BROWN STINK BUG SEASON – QUARANTINE RAMPS UP

Brown Stink Bug Season -BMSB

From September all the way through April, Brown Stink Bug Season -BMSB has hit our shores. The Department of Agriculture has ramped up its intervention in ensuring that these nasty critters are not entering our ecosystems. Adult brown marmorated stink bugs have sent the department into high alert. First found in a container that was delivered to a warehouse in western Sydney has prompted the Quarantine to intervene and declare this pest as a national priority.

The insect has been known to feed on over 300 plants species including fruits and vegetables.
Adult stink bugs have been known to hide into vehicles, boats, caravan’s machinery and even personally stored items. These bugs just don’t limit to travelling onto the standard fruit and veggies but also have been seen to arrive in passenger luggage’s and personal items.

How do you know if your goods are targeted?

Goods that fall into the following classifications will alert Quarantine to inspect the cargo:

• 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

What are the target countries?

Any vessel that berths at, loads or tranships from the target risk countries also subject to BMSB seasonal measures.
• 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).

Treatment options:

In all cases you can speak to your broker to determine if your goods will likely be affected by the new stink bug season.  If they are subject to the new regulations starting in September then most likely your Customs broker will advise you to fumigate either the goods, container and any other packaging for these bugs. It can become costly. Approved offshore treatments need to be utilized or the fumigation will not be recognized by our Quarantine department here in Australia.

For more information, feel free to contact our team and get some advice regarding prior to importing your goods.