Frontline finds show biosecurity system in action

Even regular travellers aren’t immune from declaration mistakes. Detector dog Ozark recently sniffed out three bananas and a bunch of table grapes in a bag carried by an airline crew member passing through Auckland Airport’s express lane. The fruit hadn’t been declared, and Ozark zeroed in on the suspicious odour. The crew member received a $400 infringement notice, and the fruit was destroyed.
Four passengers arriving from India in early September declared half a suitcase of risk items, including fresh onion, potatoes, zucchini, carrots, beans, apples, capsicums, chillies, limes, cucumber, cabbage, pickles, and ghee. One thing they didn’t declare was melon fly larvae – a significant agricultural pest that affects a wide range of plants. The larvae were detected during baggage checks after the passengers were referred to search benches at Auckland Airport.
The detection of a Giant African Snail (GAS) during unloading of a container vessel from Taiwan triggered a biosecurity alert in Auckland in August. Containers on the deck near the discovery were moved to the inspection area for thorough checks and thankfully no further snails were found. The specimen was later confirmed to be Lissachatina fulica, one of the world’s largest and most destructive snail species. GAS can grow up to 30cm long and have a voracious appetite for a wide range of plants.

Image: The GAS found at Auckland’s Fergusson Terminal, with a dinner table fork for scale.

SEEN SOMETHING UNUSUAL?