Biosecurity at the border protects us all

Several KVH staff arrived back in New Zealand this past weekend after overseas travel, and from their experience, the biosecurity activities being undertaken at the border at Auckland Airport were robust and effective.

It’s a busy time at the airport with the school holidays underway and you may have seen recent articles in the news about the processing of passenger arrivals. While it is important that this processing is efficient and timely (and none of us want to be stuck in endless queues!), we all agree there can be no compromising of our biosecurity standards and extensive protection system.

From our first-hand experience and close working relationship with Biosecurity New Zealand we know numbers of trained officials at the airport have been bolstered and comprehensive risk assessment continues to take place, with the added benefit of now being able to use information from the new digital declaration cards.

Risk assessment also includes extra focus on high-risk passengers (because of where they have flown in from for example) while maintaining the ability to still efficiently manage those that are deemed to be of lower risk.

Kiwifruit growers can be particularly assured there is continued focus on stopping pests and diseases like the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug and fruit flies – a direct threat to our industry as well as multiple other growers and farmers across the horticultural sector.

KVH has extremely high expectations that Biosecurity New Zealand will continue its stringent measures at the border to keep pests and diseases out of New Zealand. As challenges associated with this are identified they are addressed through good biosecurity risk management, with support and input from industry groups like KVH.