The stink bug season is here!

September marks the start of the risk season for Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs in New Zealand and Australia. This year, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Portugal, and Ukraine have been added to the list of ‘stink bug risk countries’.

In response to the rapid expansion of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSB) throughout Europe and North America, Australia and New Zealand have revised their biosecurity requirements and seasonal measures ahead of the 2020/21 BMSB risk season.

The regulatory requirements primarily target importers of goods and cover their responsibility to ensure that certain types of cargoes are properly treated and certified prior to arriving in Australia or New Zealand. However, as ships infested by stink bugs may be refused entry into the two countries, it is also important that ship operators and their crews are familiar with the BMSB seasonal measures applicable at any given time. Crews must stay vigilant to the presence of BMSB and other exotic insects onboard and report any onboard detections to the relevant quarantine authorities at the ship’s destination.

Four new countries have been added to the list of ‘BMSB risk countries’, which now totals 37 countries: Australian authorities also announced Belarus, Denmark, Ireland, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom and Chile have been identified as ‘emerging BMSB risk countries’ and that random onshore inspections of goods from these countries may be undertaken during the 2020/21 season.

Cargo transhipped in any of the BMSB risk countries may also be subject to the seasonal measures. Furthermore, Australian authorities continue to pay special attention to all ro-ro vessels that berth at, load, or tranship in BMSB risk countries.