WOW! Is that a pest in your costume?
This 2007 WOW entry from
Thailand was made of silkworm
cocoons, and required fumigation.
Having finally outgrown its Nelson home, WOW® (World of WearableArt), is now firmly established in its new Wellington base and continues to 'wow' audiences from around New Zealand and the world.
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand's (MAFBNZ's) Nelson team has guarded a couple of WOW secrets since last May, and now that the 2007 season is over, we can share them with readers.
For some years, MAFBNZ has advised WOW Competition Director, Heather Palmer, on biosecurity matters. Previously, costumes have been sent from the WOW Nelson base to Singapore and Japan for displays and performances in those countries. Not surprisingly, WOW costumes have always included far more than simply fabrics. Materials used by the creative designers have included wood, feather, skin, bone, shells, plant fibre and Māori artefacts – all items that can pose potential biosecurity risks. Heather has sought MAFBNZ guidance to meet other countries' importation requirements when arranging transport. Sometimes documentation has been provided to facilitate the costumes' return home.
Last May, the biosecurity questions were about incoming, rather than outgoing, WOW traffic. Heather alerted MAFBNZ to a 2007 entry, made of silkworm cocoons, which presented a possible biosecurity risk. Information suggested the garment would be carried through Auckland International Airport by one of two named passengers, on specific flights, arriving on different days from Thailand. The respective teams were alerted but no costume intercepted, due to the fact that the entrant had decided instead to courier the entry to WOW. Upon opening the package, Heather inspected the silkworm garment and found it to be infested. She rang MAFBNZ, and collection and fumigation was arranged.
The straw packaging around this
2007 WOW entry from India had
to be carefully removed
and destroyed.
Two days after returning the silkworm garment, Heather's team rang to report the arrival of another entry carrying some biosecurity risk material. This time, it was a garment from India, and when the courier package was opened, it was found to be packed in straw. Interestingly, the garment was made from a hessian-like material and formed into the shape of a collection of weaver finch nests. The enormous box was delivered to the Port Nelson quarantine facility and the straw carefully removed and destroyed.
Both these entries presented a significant biosecurity risk, and WOW entrants are alerted to New Zealand's quarantine requirements in their entry documentation. While these two entrants may have overlooked the biosecurity requirements in the heat of the creative moment, the cool-headed team at WOW recognised the biosecurity risks and informed MAF immediately.
And how did the garments fare in the WOW awards? Unfortunately the silkworm cocoon didn't make the final cut for the judging, but for the weaver finch colony creation from India, the news was all good. It won the Mainpower WOW Factor Award including a $5,000 prize, chosen by event founder Suzie Moncrieff as the most innovative garment with the 'WOW Factor'.
- Jaimie D Baird, Quarantine Inspector, MAFBNZ, Nelson, mqsnsn@maf.govt.nz
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Page last updated: 30 April 2008