Biosecurity in New Zealand guards against threats to agriculture and biodiversity, with strict border control measures being taken to prevent unwanted organisms from entering the country. New Zealand is an island nation that is geographically isolated from any other significant landmass. The species that are present evolved in the absence of organisms from elsewhere and display a high degree of endemism. Notable is the lack of land-based mammals, except for two species of bat. Indigenous species are at risk from population decline or extinction if any invasive species are introduced.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is the government department in charge of overseeing New Zealand's biosecurity. The Biosecurity Act 1993, which was a world first for biosecurity control,[1] was passed to "restate and reform the law relating to the exclusion, eradication, and effective management of pests and unwanted organisms".[2]
An RFID tag-enabled database, the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) system designed for tracing livestock was introduced in 2012, but in 2017, the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak investigation indicated that it was not being fully complied with.[3]
- ^ Review of key parts of the Biosecurity Act 1993 (PDF). Wellington: MAF Biosecurity New Zealand. 2009. ISBN 978-0-478-35734-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ "Biosecurity Act 1993 No 95 (as at 01 July 2011), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation". New Zealand Government. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ "QA on Mycoplasma bovis, untangling truth from fiction of cattle disease". Stuff (Fairfax). 28 May 2018.