Dangerous spiders aboard ship in Bluff

A container ship found carrying Australian redback spiders has been ordered to undergo fumigation by New Zealand biosecurity authorities.

The MSC New Plymouth, docked at Bluff, had been caught before with the venomous spiders aboard, said Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry quarantine manager Fergus Small.

"Whether they are coming out of a nest or are just on board it seems to be an on-going problem with this vessel," he said.

The MSC New Plymouth runs regularly between New Zealand and Australia carrying steel.

Mr Small said methyl bromide would be used to fumigate the ship but that in itself posed problems because fumigation contractors were some distance from the port.

Maritime Union members had also stopped work at the port but it was unclear whether that was connected to the spider find, Mr Small said.

Two redbacks have already been discovered this year in separate incidents at Bluff. A nest was also discovered in Auckland last year in a bus imported from Australia. It is suspected the spiders may have already established in Queenstown.

The redback was responsible for at least 13 deaths in its native Australia before an anti-venom was developed in 1956. A redback spider bite can be lethal to children, the elderly or adults with pre-existing medical conditions.

In Australia, redback spiders can be found in all six states and two territories, but prefer settled or urban areas.