Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Although didymo prefers a river environment with clear water flowing over stable substrate at depths sufficient for light penetration to drive photosynthesis, blooms have been found in South Island Lakes. Lake Wakatipu, for example, contains visible didymo on some parts of the lake shore.

Caterpillar

Gum leaf skeletoniser caterpillars damage gum trees as they feed on their leaves. The moth's name derives from the young caterpillar's feeding habits. When young caterpillars feed they 'skeletonise' gum leaves by eating the softer parts of leaves, avoiding the veins. Older larvae are capable of eating whole leaves thus increasing damage. This damage can slow tree growth or, in severe cases, even kill younger trees.

Despite its reputation as a eucalypt specialist, gumleaf skeletoniser can also live successfully on other related Australian trees. For more details on its likely impact, see the Factsheet (181 KB).

Gum leaf skeletoniser is found in sub-tropical, Mediterranean, and temperate climates in Australia indicating that it could also be capable of surviving throughout New Zealand, with the exception of alpine areas.

Other TSEs include chronic wasting disease (CWD) that occurs in deer and elk, and TME, or transmissible mink encephalopathy, which occurs rarely in mink.

This is not a question of whether there is a need or a demand. The only question is whether the biosecurity risks associated with imports are acceptable. If the product can safely enter New Zealand, it is up to individual consumers and food manufacturers to decide whether to buy it or not.

Honey is a product made by insects. It is completely natural and has not been through a sterilising process.
Honey is a potential carrier of bee diseases. New Zealand produces more than twenty million dollars worth of bee products each year - and the industry is worth a lot more to us. Fruit trees, flowers and vegetable crops rely on bees for pollination. If our bees became diseased it would have a severe impact on our agricultural and horticultural industries.

Please do not bring honey to New Zealand.

If you have received a message from Customs saying "MAF CLEARANCE GIVEN TO MOVE FROM WHARF TO AN ATF", you do not require a BACC to remove your container from the wharf. See question 6 for more details.

If you have received a different message from Customs and have not yet sent MAF an Application for a BACC, you should complete this application, including relevant documentation, and submit it to your local MAF office. You can fax the application and documentation to the office, or bring it to MAF in person during weekday office hours.

If you have sent MAF an Application for a BACC, you should either receive a BACC by email from MAF within 8 working hours, or a phone call from MAF requesting more information. If you have not heard from MAF within 8 working hours after submitting your application, please phone the MAF office to which you faxed your application.

The fish were put to sleep with an aquatic anaesthetic - a product that is registered for anaesthetising and euthanasing fish, and is safe for handlers.

The anaesthetic was administered first to sedate the fish into a state of anaesthesia, after which they were overdosed. The fish were monitored at all times for any signs of distress. A vet with experience in fish health was consulted in order to choose the most humane method for euthanasia.

Once dead, the fish were treated as biohazard waste, bagged accordingly, and disposed of in a method approved by ERMA for the disposal of suspect genetically modified organisms (incineration).

The Argentine ant has a wide dietary range and produces large numbers of aggressive and industrious workers.

They are one of a few ants species worldwide that have been identified as capable of invading native ecosystems and displacing native species, and because of this are listed as one of 100 of the world's worst invasive species by the Global Invasive Species Group, IUCN 

Argentine ants are omnivorous, with neighbouring colonies being genetically related. The relative lack of in-fighting between colonies makes the species highly competitive in the ant world.

When a colony has fully infiltrated an area, resulting in its complete dominance over other arthropod species, it has achieved ‘Super Colony’ status. The lack of other ant species and insects in the surrounding area is a clear indicator of this.

Super Colonies allow Argentine ants to form extensive, interconnected networks, not only through the suburbs of a town but even across vast distances.

In Mediterranean Europe, where Argentine ants have been established for many years, recent studies indicate the existence of a single, vast colony, stretching almost six thousand kilometres from Italy, through France, Spain and around the corner to Portugal.

Operating manual templates will be made available on the MAFBNZ website. They provide a basis only for the development of your operating manual, because it must be specific to your facility. The Operator training course also provides information and help with development of an operating manual.

If this testing protocol were not established, the likelihood of inadvertent import and planting of GM lucerne/alfalfa into New Zealand may increase. Little is known about the potential for persistence of these GMOs in the New Zealand environment, therefore existing lucerne hay and alfalfa/lucerne seed markets may be affected.  Additionally, growers of these seeds may find themselves in breach of the HSNO Act, as GM lucerne/alfalfa has not been approved for planting in New Zealand.