09 March 2005

Fumigation Of Imported Vehicles Not Working

New Zealand First biosecurity spokesperson Brent Catchpole is asking why the recent incursion of a deadly mosquito took place when the imported vehicle was inspected and fumigated at the port of origin.

Mr Catchpole’s comments follow the discovery of a Japanese tiger mosquito in the mixing bowl of a concrete truck imported from Japan last week, despite fumigation of the truck at the originating port.

“This serves as a warning to Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry officials that while port surveillance systems may be working well, no system is foolproof.

“This recent incursion would suggest that fumigation is not going to be effective unless it is carried out directly before the vehicles are loaded onto the ship.

“Why are vehicles not being fumigated directly before being loaded on to the ship?

“If the vehicles are left for a period of time on the wharf after fumigation the risk of recontamination increases.

"New Zealand First believes this is the only way to ensure potentially dangerous species do not establish themselves in New Zealand via the imported vehicle pathway.

"The Japanese tiger mosquito carries a potentially fatal virus, and that is too big a risk to ignore.

“New Zealand First urges the Government to move quickly to tackle the problem right at the source so that these risks do not become more frequent,” concluded Mr Catchpole.

ENDS

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