Check imports and report the unusual

KVH is aware of people waiting for or recently receiving cars that were shipped to New Zealand on the vessels recently detected with Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) and Yellow Spotted Stink Bug (YSSB).

The vessels have been treated and the heightened Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)-enforced fumigation process will be more effective.

However, there is never zero risk and we ask all private and commercial machinery importers and transitional facilities to carefully inspect machinery at all stages of the de-vanning process – especially if the goods are from known BMSB-infected countries and going on to an orchard.

The more eyes on the lookout for anything unusual, the better.

Importers should:
• be aware of the risk around BMSB;
• have BMSB identification information on-hand;
• inspect the vehicle, especially small spaces such as around the engine bay, battery, door and boot linings, etc;
• catch, snap and report anything unusual. If an insect is found immediately shut and contain the vehicle (e.g. within a shut garage). Phone the MPI biosecurity hotline on 0800 80 99 66. Orchardists and machinery dealers are asked to inform KVH of any detections.

More information about BMSB, including what to look out for and how to identify suspected finds is available on the KVH website.