Canterbury cropping and livestock farmer David Clark, who is also a director and shareholder of the company importing the parts, said he was horrified when he learnt the part were driven from Auckland to Christchurch before being fumigated.
The practice is condoned by biosecurity regulations but Clark wants change.
“At the moment this country is spending tens of millions of dollars annually on what seems to be a continual line of incursions.
“At some point that must be addressed and there’s no time better than now,” Clark said.
“With a new biosecurity minister, what better time to change the rules.
“As a farmer and an importer we take biosecurity very seriously. This is just not good enough.”
Clark was expecting the five pellets to land at Lyttleton but they United States on a bigger ship going to Auckland.
By law the container was required to be fumigated at point of loading, the US, or at destination, Lyttleton.
“We know it wasn’t fumigated at point of loading so one would expect it would then be fumigated on its first landing in NZ.”
But the Ministry for Primary Industries didn’t require the container to be fumigated in Auckland.
The container was unloaded and Clark’s five pallets were taken out and sent by road as part of a general freight load to Christchurch.
The pallets were gassed and issued their Biosecurity Authority Clearance Certificate (BACC) by MPI before being released to Clark.
“And yes, that was effectively their designated destination and so legally, as the law stands, that was where the fumigation was required to be done, at the named destination.
“But that doesn’t account for the transitional movement and that’s where the change needs to happen,” Clark said.
“So if there were any of the noxious pest brown marmorated stink bugs in those pallets and they had half a wit they could have jumped truck and taken up residence anywhere along that journey from Auckland to Christchurch.
“This is just one example that highlights the fundamental flaw of Biosecurity NZ.
“It’s time for the rules to change so that biosecurity obligations are met at the first transitional facility the goods arrive to in NZ.
“My view is, enough is enough, and I encourage the minister (Damien O’Connor) to recognise where the risk is and be brave enough to make some bold changes.”
O’Connor said the stink bug was the single biggest insect risk to NZ.
Four vessels had been turned away from NZ shores. The latest was understood to be a load of 8000 cars on February 15.
“This is a major biosecurity threat.
“We have been absolutely ruthless with it. We can’t allow this bug into the country.”
Any importation was a risk and all importers had to ensure they were buying from a reputable manufacturer with high biosecurity standards.
While staying short of saying he would change the regulations, O’Connor recognised Clark’s example.
“We will be sending more people offshore to check out biosecurity but it’s also incumbent on the importers to ensure their bit is absolutely right,” O’Connor said.
Late last year a cluster of stink bugs left Italy alive before slipping past NZ border control and arriving in Christchurch where they were found hidden inside sealed panels on a mobile concrete plant.
The equipment was sealed in plastic and fumigated with MPI confident none of the stink bugs had escaped en route to Christchurch.
The plant had arrived in Auckland where it was inspected by MPI officer then trucked to Christchurch the next day.
The bugs have caused severe crop damage overseas in places like Italy and the US, which require extra surveillance.
MPI said the bug is a sneaky pest caught at the border many times, hitchhiking on passengers and in imported goods.
“They are hard to see, hard to kill, travel far and breed fast so we’ll need to act quickly to get rid of them if they arrive.”
