Risk analysis of Halyomorpha halys - Biosecurity New Zealand

Given that:
adults and nymphs are easily disturbed and it is assumed they would leave the
commodity during handling for harvest and packing;
Halyomorpha halys will only be associated with nursery stock during the
northern hemisphere spring to autumn period;
nursery stock is covered by import health standards which specify both
chemical treatment and post entry quarantine;
the nursery stock pathway is a highly compliant pathway;
nursery stock is a low volume import from countries with populations of H.
halys;
The likelihood of entry on nursery stock, taking into account the current risk
management is considered to be negligible
4.4.4 Personal luggage
Halyomorpha halys has previously been intercepted in New Zealand in personal
luggage post border. It is unlikely to be transported intentionally but luggage may
become contaminated by individual H. halys if present in an environment containing
overwintering aggregations. These items are not likely to be sites for aggregations
rather they are more likely to become incidentally contaminated.
Adults are usually inactive during the period of reproductive diapause and
aggregation but internal heating may keep them active indoors. When active they tend
to move frequently and will move away from aggregations and seek shelter in any
suitable small space.
Current risk management measures for personal luggage require the declaration
or disposal of biosecurity risk goods prior to entering New Zealand. These
include, but are not limited to; fruit and vegetables, wooden items and used
camping equipment. The most commonly seized risk goods in 2009-10 were
contaminated used equipment (such as shoes, boots and tents) (43%), followed
by fruit (23%), and meat products (9%) (MAFBNZ 2010b). These measures are
specific to risk goods rather than live hitchhiker organisms and the seized goods
are not types of material that would be most commonly infested by H. halys
therefore risk management measures may not reduce the likelihood of entry on
this pathway.
Personal luggage is a high volume pathway; approximately 4.79 million people
arrived in New Zealand between July 2009 and June 2010. Of these 4.79 million
passengers, 200,000 (4%) arrived from the USA, although not all of these will have
originated in areas in which H. halys is present. 150,000 (3%) arrived from China,
100,000 (2%) passengers came from Japan and another 100,000 from Korea
(MAFBNZ 2010b). Therefore, 11% of all passengers arriving in New Zealand came
from countries where H. halys is present.
Given that:
luggage is likely to be only incidentally contaminated;
current measures may not reduce the likelihood of entry on this pathway;
personal luggage originating in countries in which H. halys occurs is a high
volume pathway;
Ministry for Primary Industries Risk Analysis: Halyomorpha halys 23