Friday, March 29, 2024

Food smugglers target at port

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The “eyes and ears” enforcing biosecurity at New Zealand’s largest port have been boosted with the launch of a government-industry initiative in Tauranga. Port of Tauranga was the first in the country to establish the initiative which involved logistics companies, exporters, port staff and cruise ship operators understanding and reporting biosecurity issues.
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It had involvement from across the spectrum of exporters, including horticultural, dairy and forestry sectors.

The initiative was developed over the past 18 months with the port but stemmed from a conversation between Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH) chairman Peter Ombler and its chief executive Dr Barry O’Neil in the post Psa environment.

“He asked me did I know what the risks were facing us here at the Port of Tauranga and we started clarifying those risks with Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI),” O’Neil said.

One of the greatest risks facing the region which accounted for 80% of the $1 billion kiwifruit business was the surge in cruise liners entering the port.

This season 74 vessels brought almost quarter of a million tourists to Bay of Plenty.

“Concerns were raised when MPI did a survey that revealed the amount of food passengers were smuggling onto shore off ships.”

After the fruit fly incursion in Grey Lynn a year ago, Chinese importers banned fruit imports from within a 27km radius of the incursion centre.

“If you look around 27km here, that is the bulk of our kiwifruit export region so it is a big risk, one that would be even greater if there were a threat to dairy and forestry.”

Steps taken under the initiative included a more inclusive approach to biosecurity between MPI and industry, an issue the Psa incursion revealed was a problem.

Port of Tauranga now included a full biosecurity introduction in its staff induction programme while all companies directly connected to the port had been briefed on biosecurity risks and were given a calendar guide to pests that could be identified in a particular month.

“After putting that out there we had a call the next day from staff at a company who thought they had identified three brown marmorated stink bugs. Fortunately, they were not.”

“Concerns were raised when MPI did a survey that revealed the amount of food passengers were smuggling onto shore off ships.”

Dr Barry O’Neill

Kiwifruit Vine Health

Initiatives for cruise ships included biosecurity staff working more closely with crews, educating them on the importance of ensuring passengers did not leave ships with food.

Ships now regularly broadcast that message on video and through tannoy systems before berthing.

The MPI beagle sniffer dog team had also been expanded, with 24 dog-handler teams graduating last year and some now deployed at ports including Tauranga.

O’Neil said in addition to growing cruise liner business, changes in logistics had also increased biosecurity risks for the region’s horticulture sector.

Kiwifruit used to be taken to the wharf and loaded into reefer ship containers but now the reefer containers were taken to packhouses.

“We need to have confidence this does not present a biosecurity risk.”

That involved educating staff who cleaned the containers about how important their job was.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said the initiative was an extension of the government-industry agreements. Several had now been signed with the primary sector, the latest being the avocado industry.

Import Health Standards had also been beefed up for fresh imported fruit and vegetable products.

He said the initiative added another layer to biosecurity vigilance but was not there to replace the role of MPI staff at ports and airports.

Once fine-tuned the Tauranga model would provide a template other ports could follow.

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