Shipping inspections upgraded

18 June 2007

Shipping inspections upgraded

Ships visiting New Zealand now have to meet tougher new international quarantine controls.

The new shipping inspections are in line with World Health Organisations international controls.

In the past the focus had been on keeping ships free of rats and other vermin and they were checked for this every six months.

“The old regulations were concerned with cholera, plague and yellow fever,” said Senior Advisor Border Health Protection John Gardiner. “The new ones cover emerging threats like SARs, pandemic influenza, drug resistant tuberculosis, ionising radiation and chemical contamination."

"There is the potential for these and other emerging threats to public health to be spread rapidly around the world. Globalisation and the free movements of goods and people has increased this risk.”

The new regulations are aimed at detecting and preventing the spread of diseases and contamination to limit international risks. This requires health officials to inspect and certify international vessels to ensure they are not risks to public health.

“The fishing vessel FV PAERANGI was inspected last Friday under the new regulations and given an all clear by the Otago Health Protection officers” said Mr Gardiner.

“We expect there may be some initial teething problems but the District Health Board Public Health Units and the shipping industry are working together to iron out any difficulties that may emerge. The program marks a new era of heightened surveillance of our international ports of entry to detect and contain any public health threats that may endanger New Zealand.”

ENDS

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