In the Port of Auckland, New Zealand a biosecurity alert has been actioned after four ro-ro car carrier vessels were unable to land their cargo. All vessels on services from Japan were carrying new and used vehicles. These vessels didn’t realize that they weren’t just carrying the cargo but along with it the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB). This is an insect in the family of the Pentatomidae that is native to China, Japan, the Koreas, and Taiwan.

The BMSB is one of the top five unwanted bugs in New Zealand. This insect is a serious agricultural pest that can readily cause damage to crops. They feed on a wide array of plants such as apples, apricots, Asian pears, cherries, tomatoes, soybeans, grapes, corn, and much more. For them to eat these fruits, they pierce the plant tissue and extract the plant fluids. With this type of eating, the plant loses all necessary fluids; this results in the deformation, destruction of the seeds and fruiting structures. It delays the plants maturation and increases vulnerability of the plant to harmful pathogens. Other common signs of the insect are pitting and scarring of the fruit, leaf destruction, and mealy texture of the harvested fruits and vegetables.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) of New Zealand announced that because of the heightened risk of the BMSB entering the country, machinery and vehicles that comply with the fumigation certifications will be discharged since the ports of New Zealand do not have any facilities for this type of fumigation. Because of this over 6,000 automobiles have been unable to enter Auckland, New Zealand.

There are several threats of risk that your goods can face during transit. Making sure that your cargo is insured is extremely important. In this scenario, the insect is threatening the agriculture of New Zealand, and is causing delivery delays. With the cargo ships in limbo, this increases the chances of risk of the cargo ship and its freight.

Contact us today for a free freight insurance quote.

By Iris Arden (Ramon Inc.)

Source: https://www.worldcargonews.com/news/biosecurity-alert-hits-auckland-auto-imports-49225