Brown Marmorated Stink Bug sees Heightened Seasonal Measures

This year we’ve seen a rapid expansion of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug across Europe and North America. To combat this heightened risk the Australian Department of Agriculture have strengthened their measure for the 2019-20 risk season. The department has worked closely with he New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries on this season’s measure to ensure both countries’ seasonal measures are consistent where possible.

 

Head of compliance controls Dean Merrilees said the department is keen to work with industry to keep this damaging pest out of Australia.

 

“Stopping BMSB is a joint effort between industry and government so it’s important that you are aware of the seasonal measures and what they mean for your work,” Mr Merrilees said.

 

The measures are active for shipments arriving in Australia from September 1^st2019 to May 31^st2020 (inclusive). Goods shipped prior to the 30^thof April that arrive after May 31^stmay be subject to intervention where required.

 

The heightened biosecurity measures apply to certain goods manufactured in, or shipped from – this means any vessel that berths at, loads or tranships from any of these countries is subject to BMSB seasonal measures.

 

Freightplus can provide full offshore DAWR biosecurity compliance on all used machinery shipments to Australia, including BMSB risk management. For more information on our biosecurity services or on the upcoming BMSB season please contact your local Freightplus office.

 

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug presents a devastating risk to our agriculture, therefore it’s crucial these heightened measures are in place for our protection. Juvenile and adult BMSB feed on, and can severely damage, fruit and vegetable crops rendering them unsellable or reducing production yields. Adult BMSB can also be a nuisance, entering vehicles, homes and factories for shelter over winter.

 

TARGET RISK COUNTRIES

 

This year the list of countries at risk has increased for 10 to 33. These countries are:

• Albania
• Andorra
• Armenia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Belgium
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• France
• Georgia
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Italy
• Kosovo
• Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg
• Macedonia
• Montenegro
• Netherlands
• Romania
• Russia
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Switzerland
• Spain
• Turkey
• United States of America
• Japan (heightened vessel surveillance will be the only measure applied).

 

Australian biosecurity will be monitoring a number of emerging risk countries throughout the season. You can view updates here.Target high risk and risk goods from these countries may be subjected to ransom onshore inspections to verify freedom from BMSB contamination.

 

 

MEASURES FOR VESSELS

 

Roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) vessels will be subjected to heightened vessel surveillance. They are required to:

• Conduct self-inspections and respond specific questions as part of the pre-arrival reporting requirements.
• Undergo a mandatory seasonal pest inspection on arrival to Australia.

 

In response to detections and challenges in managing on board infestations during the 2018-19 season, a Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme (VSPS)will be introduced for the 2019-20 risk season as an alternative vessel clearance pathway for ro-ro vessels.

• Only ro-ro vessels that are eligible for the ‘Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme’ and have detected no insects on board will be exempted from the mandatory seasonal pest inspection.
• The department will continue to perform inspections on vessels for other biosecurity reasons unrelated to BMSB. The nature of these inspections will vary based on the particular biosecurity risk being managed.

 

The department will work with selected shipping lines to trial the VSPS. For further information on the VSPS and 2019-20 BMSB seasonal measures for vessels visit the 2019-20 BMSB Vessels webpage.

 

 

GOODS AT RISK

 

Goods that fall within the following tariff classifications have be categorised and target high risk goods and will require mandatory treatment for BMSB risk:

• 36 – Explosives; pyrotechnic products; matches; pyrophoric alloys; certain combustible preparations
• 44 – Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal
• 45 – Cork and articles of cork
• 57 – Carpets and other textile floor coverings
• 68 – Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials
• 69 – Ceramic products – including sub chapters I and II
• 70 – Glass and glass ware
• 72 – Iron and steel – including sub chapters I, II, III, IV
• 73 – Articles of iron or steel
• 74 – Copper and articles thereof
• 75 – Nickel and articles thereof
• 76 – Aluminium and articles thereof
• 78 – Lead and articles thereof
• 79 – Zinc and articles thereof
• 80 – Tin and articles thereof
• 81 – Other base metals; cements; articles thereof
• 82 – Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal
• 83 – Miscellaneous articles of base metals
• 84 – Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof
• 85 – Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles
• 86 – Railway or tramway locomotives, rolling-stock and parts thereof; railway or tramway track fixtures and fittings and parts thereof; mechanical (including electro-mechanical) traffic signalling equipment of all kinds
• 87 – Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling-stock, and parts and accessories thereof
• 88 – Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof
• 89 – Ships, boats and floating structures
• 93 – Arms and ammunition; parts and accessories thereof

 

Goods falling within the following tariff classifications as target risk goods and will not require mandatory treatment. Target risk goods will however be subject to increased onshore intervention through random inspection

• 25 – Salt; sulphur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement
• 26 – Ores, slag and ash
• 27 – Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes
• 28 – Inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth metals, of radioactive elements or of isotopes – including sub chapters I, II, III, IV and V
• 29 – Organic chemicals – including sub chapters I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII and XIII
• 31 – Fertilisers
• 38 – Miscellaneous chemical products
• 39 – Plastics and articles thereof – – including sub chapters I and II
• 40 – Rubber and articles thereof
• 46 – Manufactures of straw, of esparto or of other plaiting materials; basket ware and wickerwork
• 47 – Pulp of wood or of other fibrous cellulosic material; recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard
• 48 – Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard
• 49 – Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts and plans
• 56 – Wadding, felt and nonwovens; special yarns; twine, cordage, ropes and cables and articles thereof

 

Goods not listed as a target high risk or target risk good are not subject to the BMSB seasonal measures. However, they may apply if these goods are a part of a container or consignment that contains target high risk or target risk goods.

 

 

MEASURES RELATING TO GOODS

Target high risk good requiring mandatory offshore treatment that arrive untreated or i treated by an unapproved treatment provider in a target risk country will be denied discharged and directed for export on arrival. Automatic export processing (AEP) processing arrangements for BMSB will be permitted for break bulk and containerised goods (this excludes LCL consignments and FAK containers)

 

Treatment of target high risk goods:

• If treated in a target risk country goods must be treated by a registered offshore treatment provider under the  Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme.
• Treatment providers in other countries intending to conduct BMSB treatments for good manufactured in target risk counties are encouraged to register under the offshore treatment provider’s scheme.
• Treatment certificates from providers in non-target risk countries who don’t register will be accepted, however these goods will be subjected to increased intervention on arrival.

 

Break bulk goods

• Mandatory offshore treatment of target high risk goods shipped as break bulk cargo will be required – this includes goods shipped on open top containers or on flat rack containers.
• Untreated break bulk identified on arrival will be denied discharge and directed for export on arrival
• AEP processing arrangements for BMSB will be permitted for break bulk goods.

 

Containerised good excluding LCL consignments and FAK containers

• Containerised cargo arriving in a sealed six hard sided containers with target high risk goods can be treated offshore or onshore at the container level.
• The department classifies refrigerated containers (operating and non-operating) and high cube hard top sealed containers (ISO45U6/ISO45UP) the same as six hard sided sealed containers.
• Deconsolidation or removal of goods will not be permitted prior to treatment. No exemptions for deconsolidation or segregation on arrival will be considered by the department.
• Consideration must be given to ensure containers are packed in a manner that will enable effective onshore treatment at the container level where required, to avoid possible export of the container.
• AEP processing arrangements for BMSB will be permitted for containerised goods shipped as FCL (full container load) and FCX (full container consolidated).
• To demonstrate goods were sealed inside a container prior to 1 September 2019 or after treatment a BMSB sealing declaration must be provided with the lodgement. This document is required where:
  • goods were containerised prior to 1 September 2019 but shipped after this date, or
  • the bill of lading does not state the shipped on board date, or
  • goods were sealed inside the container within 120 hours of treatment occurring offshore.
• Supporting documentation must be completed and signed by exporter, freight forwarder, or shipping company at the port of origin. Also note that container tracking information may be used as supplementary means of confirming shipped on board date for BMSB measures only. Container tracking information is insufficient for demonstrating when goods were sealed in a container.

 

CONTAINERISED GOODS SHIPPED AS LESS THAN CONTAINER LOAD (LCL) CONSIGNMENTS AND FREIGHT OF ALL KINDS (FAK) CONTAINERS

 

LCL and FAK containers with target high risk goods will be managed at the container level for BMSB risk prior to deconsolidation. Once these have been managed, the consignments within these containers will be processed at the Full Import Declaration (FID) level for all other biosecurity intervention (if applicable). Offshore treatment of LCL consignments and FAK containers with target high risk goods from target risk countries is preferred. Onshore treatment of LCL consignments and FAK containers with target high risk goods from target risk countries will be permitted at the container level.

 

To assist in the timely management of LCL and FAK containers, Master Consolidators are required to provide a declaration of the LCL and FAK container no less than five business days prior to the first port of arrival in Australia. Where voyage duration is less than five business days, Master Consolidators are encouraged to provide a declaration within 24 hours of embarkation. Master Consolidators will be required to declare to the department that the container:

• has been treated offshore at the container level or all target high risk goods have been treated, or
• is nominated for onshore treatment at the container level, or
• does not contain any target high risk goods with supporting documents, or
• is nominated to move to an Approved Arrangements site pending further information/reporting to be provided to the department.

 

Early reporting will enable timely movement of the container from the wharf, and:

• if the container has been treated offshore, the container will be permitted to deconsolidate as per normal processes, or
• if the container has been nominated for onshore treatment, the container will be permitted to move to an Approved Arrangement site for treatment at the container level.

 

Reporting provided less than five business days may be subject to delays including having the container held at the wharf pending permission to move to an Approved Arrangement site for assessment of the container.

 

Deconsolidation or removal of goods will not be permitted prior to treatment. No exemptions for deconsolidation or segregation on arrival will be considered by the department. Consideration must be given to ensure containers are packed in a manner that will enable effective onshore treatment at the container level where required, to avoid possible export of the container.

 

Where early reporting is not made or the Master Consolidator cannot identify and provide details of the consignments within the container (target high risk, target risk or no risk goods), the container will be held for assessment. Assessment of containers that have not been reported early, or pending further information, will only commence after the Master Consolidator provides documentary evidence of all consignments within the container. These assessments will fall under a different client service charter.

 

Where the Master Consolidator is unable to provide evidence of all the consignments, the container may be held intact for up to 35 business days, or until evidence is provided that all FIDS are lodged and ready for assessment by the department to be either:

• released and allowed to deconsolidate (if there are no target high risk goods), or
• directed for onshore treatment at the container level (if there are target high risk goods), or
• directed for export if treatment is not preferred (if there are target high risk goods).

 

If there is no contact or declaration made by the Master Consolidator of the container after 35 business days, the container will be directed for export.

 

Hubbed LCL and FAK containers will be managed for BMSB risk at the container level as if they have been shipped from a target risk country. This includes if a consignment within the container has a target risk country as the origin shipped country and has been hubbed through a non-target risk country. Deconsolidation of these containers for management at the consignment level will not be permitted.

 

TREATMENT OPTIONS

 

There are three approved treatment options for BMSB treatment. The approved treatments are:

Heat

 

For all goods types and sizes

• 56°C or higher at the coldest surface of the goods, for a minimum of 30 minutes
  or
  Alternative option for individual goods weighing less than 3000 kg shipped as break bulk only,
• 60°C or higher at the coldest surface of the goods, for a minimum of 10 minutes

 

Note: Individual goods shipped as break bulk weighing less than 3000kg treated at 60°C for 10 minutes require evidence within shipping documentation that they are less than 3000kg for these treatments to be accepted.

 

Methyl Bromide

• A dose of 24 g/m³ or above, at 10°C or above, for a minimum of 12 hours (but less than 24 hours), with a minimum end point reading of 12 g/m³
  or
• A dose of 24 g/m³ or above, at 10°C or above, for 24 hours or longer, with a minimum end point reading of 8 g/m³

 

*Note: Dose increases to compensate for temperatures less than 10°C is NOT permitted.

 

Sulfuryl Fluoride

• A dose of 24 g/m³ or above, at 10°C or above, for a minimum of 12 hours (but less than 24 hours), with a minimum end point reading of 12 g/m³
  or
• A dose of 24 g/m³ or above, at 10°C or above, for 24 hours or longer, with a minimum end point reading of 8 g/m³

 

*Note: Dose increases to compensate for temperatures less than 10°C is NOT permitted.

 

Sulfuryl Fluoride – Using third-party system*

• Achieve a CT of 200 g-h/m³ or more, at 10°c or above, for 12 hours or longer, with a minimum end point reading of 12 g/m³
  or
• Achieve a CT of 200 g-h/m³ or more, at 10°C or above, for 24 hours or longer, with a minimum end point reading of 8 g/m³

 

*Note: The approved third party systems are:

• • Douglas Products FumiGuide
  • Ensystex II, Inc. Fumicalc

 

There are set minimum standards for the application of BMSB treatments. Treatments applied for biosecurity purposes are part of managing the risk of introducing exotic pests and diseases.

 

It is important that treatment providers understand these requirements as treatments to manage risk are only effective when conducted correctly. These standards outline best practice methodologies for applying biosecurity treatments.

 

Where onshore treatment of goods is permitted, you can find a list of approved arrangement providers on the department’s website.

 

The Offshore Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) Treatment Providers Scheme (the scheme) sets out the department’s registration and compliance requirements for BMSB treatment providers, including compliance with applicable treatment methodologies.

 

Treatment providers that were registered under the scheme during the 2018-19 season must complete a renewal application for the 2019-20 season. The renewal application and application for new treatment providers is now available on the Offshore BMSB treatment providers scheme page webpage.

 

All BMSB treatment providers in target risk countries must first register and be approved under the scheme by the department prior to treatment. Treatments conducted by an unapproved treatment provider in a target risk country will not be recognised as valid and the goods will be subject to onshore treatment (if permitted), or be directed for export.

 

BMSB treatment providers in other countries who intend to conduct BMSB treatments for goods that are manufactured in any of the target risk counties are also encouraged to register under the offshore treatment provider’s scheme.

 

Treatment certificates from providers in non-target risk countries who do not register will be accepted, however these goods will be subject to increased intervention on arrival compared to those treated by approved treatment providers.

 

Treatment providers in non-target risk countries who perform multiple BMSB treatments during the season must join the Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme.

 

If unregistered treatment providers continue to treat and present treatment certificates throughout the season and have not made any effort to register, future treated goods may be exported.

 

EXEMTPTIONS

There are no exemptions to the measures except in the scenarios below.

 

For very specific situations an exemption may be provided where goods are being imported for the use of delivering emergency services, and the measures will significantly impact the delivery of that service to state or federal government.

 

In this situation, early reporting of no less than five business days prior to the first port of arrival in Australia will be required and your goods be assessed for alternate consideration. If prior approval is not sought, the goods cannot be exempted and will be directed for treatment onshore (if permitted), or exported on arrival.

 

The department will permit certain goods manufactured on or after 1 December 2019, and that can meet the full NUFT criteria to be exempt from BMSB measures.

 

Goods classified under tariff chapters 82, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88 and 89 will be accepted under the NUFT criteria as long as they meet certain conditions.

 

 

SAFEGUARDING ARRANGEMENT

 

A new safeguarding arrangements scheme to allow certain goods and supply chains to be recognised under safeguarding arrangements has been developed.

 

Under the scheme, approved participants will be recognised for their ability to manage biosecurity risk offshore, including seasonal hitchhiker pest risk such as BMSB, from the point of manufacture to the point of embarkation.

 

The scheme will consider the ability of the entity to manage and reduce biosecurity risk by providing risk management plans of the goods they expect to import that may be susceptible to infestation by seasonal hitchhiker pests and/or other contaminants.

 

The scheme will be trialled with select industry participants before being opened to all other industry participants.

 

The department will provide more information on the scheme soon.