February 13th, 2024The stink that could decimate Australia’s ag industry
Still waiting on that electric vehicle (EV) Santa promised to deliver by Christmas?
A shipment of just over 3700 EVs has had a setback, with the discovery of yellow-spotted stink bugs on board. An outbreak in stink bugs could decimate Australia’s agriculture industry for generations, with early detection and prevention being a vital component in Australia’s biosecurity strategy.
A vessel carrying just over 3700 EVs had multiple detections, including the yellow-spotted stink bug.
The vessel has left Australian territory on its own accord to manage the biosecurity risk associated with the cargo.
Materials such as soil, plant debris, seeds and live insects are likely suspects of biosecurity breaches when importing cars, with potentially devastating effects if left undetected.
September through April are particularly stinky months for highly invasive species such as the brown marmorated stink bug, with seasonal measures in place to ensure outbreaks like this are identified before reaching our shores.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) since 2021, Australia’s ports have seen an 88 per cent increase in new vehicles arriving with biosecurity risk material contamination.
Over the same period, there has been a 17 per cent increase in the total number of new vehicle imports into Australia. These factors have combined to create one great big cleaning job for the commercial companies employed by car manufacturers to ensure your new car doesn’t come with any ‘hidden extras’!
The Australian government is committed to strengthening Australia’s biosecurity and it’s a shared responsibility, the CSIRO says.
Stink bugs can breed huge populations that become both a household nuisance, as well as a major problem for crop growers.
The CSIRO is currently working with DAFF and partners to ensure Australia’s biosecurity system remains fit to meet the challenges of the next decade.
An example of the types of projects CSIRO is undertaking with DAFF is an app designed to help the biosecurity officers tasked with the tricky job of correctly identifying a stink bug.
