Keep your vessel pest-free
Hitchhiker insects and animals may happen to board a vessel while it's overseas – sometimes carried on cargo, blown on board in small numbers undetected, or arriving in swarms. If they then find their way to New Zealand they could affect human health or seriously harm New Zealand's economy and unique environment.
Common hitchhiking pests that have been found on ships and yachts on arrival include:
- ants and termites
- some types of beetles that gather together
- moths that are attracted to ships' lights to lay their eggs on structures
- mosquitoes
- wasps and bees.
Fact sheets about hitchhiking pests are available:
- Don't Bring Hitchhikers to New Zealand on Your Commercial Vessel
- Don't Bring Hitchhikers to New Zealand on Your Vessel (fact sheet for yachts)
Two pests of major concern
Asian gypsy moth and brown marmorated stink bugs are serious pests and special management procedures are in place to prevent their spread to New Zealand.
Asian gypsy moth
Up until recently only vessels that called into Far East Russian ports during the risk period were classified as high risk. From the moth's flight season of 2016, the requirements for high-risk vessels may apply to a vessel that called to any of the areas in an extended list of risk areas that will include most source countries.
An arriving vessel may be considered a high risk for Asian gypsy moth (AGM) if in the previous 12 months it has visited any of the risk areas during the specified risk periods in Table 1 (sourced from the NAPPO AGM regulations).
| Table 1. Proposed Risk Areas and Specified Risk Periods 2016 (Vessels have risk of AGM if, in the last 12 months, visited during corresponding risk period) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Country | Risk Area | Specified Risk Period |
| Russian Far East | All ports south of south of 60 o north and west of 147 o longitude (excluding those ports on the Kamchatka Peninsula) | 1 July to 30 September |
| China | North of latitude of 32 o N | 1 July to 30 September |
| Republic of Korea | All ports | 1 June to 30 September |
| Japan – Northern | Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima | 1 July to 30 September |
| Japan – Western | Akita, Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa | 25 June to 15 September |
| Japan – Eastern | Fukui, Ibaraki, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie | 20 June to 20 August |
| Japan – Southern | Wakayama, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Kagawa, Tokushima, Ehime, Kochi, Fukuoka, Oita, Saga, Nagasaki, Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima | 1 June to 10 August |
| Japan – Far Southern | Okinawa | 25 May to 30 June |
Certificates of freedom
If the vessel is high risk and does not have a certificate of freedom from a recognised inspection body, a high-level inspection may be required at a specific port as determined by MPI or potentially 4 nautical miles offshore at an agreed location if the risk is very high.
Certificates of freedom will avoid undue delays on your arrival in New Zealand.
MPI has draftedis currently drafting changes to the existing Asian gypsy moth requirements as part of drafting the draftnewCraft Risk Management Standard for Vessels . Consultation onMPI expects to release the draft standard opened on 13 June 2016 and will close 5 Augustproposed changes for consultation in the first half of 2016. MPI will notify the consultation period as soon as it has been confirmed.
Find out more about the consultation and how to have your say
Brown marmorated stink bugs
This insect is a serious pest of crops and nuisance to people. It has been found arriving at the New Zealand border on cargo and vessels from the United States. Crews should look out for the bug and report any sightings.
New and used cars, trucks, machinery, boats and parts imported from the United States must be treated by one of 3 methods before being shipped to New Zealand.
Find out more
Who to contact
- If you have questions about the information on this page, email vessels@mpi.govt.nz
- To report an exotic pest or disease call 0880 80 99 66.