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ENVI R ONM ENT WAT CH NEW ZEALAND: A NATION OF BORDERS BY AMANDA PEART W hen people think of biosecurity, pests and border control, the image that often comes to mind is the airport, declarations and luggage x-rays. There is a lot more to it. Being a nation of islands, the reality is that New Zealand needs to think of itself as having internal borders and consider biosecurity between all these different places. This can be as small as being between catchments and regions, through to between islands, both North and South, and the islands off the coast of the mainland, such as those of the Hauraki Gulf. The ferry crossing between the North and South islands is our best example of internal ���border control���, where people travelling from the South Island - a Controlled Area for didymo, are questioned about their freshwater activity and offered information and education, and cleaning stations to disinfect. ���The controls for didymo are a good example of how people need to think about borders within New Zealand,��� says Jack Craw, Auckland Council Biosecurity Manager. The Hauraki Gulf is also a Controlled Area under our Auckland Regional Pest Management Strategy and people need to remember that when they go out into the Gulf they need to check their boats and equipment for stowaway pests. The same applies to freshwater pests that exist in water bodies on mainland Auckland, but not on Gulf islands, and plant diseases like kauri dieback, which is not present in some areas even within the same regional park, and is absent from all Gulf islands except Great Barrier. It is a simple hygiene process ��� cleaning your gear between areas. Just as you would not arrive in New Zealand from overseas with dirty or contaminated shoes or equipment, the same rule applies with our ���internal borders��� too. While preventing pests from arriving in New Zealand is always the aim, containment is the key to managing pests and diseases once they���re here. As well as a division of our different ���borders���, there also exists a division of responsibility. In terms of national responsibility, there is the Ministry for Primary Industries that administers the Biosecurity Act generally, and is charged with protecting our borders at international airports, the ferry crossing between South and North islands, and with marine biosecurity around the country. It also deals with incursions when they happen, such as the recent Queensland fruit fly in Auckland. Treasure islands Check for stowaways PLEASE Salvinia, a freshwater pest plant A moth plant pod, a problem plant on some islands Again on the national level, the Department of Conservation owns a lot of land around New Zealand and carries out pest control on this land, and maintains education programmes about places like our pest-free islands. DOC also partners with other agencies in regional and national programmes. On a regional basis, regional councils are responsible for most biosecurity protection inside the national border. This includes pest, plant and animal control on their own land and on some private land, education and assistance for landowners and community groups, as well as some compliance programmes. Regional councils develop Regional Pest Management Strategies for this purpose. They often provide assistance with national incursion responses. At a local level, and particularly relevant for the Hauraki Gulf and other areas with pest-free islands, we have industry, including fishing, aquaculture and transport, other commercial operators such as ferries and charter boat operators, and individual boaties and island visitors, all with a role to play in keeping these islands pest free. ���These islands are often the last bastion for our threatened native species and success always comes down to the awareness and actions of the local industry and community,��� says Jack Craw. All of these people have a responsibility, and commercial operators, as well as individuals, need to ensure they are treating these areas with the same caution they would when they arrive into a new country. Part of the beauty of the Gulf and other areas in New Zealand is the wildlife on our pest-free islands and only a joint effort by all who use these areas, as well as our national agencies, will keep it that way for the future. www.treasureislands.co.nz www.projectislandsong.co.nz CHECK YOUR BOAT AND GEAR FOR RATS, MICE, ARGENTINE ANTS, RAINBOW SKINKS, SOIL AND SEEDS SET BAIT OR TRAPS FOR ANIMAL PESTS REPORT ANY SIGHTINGS TO 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) January/February 2013 Professional Skipper 55