Photo: (L-R) Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy, MPI dog handler Niina Edgar with Ayla the beagle, KVH Chairman Peter Ombler and KVH Chief Executive Barry O’Neil at this morning’s launch at Port of Tauranga.

More than 50 leaders from Bay of Plenty industries and organisations came together this morning with the Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, and Minister of Trade, Todd McClay, to celebrate the official launch of ‘biosecurity operational excellence’ at Port of Tauranga (POTL).

Guests were given an overview of the initiative and gained a good insight into the innovative ways Bay of Plenty industries and government are working together to better understand biosecurity risk at Port of Tauranga and to raise awareness amongst the Port community.

The group also observed the passenger biosecurity screening process of incoming cruise ship ‘The Arcadia’ where detector dog Ayla went to work sniffing out food risk items from more than 2000 disembarking passengers. The Arcadia arrived from Tahiti and Tauranga was its first port of call.

The project, which started as an exercise to better understand biosecurity risks at POTL, has a working group made up of committed Bay of Plenty sectors. They are:

• Port of Tauranga Limited
• Kiwifruit Vine Health
• Ministry for Primary Industries
• New Zealand Customs
• Forest Owners Association
• Bay of Plenty Regional Council
• Fonterra, on behalf of the dairy sector
• NZ Avocados

The programme is tailored to organisms and particular imported goods and pathways relevant to the Bay of Plenty. However, the vision has always been to develop this approach as a national model.