A stink bug infestation has forced the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources to send a cargo ship back home.
Armacup’s Triumph v1820 has been sent way from Australian waters according to the Freight and Trade Alliance’s latest update, with what is believed to be vehicle cargo from China, Korea and Japan, infected by the brown mamorated stink bug pest.
It was anchored off Port Kembla and is carrying vehicle cargo from China, Korea and Japan.
The update says the ship was under “heightened surveillance” for stink bugs and upon arrival to Australia “the department performed a routine inspection of the vessel where a significant number of exotic stink bugs” were found.
Some cargo was discharged before the bugs were found, and sent for treatment which can include treatment, thermal py-fogging and a pesticide called methyl bromide.
The bugs found on the ship in question were both dead and alive, during a second inspection.
Earlier in the month the department of agriculture told AutoTalk, “the vessel has been directed to anchor at sea, until a treatment plan has been provided to the department for consideration and approval.”
The department spokesperson said if a treatment plan was not approved, “the vessel and its remaining cargo will be directed for export from Australian territory.”
Despite the department saying it was “confident that any risks posed by the ship arriving at the port have been effectively managed” in early November, the ship was considered “an unacceptable level of biosecurity risk” and sent out of Australian waters.
The federal government’s agriculture website states the impact stink bugs can have in Australia is profound.
“The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is not found in Australia and needs to be kept out. It could severely impact our agricultural industries,” the department says.
“Juveniles and adults feed on, and can severely damage, fruit and vegetable crops rendering them unsellable or reducing production yields.”
Stink bugs typically arrival in cargo ships between September and April.
High-risk goods in both roll-on-roll-off and containerised cargo are subject to mandatory off-shore and on-shore treatments, inspections and exportation or possible destruction if arriving untreated.
Methods for treating vertically stacked containers will be sent to onshore treatment providers in order to increase capacity for fumigation facilities in a bid to minimise delays.
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