Biosecurity
'Defend the shed' - how the poultry industry has been preparing
Avian flu has been found on an Otago chicken farm for the first time in New Zealand's history. It's something the poultry industry has spent months preparing for and we take you inside a North Island… Audio
Controlling Bay of Plenty's Wallabies
Standing at the wallaby-proof fence in Rotorua biosecurity expert Dale Williams gives an update on efforts to control the pest. Audio
On the hunt for wallaby at Ground Zero
A group of Te Arawa iwi are trying to reclaim their forest from mobs of wallabies which they say are killing the bush and gobbling up farmland pasture. While, national efforts to eradicate the pest… Audio
Water Dragons pose threat to NZ species - biosecurity advisor
Reptiles like the Australian Water Dragon were recently found lounging amongst the Greenery by the Tasman District biosecuirty team. Water Dragons are traded and legally kept as pets here - but it's… Audio
Drones for pest control
Aotearoa is a country plagued by pests, but conservationists are hoping advances in drone technology could turn the tables. Producer William Ray looks at how drones are being trialled in controlling… Video, Audio
Boat ban possible as algae takes over
Auckland's aquatic backyard and prime fishing grounds are weed-deep in trouble from exotic caulerpa, a fast-spreading algae that smothers everything in its path. Audio
Woman finds wood-eating beetle in tray from Northland Kmart
A woman who bought a wooden tray from Kmart in Northland got more than she bargained for when she discovered it contained wood-eating beetle.
The $20 Acacia Serving Tray is now being recalled after… Video, Audio
Keeping the worst marine weed pest away from Northland waters
For thirty years, caulerpa seaweed has been known as the single worst marine weed pest. Northland Regional Council is determined to keep it out of Te Tai Tokerau due to the risks to local environment.
…Lyttelton community acts to stop spread of huge sea worms
Local communities around Christchurch's port are calling for urgent action to slow the spread of huge sea worms.
In some cases, Mediterranean fanworms have grown to more than half a metre long.
… Video, Audio
Banking the seeds of our precious plants
There are 37 native plant species listed as critically endangered - can a seed bank help save them from extinction? Audio
Fascinating fungi and pesky pathogens
In a room in the Manaaki Whenua building in Auckland are rows and rows of shelves, with cardboard boxes containing an array of weird and wonderful dried fungi. Claire Concannon visits to learn how and… Audio
Our Changing World – The New Zealand Fungarium
The New Zealand Fungarium is a collection of over 100,000 dried specimens of fungi kept in a carefully climate-controlled room.
Claire Concannon visits Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research in Auckland… Audio
As Australia beefs up sheep tracing should NZ follow suit?
Aaron Dodd, Chief Investigator and Deputy Director of the Centre for Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, based at the University of Melbourne, chats about the foot and mouth disease risk for New… Audio
Keeping a close eye on foot and mouth
Authorities are seeking to reassure farmers about the threat of foot and mouth disease for New Zealand livestock. Biosecurity New Zealand's Deputy Director-General, Stuart Anderson says vaccines here… Audio
Vet warns of foot and mouth risk from tourist hotspot
Ross Ainsworth is a consultant vet living in Bali which has just confirmed foot and mouth disease among livestock on the island. He says wandering animals near tourist areas heighten the risk of the… Audio
NZ audits palm kernel supply chain as Indonesia battles foot and mouth outbreak
An on-the-ground audit of Indonesia's palm kernel supply chain shows it is meeting New Zealand's strict biosecurity requirements, MPI says.
Watching from space: keeping pests and diseases out of NZ
Space-age efforts are underway to keep pests and diseases, including Covid, out of New Zealand. MPI's recent Ko tatou Biosecurity Supreme Award Winner is Central Otago-based Xerra Earth Observation… Audio
Unwelcome visitors
How to deal with unwelcome visitors. Katy Gosset learns about a native fungus that might help in the battle against wilding pines. And two national research programmes combine on an expedition to… Audio
The story of NZ's rabbit plague
Farmers, growers and regional authorities in the South Island are reporting large numbers of rabbits this year. Responsiblity for pest control falls to property owners under bylaws, and if a regional… Audio
Rāhui to protect Bluff oysters after bonamia ostreae parasite found
A Rahui will be placed on an area in Foveaux Strait following the discovery of a deadly parasite that could put the entire bluff oyster trade at risk.
