DNA ‘firewall’ proposal would help NZ control ornamental fish imports
- Monday, 30 November -0001
EXOTIC ornamental fish are a vast, growing and extremely complex international trade in which air cargo plays a key role. Unit costs can be extraordinarily high for sought-after species in optimum condition while the volume of even more commonplace species is substantial.
But some of these little creatures, cute as they might appear, have the potential to harm the eco-systems of their new homelands if released into the wild after importation.
With this in mind, New Zealand’s Lincoln University, a specialist agricultural facility with a high global reputation, earlier this year joined with MAF Biosecurity New Zealand to seek a post-graduate student interested in undertaking a study into the development of DNA bar-coding for exotic ornamentals.
This PhD project seeks to identity species and variants that pose a biosecurity risk to New Zealand. The study is largely funded by MAF Biosecurity.
Dr Colin Johnston, a senior MAF scientist who is a key adviser to the study, said that high-risk ornamentals fell into two general categories: Those known to carry diseases of concern and those likely to establish well in New Zealand, thus posing an environmental pest risk.
“Carp in Australia is a good example of something that’s escaped and taken over waterways and changed the environment,” said Johnston. “This PhD study will provide another brick in the wall in New Zealand’s biosecurity system.
“It’s adding to our knowledge, it’s giving us more molecular tools. Part of the problem is identification of these fish species, especially when they’re very small.”
Johnston explained that with the molecular tools, “we can take a DNA sample from a fish due to be imported, and be able to tell if it’s one that we’re really worried about.
“Then we can stop the shipment or we can know we need to screen them for certain diseases. At the moment, we rely very much on visual identification.”
Earlier this year, Kiwi biosecurity officials intercepted six live Siamese fighting fish which had been declared as ‘aroma’. They were packed in small plastic bags and in tinfoil inside a polystyrene container.
No action was taken against the importer when it was discovered she had put the order on hold pending completion of biosecurity risk inquiries.
But MAF Biosecurity pointed to the risk of such ornamental exotics entering the country without rigorous checks, whether as air cargo consignments or by air-freighted mail carrying incorrect documentation.
