AUSTRALIA: BROWN MARMORATED STINK BUG (BMSB) SEASONAL PRECAUTIONS

Published: 12 September 2019

In response to the rapid expansion of BMSB throughout Europe and North America, the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture has strengthened the seasonal measures to manage the threat of BMSB arriving in Australia during the 2019–20 BMSB risk season. The department has used a range of scientific, intelligence and evidence based information when setting the measures, including data collected from the 2018-19 BMSB season onshore verification activities. The department has also worked closely with the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries to ensure both Australia and New Zealand’s BMSB seasonal measures are consistent across the two countries where possible.

The heightened biosecurity measures will apply to certain goods manufactured in or shipped from target risk countries, and/or ships that berth at, load or tranship from target risk countries and will apply to ships arriving in Australian territorial waters between 1 September 2019 and 31 May 2020.  The list of risk countries includes most European countries together with the US and Canada, and heightened vessel surveillance if from Japan.  Goods shipped between these dates will be referred for intervention if they arrive by 31 May 2020, and goods that are shipped prior to 30 April and arrive after 31 May 2020 may be subject to intervention as required.

Further details are available on the website of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity New Zealand.

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