Category: Ministry for Primary Industries

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries – Headline: Technical advice and pathway tracing reports released following compliance searches

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has today released reports by a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to its Mycoplasma bovis response and an internal report examining potential entry routes (pathways) to New Zealand for the disease.

The TAG report contains a reference to possible legal breaches in relation to how the disease entered the country.  While these have largely been redacted from the report, MPI has been unable to release it until those matters were sufficiently examined by compliance investigators.

• TAG report (December 2017)
• TAG report addendum (February 2018)
• Pathways report
• Media release: Warranted searches conducted during Mycoplasma bovis investigation

Note: Redactions have been made to the TAG and pathways reports consistent with provisions of the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). Where required, the Ministry for Primary Industries has considered the public interest when making decisions on the information being withheld.

TAG report

The TAG report (December 2017) and an update addendum (February 2018) endorse MPI’s response activity to date to manage the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis. It finds that while eradication of the disease remains technically possible, it would be difficult, time-consuming, and costly.

MPI’s director of response, Geoff Gwyn, says forming a technical advisory group is a routine part of complex biosecurity responses.

“TAGs give us an independent perspective on what we’ve done and help us take the best possible course of action going forward.

“In this case, the group has found the significant work undertaken by MPI and industry to understand the disease and limit its spread meets internationally-recognised standards.

“The report also suggests enhancements to our work programme that could be made as the response continues. This is the purpose of the report and most of the recommendations have been actioned,” Mr Gwyn says.

• 2018 MPI response and actions to key TAG recommendations

The TAG reports that, despite clear links between infected properties, the extent of the infection, the complexity of diagnostic tests, and deficiencies in record-keeping around animal movements will make the task of eradication difficult and expensive.

The TAG’s updated advice in February found a minority of TAG members felt successful eradication was less likely than had been assessed in the earlier December report, due to the likelihood of undetected spread since (possibly) 2015, the scale of tracing required, and the failure of NAIT (the National Animal Identification and Tracing scheme) to fully track animal movements.

However, Mr Gwyn says a range of options remain for consideration before a final decision can be made.

“The TAG’s advice will help us as we consider whether to proceed with eradication or pursue other options for managing the disease in the longer-term.

“There is critical work being done to model the potential spread of Mycoplasma bovis under different scenarios and in understanding the costs and benefits of decisions around eradication.

“We are confident the disease is not well established in New Zealand and we now need to complete our analysis and planning.

“The decision taken earlier this week to depopulate infected farms will reduce disease pressure and put us in the best position to eradicate or move to long-term management when that decision is made.

“We are taking the appropriate time to reach the right decision. There is much to consider, including the cost benefits and the effects on farmers and their families and on animal welfare. We all want to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis – but it has to be technically possible, practically achievable, and affordable for everyone.”

The TAG will be reconvened for the third time in the next few weeks to discuss next steps.

Pathway analysis report

In addition to the TAG report, MPI’s analysis of potential entry pathways for the disease has also been released and examines 7 potential routes of entry – imported live cattle, other imported animals, imported frozen semen, imported embryos, imported veterinary medicines and biological products, imported feed, and imported used farm equipment.

The report does not reach any conclusion about the likelihood of any of the 7 risk commodities being responsible.

This report was completed in late November as a snapshot, based on information known at that time.  MPI continues to examine potential entry pathways.

Find out more about Mycoplasma bovis

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries – Headline: Warranted searches conducted during Mycoplasma bovis investigation

Warranted officers from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ compliance investigations team ran simultaneous searches at 3 locations yesterday as part of an investigation associated with the Mycoplasma bovis response.

The searches were conducted in both the North and South islands.

Manager compliance investigations, Gary Orr, says the searches related to potential breaches of legislation related to the Mycoplasma bovis response.

“We recognise there is strong interest in the rural sector concerning how Mycoplasma bovis may have entered New Zealand,” says Mr Orr.

“We will ensure the outcome of these investigations is communicated to farmers as soon as we are able to provide that information,” Mr Orr says.

The ministry is unable to provide substantive comment while investigations continue.

Find out more about Mycoplasma bovis

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries – Headline: MPI calls for a cull on all Mycoplasma bovis infected properties

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has determined that all cattle on properties infected with the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis will be culled, and will be working with farmers to do that from today.

“The depopulation of entire herds on all 28 Infected Properties (IPs) in New Zealand is a critical measure to control the spread of the disease and we will be working closely with those farmers to plan how this will happen,” says MPI’s response director Geoff Gwyn.

“This will be a big job and won’t happen overnight, but we’ll be meeting with the affected farmers in the coming days to discuss the operation, develop the plans and talk through compensation.”

All IP farmers will be compensated for their verifiable losses. MPI continues to build its compensation team to make sure farmers are compensated as quickly as possible. Once farms are de-populated and cleaned, these farmers can start re-building a disease-free herd from scratch.

“We understand this has been an incredibly difficult time for farmers while they wait for critical decisions to be made about managing and controlling this disease,” says Mr Gwyn.

“This cull will give those farmers back some certainty and control over the future of their farms, their animals and their livelihoods.

“We are able to take this decision now because we are confident Mycoplasma bovis is not well established in New Zealand.

“The testing of milk from every dairy farm in New Zealand is very well advanced and to date has only identified one new infected property.

“This, combined with MPI’s extensive surveillance work tracing every possible movement of animals from infected farms, gives us the confidence to say the disease is not widespread, but is limited to a network of farms connected by animal movements. Culling these animals is now the appropriate action.”

Non-infected farms that are under Restricted Places Notices (RPN) or Notices of Direction (NoDs) are not being asked to cull their herds at this point because infection has not yet been confirmed on those properties. Confirmation relies on the defining genetic test which provides complete confidence that animals on a farm are positive.

Mr Gwyn says MPI will work with farmers to develop individual management plans for each of these properties – until a decision on whether to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis or move to long-term management is made.

“We all want to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis – but it has to be technically possible, practically achievable and affordable for everyone.  Our focus is on the resilience of our dairy and beef industries which are such significant contributors to our economy, and on farmer well-being and the welfare of animals.

“Whatever option is taken, we will need to see some big changes in on-farm biosecurity and NAIT compliance. There remains a big job to do around this disease, and there is no quick exit from this situation.”

While MPI with industry partners will continue to focus on surveillance and tracking the spread of the disease, there is critical work being done to model the potential spread of Mycoplasma bovis under different scenarios and in understanding the costs and benefits of decisions around eradication.

“People will say ‘why haven’t you done this already’.  In fact we have been working on this since the disease was detected and we depopulated 7 farms in December.  We halted further culling until we better understood the spread of the disease. We are now at that point where we have that understanding and can complete this work with confidence,” says Mr Gwyn.

“We now believe the disease is not endemic and we can complete this analysis and planning, but we will take care and time to get it right because decisions about the future management of this disease are too important to rush.”

Note to Editors: There are currently 28 active Infected Properties but only 22 have cattle remaining on them that will need to be culled.

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries – Headline: Public vigilance helps nab divers who took hundreds of freshwater crayfish near Rotorua

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is hailing the efforts of local iwi and members of the public for helping fishery officers catch a group of divers who took more than twice the daily limit of freshwater crayfish at Lake Okataina.

MPI spokesman Adam Plumstead says MPI was acting on information it received from concerned community members who were up in arms about what was happening.

“After following up on this invaluable information, we discovered that a group of divers, all from the Auckland region, had taken a total of 587 kōura (freshwater crayfish) from the lake.

“The daily limit for one person is 50 kōura meaning they collectively took 387 more than they are legally entitled to.

“This sort of offending is really serious. Kōura is a very important species with cultural significance. On top of this, the amount taken has an impact on the sustainability of the fishery.

“Obviously the local community has been deeply distressed by the actions of these divers and they are pleased and relieved that we have been able to put a stop to their activity.

“It is thanks to the eyes and ears of the public that we’ve been able to achieve this outcome. People in the area care deeply about the health of their local fishery. The fact they came to MPI to report what they had seen and heard about is fantastic.”

Mr Plumstead says one vehicle and a large quantity of dive gear was seized from the group.

He says that MPI is making further inquiries into the incident and the alleged offenders could face serious charges.

Anyone who sees or hears about illegal fishing activity is encouraged to call the MPI poacher hotline on 0800 4 POACHER (0800 477 6224).

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries – Headline: Golden Bay farm manager convicted for abusing cows

A Golden Bay farm manager has been convicted after being found guilty of ill-treating cows in his care.

Forty-five-year-old Steven John Wells, a farm manager at Maratoa Farm near Takaka, was convicted of 6 counts under the Animal Welfare Act after a 4-day trial in the Nelson District Court last week.

His offending took place in 2015 and 2016 when he broke the tails of cows, hit them with a metal pipe, kicked them, kneed them, and punched them.

Wells will be sentenced in the Nelson District Court on April 30 2018.

Find out about animal codes of welfare

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries – Headline: MPI looking into accidental capture of Hector’s dolphins

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is looking into an accidental capture and subsequent deaths of 5 Hector’s dolphins in a commercial set net off Banks Peninsula last month.

Set netting is permitted in the area where the incident occurred and the event was reported to MPI by the fisher.

The ministry’s compliance staff are continuing to look into the unfortunate and unusual incident. 

MPI officials have been asked by the Minister of Fisheries, Stuart Nash, to prioritise a review of the existing Hector’s and Maui dolphin Threat Management Plan and will work with key stakeholders to progress this work as quickly as possible.

The Hector’s dolphin is classified as nationally endangered.

Results from the most recent comprehensive population survey (funded by MPI) in the 3 main South Island populations undertaken between 2012 and 2015 revealed approximately twice as many Hector’s dolphins as previously thought.

The population is now estimated to be approximately 15,000 whereas the previously published estimation was 7,000.

Under the Hector’s and Māui dolphin Threat Management Plan, approximately 15,000 square kilometres is closed to set netting around the North and South Island.

Bans and restrictions are in place in the areas that were deemed to pose the greatest risk to the dolphins at the time that they were introduced.

Find out about our work protecting dolphins

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries – Headline: Myrtle rust found for first time in Manawatu

Myrtle rust has been detected in Manawatu for the first time, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) confirmed today.

The fungus was found on a young ramarama (Lophomyrtus) in a planted area off Victoria Esplanade in Palmerston North.

Myrtle rust response spokesperson Dr Catherine Duthie says operational activity will start immediately to try to contain the disease.

“Hopefully, we have found it in this region early, which would give us a chance of trying to eliminate it or, at least, slow down the spread there. We are swinging straight into action. The infected plant will be removed and securely disposed of and one of our 7 field surveillance teams will begin an intensive inspection of myrtle plants on all properties within a200-metree radius.”

“It is disheartening that myrtle rust has been detected in another region, but it is consistent with the expected infection pattern.

“Residents can help, by checking the myrtle plants in their garden. At this time of year, the fungus is still in its sporulation, or spreading, stage. This means it is very visible. Without touching the plant, you can look on either side of the leaves and new shoots for any sign of a bright yellow, powdery eruption. Some leaves could also be buckled or twisted, or look diseased with dry pustules that are grey or brown. It’s really important not to touch the plants or brush against them, as this can disrupt the spores and speed up its spread.”

Any suspected cases of myrtle rust can be reported to the biosecurity freephone number – 0800 80 99 66. MPI will investigate suspected cases, track and monitor its spread, and collect information to help understand the disease’s impact on New Zealand.

At 19 March, there has been a total of 409 properties affected by myrtle rust on mainland New Zealand: Northland (4 properties), Auckland (63), Waikato (33), Bay of Plenty (92), Taranaki (200), Manawatu (1) and Wellington (16). In the last couple of weeks, most detections have been in Taranaki and Auckland.

There have been no detections in the South Island to date, although north-western areas were identified in climate modelling of being at a high risk from spores carried on the wind from Australia.

Find out more about the disease

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries – Headline: Myrtle rust found in new region – Manawatu

Myrtle rust has been detected in Manawatu for the first time, the Ministry for Primary Industries confirmed today.

The fungus was found on a young ramarama (Lophomyrtus) in a planted area off Victoria Esplanade in Palmerston North.

Myrtle Rust Response Spokesperson Dr Catherine Duthie says operational activity will start immediately to try to contain the disease.

“Hopefully, we have found it in this region early, which would give us a chance of trying to eliminate it or, at least, slow down the spread there. We are swinging straight into action. The infected plant will be removed and securely disposed of and one of our seven field surveillance teams will begin an intensive inspection of myrtle plants on all properties within a 200 metre radius.”

“It is disheartening that myrtle rust has been detected in another region, but it is consistent with the expected infection pattern.

“Residents can help, by checking the myrtle plants in their garden. At this time of year, the fungus is still in its sporulation, or spreading, stage. This means it is very visible. Without touching the plant, you can look on either side of the leaves and new shoots for any sign of a bright yellow, powdery eruption. Some leaves could also be buckled or twisted, or look diseased with dry pustules that are grey or brown. It’s really important not to touch the plants or brush against them, as this can disrupt the spores and speed up its spread.”

Any suspected cases of myrtle rust can be reported to the Biosecurity Hotline (0800 80 99 66). MPI will investigate suspected cases, track and monitor its spread, and collect information to help understand the disease’s impact on New Zealand.

At 19 March, there has been a total of 409 properties affected by myrtle rust on mainland New Zealand: Northland (four properties), Auckland (63), Waikato (33), Bay of Plenty (92), Taranaki (200), Manawatu (1) and Wellington (16). In the last couple of weeks, most detections have been in Taranaki and Auckland.

There has been no detections in the South Island to date, although north-western areas were identified in climate modelling of being at a high risk from spores carried on the wind from Australia.

Pictures

• MPI has photos related to the myrtle rust response and susceptible plants. They can be requested by emailing media@mpi.govt.nz

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries – Headline: Primary sector exports forecast to rise to over $42 billion in 2018

New Zealand’s primary industry exports are forecast to rise nearly 11 percent in the year ending June 2018 to $42.2 billion.

This would be the largest annual increase since 2014, according to the Ministry for Primary Industries’ latest quarterly update.

“Our Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries report shows export revenue across all of the sectors has been incredibly strong over the past year, particularly for dairy, meat and forestry,” says Jarred Mair, MPI Policy and Trade Acting Deputy Director General.

“Dairy export revenue is expected to increase by more than14 percent in 2018 due to a recovery in prices over the past 12 to 18 months. It is also result of more milk being processed into higher value products such as infant formula.

“At the same time, the latest numbers show that dairy cow numbers have fallen since 2016.

“In addition, global red meat prices are expected to increase export revenue in the meat and wool sector by nearly 10 percent in 2018.

“Forestry exports are also forecast to grow by more than 11 percent in 2018, supported by record harvest levels and ongoing demand for New Zealand logs from China.”

High returns and new policies are likely to create investment opportunities across the primary industries, says Mr Mair.

“For example, high horticulture returns are driving investments in productivity and competition for suitable land.

“The Government’s One Billion Trees Programme is another catalyst for investment and changing land use, primarily through increased replanting rates and new production forest area.”

MPI’s Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries report provides a snapshot and forecast for New Zealand’s major primary sectors.

Download the report

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries – Headline: Surveillance programme finds more exotic mosquito larvae

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has found 2 more larvae of the Culex sitiens mosquito in the Kawau Parau Inlet, north of Helensville.

Extensive sampling and trapping in a 5-kilometre area around the initial find site found no other signs of the exotic mosquito. However, after returning to the initial find site on Friday, 2 more larvae were found. 

MPI’s incident controller Dr Catherine Duthie says the new find is not definite evidence that there is an established breeding population of the mosquito, but does make it more likely.

“We will conduct further intensive sampling in this area over the weekend in order to identify if there is a breeding population, and if so, how far it has spread,” Dr Duthie says.

“If there is a breeding population, it is likely that MPI will undertake a programme to eradicate the mosquito from New Zealand. MPI has successfully eradicated exotic mosquitoes in the past.”

Dr Duthie says MPI officials will have the necessary permissions to begin spot treatment when suspicious larvae are found as part of the sampling and trapping process.

“As sampling and testing are being conducted our field staff will treat any suspicious larvae with a product called Vektobac, which is an inert bacteria granule.

“There are no human health concerns from using this treatment.”

MPI is also investigating how the mosquito may have entered the country.

Background on Culex sitiens

Culex sitiens is wide-spread in Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and Australia. It is known to transmit diseases such as Ross River virus. However, this is not currently a risk for New Zealand as this disease is not present here. Culex sitiens may also be able to transmit Japanese encephalitis, but this has not been observed outside of a laboratory setting.

Find out more

Who to contact

• If you see unusual mosquitoes, call the toll-free Mosquito Hotline number 0800 MOZZIE (0800 66 99 43).
• If you have health concerns after having been bitten by a mosquito, phone the Ministry of Health’s Healthline on 0800 61 11 16.