Marine Biosecurity Programme

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) has a broad marine biosecurity responsibility with the objective of protecting New Zealand's precious and unique marine environment. MAFBNZ has a team of marine experts working in different areas of the organisation who are all focused on issues affecting New Zealand's marine environment.

This page overviews the range of work underway and directs you to relevant areas of the site for further information.

Marine communications

A communications programme has been developed around the need for vessel cleaning stressing the key message of "Clean and antifoul your boat" with a supplementary message around reporting suspect marine organisms to the MAFBNZ pest and disease hotline 0800 80 99 66. The communications programme into the future is based around face-to-face communication to boaties through events, boat club evenings, industry and regional forums etc.

Stopping pests arriving - working internationally and setting border standards

One major pathway for the introduction on non-indigenous marine species (NIMS) is in ballast water. On the advice of MAFBNZ, the Government recently agreed that New Zealand will join an international convention on ballast water.

Currently (since 2000) the ballast water risk is controlled by a standard requiring all ships wishing to discharge ballast water in New Zealand waters to demonstrate they have exchanged it for mid-ocean water en route here.

MAFBNZ is also working through the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to develop international measures for minimising the transfer of invasive aquatic species through biofouling of ships. The work by the IMO to develop international measures for ships' biofouling has a medium to long-term horizon.

In the shorter-term, MAFBNZ is working on measures to minimise the biofouling risk posed by vessels arriving in New Zealand, in particular international yachts and slow moving vessels and rigs - recent work has shown these to have higher levels of fouling than other craft.

Currently yachts are encouraged to arrive in New Zealand with a clean hull Link to PDF document (1296 KB). Specific requirements regarding biofouling are under development and will be based on research and risk analysis (see below).

Approved cleaning facilities will be required at every port receiving international yachts. The standards for these will be based on the research undertaken on treatments at facilities and the resulting viability of fouling organisms.

MAFBNZ is working with the petroleum industry to find a way to allow exploration rigs to enter NZ for operations of the coast without carrying marine pest and disease organisms in their biofouling.

Risk Analysis - where are pests coming from, how are they transported and what are our at-risk locations?

MAFBNZ's current marine risk analysis programme has three primary work areas:

  • vessel biofouling - biofouling research has been completed for commercial vessels, passenger liners and private yachts, and fishing vessel sampling is scheduled to commence in early 2009. Data from this research is being used to inform an overall risk analysis of vessel biofouling, which in turn will be used to develop border measures.
  • Mapping the cultural, social, economic and environmental values associated with New Zealand's coastal marine environment.
  • risk profiling - data from the biofouling and mapping projects will be used as inputs to a risk profiling framework which will help identify potential risk species (our next invaders) and at-risk locations.

Marine Surveillance - looking out for new pest arrivals

MAFBNZ's marine surveillance team is charged with assessing what's out there and looking out for any new pest incursions. The team has completed biological baseline surveillance for non indigenous marine species at 16 major ports and marinas of international entry. An additional eight secondary ports and pristine locations have also been surveyed with two of these now complete. This year MAFBNZ re-established a regular targeted surveillance programme which surveys 10 high risk locations twice yearly in winter and summer for a suite of target organisms. This is a continuation of a surveillance programme which began in 2002.

Investigation and Diagnostics - investigating and identifying new pests and diseases

The Investigation and Diagnostic Centre (IDC) follows up on suspected unwanted organism calls through the Exotic Disease and Pest Hotline (0800 80 99 66) and through other sources. Last year 24 marine investigations were carried out (published in Surveillance magazine).

Fish, mollusc and crustacean diseases

In addition to pests that may invade the aquatic environment, there are numerous diseases of fish, molluscs and crustaceans that New Zealand is mostly free from. Users of the aquatic environment have a significant role in preventing the entry of these pathogens when returning from overseas.

The New Zealand reference diagnostic laboratory for aquatic animal diseases is part of the IDC and has the expertise and diagnostic tools to investigate potential outbreaks of these diseases.

The IDC also has a number of projects to increase diagnostic capacity. Currently work is focused on iridoviruses of fish, herpes-like viruses of molluscs and molecular tools for molluscan diagnsotics.

Aquatic animal products are subject to rigorous scientifc risk assessments before they are permitted entry into New Zealand. As a result, certain products may require specific import controls.

Response - dealing with new exotic pest detections

The response team essentially deals with detected pests - from attempting to eradicate where possible, through to recommending long term management measures. Some recent high profile responses include:

Pest Management

The Pest Management team is coordinating a national partnership to Stop the Spread of Marine Pests (STOMP). Regional marine biosecurity partnerships have been formed for the Top of the South (Island) and Top of the North (Island) to coordinate marine biosecurity in these areas through managing the ways pests spread (pathway management) and effective communication.

A Fiordland Marine Biosecurity Strategic Plan has been completed and a Fiordland Marine Biosecurity Operational Plan is currently being contracted out to implement the Strategic Plan. Work is also underway to develop a marine biosecurity partnership for the Chatham Islands.

Policy

The Government has agreed to develop legislation to manage the environmental effects of economic activities in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone The proposed legislation will include amendments to the Biosecurity Act to extend its jurisdiction to the EEZ. This will ultimately enable the biosecurity risks from craft operating in the EEZ to be managed.

The New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement (offsite link to www.doc.govt.nz) that directs the resource planning and consent activities of councils in the coastal marine area is in the process of being revised. The revised Statement includes a new policy on biosecurity. This is intended to provide direction for councils on how they should incorporate marine biosecurity risk management into existing responsibilities under the Resource Management Act. A Board of Inquiry has been tasked with hearing submissions on the revised Statement and reporting back to Government with its findings.

Page last updated: 18 December 2008