The discovery of live brown marmorated stink bugs on the Glovis Caravel has forced The Ministry for Primary Industries to order the vessel out of New Zealand waters.
Last night the crew reported finding nearly 600 stink bugs, 12 of them alive, on the vessel which was anchored near Auckland.
“Even though the vessel was sealed, we assessed the risk was too high for it to remain in New Zealand waters. It will now have to be treated off shore before it can return,” says Steve Gilbert, MPI Border clearance services director.
“Some of the carriers arriving in New Zealand require no further action, but where there is contamination we have the option of denying entry.
“We firmly believe our actions to date have prevented stink bugs from getting past the New Zealand border and welcome the support we have been getting from a range of industries.”
