Officials mount countrywide search for bamboo

By BRIDGET CARTER

Agriculture officials are trying to track hundreds of baby panda bamboo plants which have slipped into New Zealand.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry began a security investigation three months ago into how nearly 8000 of the Southeast Asian plants have entered the country since 2001, and staff were trying to recover almost 1500 distributed nationwide.

Spokeswoman Madeleine Setchell said the plant, Pogonatherum paniceum, was a tropical grass species that originated from the rainforests of Southeast Asia and had not been approved for importation.

She could not say why the plants were being recalled because investigations were still under way.

But Phillippa MacCormick, a manager at Seaview Nurseriesin Auckland, one of the outlets that had imported the plants, said the recall was linked to a glitch with paper work.

Ms Setchell said the baby panda bamboo liked moist, warm conditions and would probably grow only north of Auckland.

Most of the plants had been recovered.

Because the species was not known to be here and not approved to be here before 1996 when new laws surrounding organisms and hazardous substances were introduced, the plant was classed as an unauthorised good.

If criminal liability was established, there could be a prosecution under the Biosecurity Act.

The Auckland Regional Council biosecurity manager, Jack Craw, a weed expert, said he had never heard of the plant and was surprised he had not been contacted.

He said most imported weeds started with small numbers.

It would take only a few to be brought into the country to create a problem.

But Liffy Truman from the Margie Maddren Fernery in Whangarei said she had grown the baby panda bamboo in her garden for the past two years.

She had only just removed it after being contacted by MAF officials as part of the investigation.

She was unclear why MAF wanted to recall the plant, as it had been around some time. She said the bamboo plant was not invasive.

Now she planned to ask Seaview Nurseries, which sold her the plant, whether she would get her money back after the recall.

Ms MacCormick said the nursery was one which had imported the plants from Australia and had sold them since 1998.

The nursery stopped selling the plants when it learned they were not allowed into the country.

"It is a popular plant. It has sold very well."