and European laboratory tests on a single New Zealand sheep brain have detected the condition atypical scrapie (also known as Nor 98).

Minimum standards of animal welfare and recommended best practices for everyone involved in animal transport in New Zealand are outlined in a draft code of welfare released for consultation by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) today.

Inspections by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) of all 22 Crafar-owned properties have concluded, MAF Director-General Murray Sherwin announced today.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has considered the findings of an independent panel report on the requirements governing proposed future imports of bee products from Australia.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) announced today the outcome of the review of its operations at the border.

A North Canterbury farmer was today fined $17,500 and ordered to pay court and investigation costs totalling $60,130 for allowing his stock to suffer from starvation. John Dalmer (74) pleaded guilty to charges under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

After months of detective work, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) has unravelled the cause of mass deaths of cockle shellfish in an estuary north of Auckland earlier this year.

The Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), Murray Sherwin, has agreed to the New Zealand Pork Industry Board’s request for an independent review of the provisional Import Health Standards for Pig Meat and Pig Meat Products issued by MAF Biosecuirty New Zealand (MAFBNZ) in April 2009.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) is helping Auckland authorities to determine the cause of dog illness and death following visits to the city’s North Shore beaches.

Notification of the numbers of animals used in research, testing and teaching was released today in the National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee (NAEAC) Annual Report.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) Enforcement Group welcome the conviction handed out in the Invercargill District Court on Friday to an Invercargill farmer charged with offences under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

An Auckland man was sentenced in the Manukau District Court last week for the illegal importation of spiders and must pay a fine of $4,000 as well as investigation and court costs totalling $630.00.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) issued its 2008 Annual Report today.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) is pleased with the conviction handed down today in the Lower Hutt District Court to a Wellington man for the illegal importation of chicken eggs.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) is reviewing its operations at the border in the light of a significant drop in trade and passenger volumes in the current worldwide economic downturn.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has received and is giving careful consideration to an independent panel report on the requirements governing future imports of bee products from Australia.

An investigation by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) into the operations of a Levin piggery has concluded, with MAF determining no breaches of the current Code of Welfare for Pigs, issued pursuant to section 75 of the Animal Welfare Act.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) says an important milestone has been reached in the programme to rid New Zealand of the southern saltmarsh mosquito with the completion this week of aerial treatments in the Wairau area in Marlborough.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and the Department of Labour have today given Whangarei’s Zion Wildlife Gardens approval to reopen to the public.

A Waipukarau truck driver pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the Hastings District Court today for the ill treatment of a lamb in his care. He was fined $800 and ordered to pay court costs of $130.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has today enacted powers under the Biosecurity Act 1993 and temporarily closed the Zion Wildlife Gardens near Whangarei to the public in the wake of this week's death of a keeper at the park.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) congratulates the Massey University Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, the AgResearch Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Centre and their Australian partners on being recognised as an expanded World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Collaborating Centre.

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) Animal Welfare Inspectors today visited the pig farm at the centre of TVNZ's "Sunday" programme. They were accompanied by an independent veterinarian and pig expert.

Yesterday a Central Hawkes Bay farmer was sentenced in the Hastings District Court for failing to maintain the welfare needs of his deer. He was fined $12,000, ordered to pay $9,181 in costs, and disqualified from owning or controlling production animals for a minimum period of 10 years. Permanent name suppression has been granted to the farmer.

A comprehensive science-based assessment of the welfare of egg producing hens in commercial production systems in New Zealand has been released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) today.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) has successfully eliminated the Southern salt marsh mosquito (SSM) from the Coromandel area, ending some three years of treatment and surveillance activity.

Marlborough duck shooters heading out to their mai mai for the start of the season this weekend should report any aggressive or unusual mosquito activity around salt marsh areas.

Following an intensive three year surveillance programme MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) has declared the successful eradication of the Red Imported Fire Ant from the Whirinaki area, effective 4pm Wednesday 22 April 2009.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) today issued provisional Import Heath Standards (IHSs) for pig meat, pig meat products and by-products from Canada, the EU, Mexico and the USA.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) is pleased with the conviction handed out in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday, the first under the Biosecurity (Meat and Food Waste for Pigs) Regulations 2005.

Work started today on a programme to attempt to eliminate a marine pest fanworm from Lyttelton Port of Christchurch.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) is asking property owners in the Wairau area of Marlborough to be aware that if they are planning irrigation, there is a chance they may cause hatching of Southern saltmarsh mosquitoes.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) has evaluated non-compliance with controls at Plant & Food Research - the Lincoln-based crown research institute containment facility where genetically modified (GM) brassica plants had been growing as part of an approved field trial.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) will this week be looking at what’s living in Picton Harbour (including local marinas and the Havelock Marina) as part of a nationwide surveillance programme targeted at detecting a range of different marine pests.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) has lifted the Restricted Place notice placed on Centennial Park Lake, Timaru after the latest survey revealed no visible signs of the highly invasive freshwater weed hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum).

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) has completed their review of the Plant & Food Research internal report into a reported breach of containment facility requirements at Plant & Food Research - the Lincoln-based crown research institute containment facility where genetically modified (GM) brassica plants had been growing as part of an approved field trial.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), Animal Welfare Investigation Team are pleased with the convictions handed out in the Whangarei District Court on Tuesday to a couple jointly charged with four offences under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) will next week be looking at what’s living in Tauranga Harbour as part of a nationwide surveillance programme targeted at detecting a range of unwanted marine pests.