KVH and the other signatories who signed the Operational Agreement (OA) for fruit flies, last year agreed on the approach to readiness and response activities. While getting to this point was a significant achievement in itself, it has also led to a review of areas that can be improved.

• Optimising the current surveillance programme for early detection. New Zealand maintains a world class surveillance grid for fruit fly that involves over 7500 traps, which has successfully resulted in early detection of fruit fly on nine occasions enabling eradication.  But are there opportunities for further improvement, including locations, period, and lures that are used in the traps?
• Pre-agreeing the major risks in a response and identifying opportunities to reduce cost associated with low risk activities.  Examples during the Grey Lynn response include managing risk associated with major sporting events and supermarkets located within the controlled area.  Understanding true risk associated with these activities will enable us to manage the risks appropriately.
• Reviewing the current Fruit Fly Response Standard. Are there opportunities to enhance this standard using new technology or best practice developed internationally, or our own learnings from recent responses?  Are there any activities that are not required which could result in a future eradication being undertaken successfully, without having to spend $1.5 million responding to the detection of a single fruit fly?

KVH has been working with industry groups and MPI to develop an Operational Agreement for Brown Marmorated Stink Bug under the GIA partnership.

Industry groups met yesterday to consider the possible approach to cost sharing between MPI and industry, along with how we can agree to the industry split of the costs involved.  Our objective is to have an OA in place by mid-2017, which will ensure we are doing everything we can to stop BMSB establishing in NZ.

KVH and MPI are finalising a kiwifruit sector operational agreement under the GIA partnership for pests and pathogens that are specific to the kiwifruit and kiwiberry sectors, and are working to have the agreement in place in March 2017.  

The agreement will initially focus on the major threats to our industry, including Ceratocystis fimbriata, Verticillium wilt, non-NZ strains of Psa, and invasive Phytophthora’s.  It will include readiness and response plans for the major sector risks that will enable us to be able to find and respond immediately to eradicate if these are found in NZ.  It also confirms cost sharing between MPI and KVH on a 50/50 basis for the costs involved.

The Ministry for Primary Industries has a new litter of a super breed of biosecurity detector puppies. Born on 24 November from a beagle and a harrier hound it is the first time MPI had crossed these breeds for detection work.