Science Media Centre

Over 22,000 cattle will be culled in an effort to prevent further spread of the disease Mycoplasma bovis. Minister for Biosecurity Damien O’Connor announced the cull on Monday after testing confirmed the disease was not endemic, meaning there was still a chance to eradicate it. The cull will involve 28 infected properties – six of which […]

A number of car shipments were turned away at the border last month because they were infested with Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs. The bug has spread across the globe from its original home in East Asia and is one of border security’s most wanted. The agricultural pest is not currently in the country, but MPI […]

Following the discovery of the parasite Bonamia ostreae in Stewart Island oyster farms, the Ministry for Primary Industries has issued a restriction on the area and plans to remove the affected oysters. Niwa put together a Q&A with fisheries scientist Keith Michael about the parasite and the risk of it spreading further afield. What is Bonamia […]

There are concerns the iconic Bluff oyster could be decimated by a parasite discovered on Stewart Island. Bonamia ostreae has been detected at two Stewart Island oyster farms, and the Ministry for Primary Industries has put restrictions on the area to limit further spread. The Ministry has been meeting with industry members in Southland and is […]

The Otago Regional Council has approved funding for the potential release of a virus to target the region’s rabbits. Update: The EPA has decided that the new product does not require regulation under the HSNO Act. The K5 virus is a variant of the rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHFV1) strain already in New Zealand. The virus […]

A Consumer NZ test of 40 fresh chicken products found campylobacter in nearly two-thirds of the samples, sparking calls for regular testing of chicken sold in retail stores. Raw chicken is considered responsible for some 40 per cent of campylobacter cases. New Zealand has 6218 notified cases of the bacterial disease in 2015 – a […]

The authors of a report reconstructing the history of New Zealand’s fisheries catch – and finding it out of step with official figures – have responded to to some of the criticisms levelled at their research. You can read earlier expert commentary on the report collected by the SMC and a response from the Ministry […]

Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright has launched a new report, On a pathway to extinction? An investigation into the status and management of the longfin eel. Commercial fishing of native freshwater eels is currently permitted under the quota management system, despite mounting concerns that the iconic endemic longfin eel may be headed […]

Authorities are investigating a potential breach of GM requirements at Lincoln University following the discovery of a genetically modified fungus outside of approved containment laboratories. Lincoln University researchers informed Ministry for Primary Industries and the Environmental Protection Agency on 7 March that it had evidence to suggest a fungus (Beauveria bassiana also known as Icing Sugar […]

Devices installed in squid trawling nets to prevent sea lion bycatch lack evidence that they actually prevent sea lion deaths, according to an expert. This week Primary Industries Minister David Carter released a management decision for a key squid fishery near the Auckland Islands, claiming that it reflects new research showing that devices that reduce unintentional […]