Environment

Stink bug forces three ships from NZ ports

08:44 am on 19 February 2018

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Three ships carrying up to 12,000 cars in total have been turned away from the country's ports because of a noxious pest called the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. The insects were found on all levels of the three ships but the standard chemical used to control them would damage the cars' upholstery, making them unsellable - while another insecticide that kills the bugs is banned in New Zealand. And while the problem could cause a shortage of new and used cars, representatives from the horticulture industry are concerned about what the stink bug could do to their crops. Minister for Biosecurity Damien O'Connor discusses the problem with Guyon Espiner.