Stopping pets becoming pests

Pet escapes a major pest source

New Zealand has the highest rate of pet ownership in the world. Pets fulfil an important role in the lives of individuals, households, families and communities. But some pets have the potential to breed in the wild and pose problems for our economy, environment and health.

Globally, pet escapes are a major source of pest species. New Zealand is no different. Several pet species have gone on to form wild populations in New Zealand, including:

The risks of pets going wild

Once a pet species becomes established in the wild it can:

spread diseases or parasites to native animals, plants and people
cause harm to New Zealand’s agricultural, horticultural, forestry, aquaculture or fishing industries
destroy habitats for native wildlife
kill or compete with native animals or plants
negatively affect the recreational environments that we enjoy.

Managing these risks

New Zealand has a strict regulatory regime to ensure that new high-risk pet species aren’t brought into the country. However, in the past it was easier to bring in new species and about 1,800 pet species are now considered legally present in New Zealand.

MPI has been working with pet industry and biosecurity stakeholders to better understand the biosecurity risks posed by the domestic trade in pets already present in New Zealand, and opportunities to manage these risks. Our analysis suggests that most pet species are unlikely to pose significant risks. But some species that can be legally traded at present appear capable of forming wild populations and causing problems.

As a result, MPI has established a group – the National Pest Pet Biosecurity Accord – to regulate the domestic trade of high-risk pets and to encourage responsible pet ownership. This group is mirrored on the successful National Pest Plant Accord and includes MPI, the Department of Conservation, regional councils, the Pet Industry Association and the New Zealand Companion Animal Council.

Pet species that are currently regulated

As yet, no pet species have been regulated under the Accord. However, there are several species that are currently regulated under the Biosecurity Act 1993, which are known to be kept as pets (see Table 1).

It is important that pet owners and pet traders are aware of these and their obligations under the law. Unwanted organisms provisions under the Biosecurity Act 1993 are aimed at preventing the proliferation of these organisms.

Find out more about the regulations

Contact your regional council or unitary authority to check for obligations under regional pest management plans.

Council and local authority contact list – Department of Internal Affairs website

The Accord Agreement

The Accord aims to provide a nationally coordinated and consistent approach for managing the trade of high-risk pet species and advocacy for responsible pet ownership.
The Accord agreement, once finalised, will be published on this website.

Focus of the Accord

The Accord will focus on species kept primarily as pets that are not widely established in the wild and don’t currently have a regulatory framework for their management. This means that cats, dogs, domestic livestock and a range of other species are out of scope.

The Accord will also focus specifically on the domestic trade in pets and won’t seek to control pet ownership directly. In other words, the Accord will not require pet owners to give up their pets, but it may control breeding, selling and movement of certain species.

The structures to make the Accord work are in the process of being established. Once this is completed, pet species will be assessed to determine whether regulation is warranted and work to encourage responsible pet ownership will begin.

Table 1: Unwanted organisms that have been known to be kept as pets or in aquaria

Common name	Scientific name	Type	Notes
Bennett's wallaby	Macropus rufogriseus	Mammal	Restricted to Canterbury and parts of Otago. Unwanted organism (UO) classification due to expire 19 Sep 2016
Brush-tailed rock wallaby	Petrogale penicillata	Mammal	Restricted to Kawau Island. UO classification due to expire 19 Sep 2016
Dama wallaby	Macropus eugenii	Mammal	Restricted to Kawau Island and the vicinity of Rotorua Lakes. UO classification due to expire 19 Sep 2016
European alpine newt	Ichthyosaura alpestris	Amphibian	Currently under an eradication programme
Ferret	Mustela furo	Mammal	Widespread throughout NZ
Koi carp	Cyprinus carpio	Fish	Widespread in northern North Island
Mosquito fish	Gambusia affinis	Fish	Widespread in northern North Island
Parma wallaby	Macropus parma	Mammal	Restricted to Kawau Island. UO classification due to expire 19 Sep 2016
Plague skink (rainbow skink)	Lamprophilis delicata	Reptile	Widespread in northern North Island
Rainbow lorikeet	Trichoglossus haemotodus	Bird	Not established in the wild. General permission to breed, sell and move
Red-vented bulbul	Pycnonotus cafer	Bird	Currently under an eradication programme
Rose-ringed parakeet	Psittacula krameri	Bird	General permission to breed, sell and move.
Swamp wallaby	Wallabia bicolor	Mammal	Restricted to Kawau Island. UO classification due to expire 19 Sep 2016

Pests in regional pest management plans known to be kept as pets (not including unwanted organisms)
Common name	Scientific name	Type	Notes/region affected
Bearded dragon	Amphibolurus barbatus	Reptile	Auckland (rules only apply when an animal is not held in secure containment)
Blue-tongue skink	Tiliqua scincoides and Tiliqua nigrolutea	Reptile	Auckland region - surveillance pest
Chinchilla	Chinchilla laniger	Mammal	Southland
Eastern rosella	Platycerus eximius	Bird	Bay of Plenty, Horizons
Eastern water dragon	Physignathus lesueurii lesueurii	Reptile	Auckland (rules only apply when an animal is not held in secure containment)
Goldfish	Carassius auratus	Fish	Wellington
Possums	Trichosurus vulpecula	Mammal	Most regions
Red-eared slider turtle	Trachemys scripta elegans	Reptile	Auckland (rules only apply when an animal is not held in secure containment). Wellington and Waikato also have rules
Shingleback lizard	Trachydosaurus rugosus	Reptile	Auckland (rules only apply when animal is not held in secure containment)
Sulphur-crested cockatoo	Cacatua galerita	Bird	Horizons, Canterbury and Auckland (rules only apply when an animal is not held in secure containment)