Effective pest control depends on local teams but requires national oversight and funding. A federated system could strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity response.
Articles on Biosecurity
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Idle vessels accumulate biofouling quickly, especially in tropical waters. But there are precautions other ports can take against alien pests, parasites or disease.
Another apparent case of H5 avian influenza in a wild bird is a cause for concern – but it’s not the same as an outbreak.
The outbreak isn’t widespread, so the risk to humans is low. But it does have the potential to cause severe illness.
The same busy foraging that makes bees vital pollinators could also turn them into Trojan horses for a serious fungal disease threatening native forests.
Advances in genetic engineering have enabled researchers to seek ways to program new life. But has synthetic biology actually changed medicine and the environment, nearly two decades on?
No new hornet nests have been found for weeks. But as the invasive species enters a key breeding phase, public vigilance could be key to eliminating the threat.
Researchers have found that even people with limited experience in biology can use AI to help them create a dangerous pathogen.
From wombat and mozzie surveillance to deciphering climate history and spotting star explosions, citizen scientists are instrumental in contributing knowledge.
Bird flu is spreading globally and getting closer to New Zealand. Its arrival may be a matter of when, not if – and the risks are significant.
As a dried plant product, illegal tobacco is a biosecurity risk in its own right. With tonnes of it arriving undetected, these tiny pests may be hitchhiking in too.
Strong public reporting has helped locate and destroy early nests. Sustained effort over the next few months will determine whether eradication succeeds.
The invasion threatens more than water. Clams could foul dam intakes and reduce hydroelectric efficiency in a river that generates 13% of New Zealand’s power.
Two-dozen Asian yellow-legged hornet nests and queens have now been found on Auckland’s North Shore. Speed and more resources will be crucial.
US beef will soon be back on Australian menus. But how does it compare with home-grown beef? Three experts explain.
Biosecurity policies may seem onerous and expensive – but they are working to prevent new species from pushing native species out in the Antarctic.
Synthetic cells that look just like natural cells but are chemically reversed could outcompete other living organisms − with dire consequences for human health and the environment.
Officials have confirmed eight new outbreaks in Michigan poultry flocks since mid-December.
Millions of migratory birds are arriving on Australian shores this spring. Any one of them could bring the new, deadly strain known as H5N1. Extra government funding will help us prepare and respond.
The lethal strain of highly pathogenic bird flu is everywhere – except Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Here’s how we’re planning for its arrival
Top contributors
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Director of the Wildlife Crime Research Hub, Australian Research Council Industry Laureate Fellow, Adelaide University
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Science Director, Biosecurity Flagship, CSIRO
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Professor of Ecology and Entomology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
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Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC L3 Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW
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Senior research fellow, The University of Melbourne
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Director, Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future and Professor of Biological Sciences, Monash University
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Distinguished Professor of Plant Biosecurity, Lincoln University, New Zealand
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PhD candidate in invasion ecology, Adelaide University
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Associate Professor of Wildlife Health and Pathology, Charles Sturt University
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Associate Professor, School of Mathematical Sciences, Monash University
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Biosafety Director and Responsible Official, Colorado State University
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Adjunct Professor, The University of Western Australia
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Research Fellow, School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne
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Associate Vice President of Compliance and Research Administration, University of Nevada, Reno
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Director, Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs and Executive Professor, Texas A&M University