Hawke's Bay 'stink bug' invasion real threat to horticulture

The brown marmorated stink bug could wreak havoc in Hawke’s Bay.

The alerts over Cyclone Gita are possibly nothing compared with the warnings now out to stop the dreaded brown marmorated stink bug from finding a place in Hawke's Bay.

The warnings have been amplified by Hastings-based New Zealand Apples and Pears chief executive Alan Pollard who says the bug, which has been stopped on four ships which had been due to unload imported used vehicles in Auckland would devastate not only the horticultural sector but also home gardening if were able to spread through Hawke's Bay.

No sightings have been made in a watch that started in September and included the use of especially trained sniffer dogs, but the border control doesn't preclude the possibility that the BMSB has entered the country.

Alan Pollard

Mr Pollard says urban homes could become "safe havens" for the pests, which means everyone should be on the lookout.

Praising the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) for the work being done to protect New Zealand's borders and new Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor for making biosecurity his number one priority, Mr Pollard said: "Along with MPI, New Zealanders have a critical role in protecting the country from the stink bug.

The risk is real — along with the recent car shipments being turned away, there have been increasing detections of the stink bug at our borders.

"Our country would never be the same if this stink bug managed to invade our shores and become established," he said. "This is a huge threat to our horticultural industries, to thousands of jobs and to the economy as a whole. It would also be one of the worst household pests this country has ever experienced."

Mr Pollard said the stink bug would thrive in cities like Auckland, for example, where huge populations of "these foul-smelling insects" would take shelter inside homes in the colder seasons only to emerge in the warmer seasons — "wiping out gardens and spreading across communities like a creeping plague".

"The greatest safeguard we have is people's vigilance," he said. "Hence, we are raising public awareness and educating people about what to look for and what to do. If anyone finds an unusual bug, catch it, photograph it and call the MPI Exotic Pest and Disease Hotline 0800 80 99 66."

Kiwis returning home from overseas need to "fully" check their luggage before they leave for home to look for unwanted bugs importers machinery and equipment should have their overseas suppliers confirm shipments are free of unwanted pests and comply with New Zealand's Import Health Standards.