Authority focuses on biosecurity

The National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority is trying their best to handle biosecurity issues in PNG. They are also making awareness of the issues faced, news editor GYNNIE KERO writes

THE National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (Naqia) is handling biosecurity issues in the country but also needs support from agencies responsible for different commodities.
Speaking to journalists in Port Moresby on Tuesday, acting managing director Joel Alu and his top officials highlighted some of the biosecurity issues facing the country.
He also outlined some of the authority’s long-term plans.
One of the important things the authority lacks at airports are X-ray machines to scan the cargo and people.
One machine can cost about K700,000 to bring to the country.
The authority also wants to have sniffer dogs at airports such as Jackson International, and a boat for quarantine surveillance and monitoring.

One boat costs between K400,000 and K500,000.
“Naqia wants to have an x-ray machine at the airport,” Alu said.
We don’t have the expertise to install and manage the machine.
“But we will put the money where our mouth is.
“We will make sure it happens.
“One of the dreams we have is to have a quarantine dog.
“You go to airports (overseas) and you see sniffer dogs.
“We don’t have them here.
“That is why foreigners, like Chinese, bring whatever (concealed) cargo they can.
“Humans cannot check everything.”
Alu revealed that the authority is planning a quarantine wharf project in Central following a direction by the Government to revive the livestock industry.
“We have a project at Roku. We are going to build a quarantine wharf, the first of its kind,” he said.
“It will be declared as a port of entry – the 23rd port in the country specifically for handling livestock.

“We already have visited some farms in Queensland and farmers (there) are prepared to bring cattle into the country which we will manage and distribute.
“Those are some plans we have.
“We may not be able to achieve all this year.
“The Roku project will be achieved in the next three months.” Senior animal health officer Mathew Paina provided an update on the African swine fever (ASF) virus following an outbreak in China last August.
The authority will be doing all it can to ensure that it does not reach the country.
Last year, Papua New Guinea declared a “red alert” on ASF – a deadly disease affecting pigs.
According to Naqia, a red alert means:

• A LOOKOUT for suspected pork products from virus-infected countries;
• 100 PER CENT quarantine checks at wharves and airports;
• A BAN on new import licences;
• APPLICATIONS of all available quarantine laws; and,
• AN increase in public awareness.

“Early last August, there was an outbreak in China – the first time in our region in 100 years,” Paina said.
“Within nine months, it spread to 11 other countries including Sumatra in Indonesia. (It means we must) be up on our toes.”
ASF affects only pigs, not other animals or humans.
“Once it reaches here, our pigs will be gone.

“Naqia is doing its best. All our frontline officers at our ports are on high alert. We are making sure that goods coming in are inspected 100 per cent.
“We are also carrying out awareness on people going out especially to Asia, that they don’t bring back products like sausages as the virus can be present in pork products either raw or cooked.
“The Highlands was the first region to receive awareness on the recommendation of the Food and Agriculture Organisation last year.
“If ever ASF comes here, the Highlands will be difficult to handle.
“Naqia conducted awareness during the festive season.
“But this awareness needs to be ongoing so information reaches all.”
People travelling on diplomatic passports are not exempted.
“No excuse for diplomats and everyone coming in from risk pathways,” he said.
“All diplomats are not immune to quarantine checks.
“People shouldn’t exchange food stuff at the non-regulated pathways that is logging ports and fishing vessels. The important thing is not to exchange any foodstuff.
“They could be putting our country at risk. No exchange with logging ships and fishing vessels.
“Normally, they would be bringing their own food which could introduce pests and diseases.”
David Tenakanai, technical and advisory services division general manager, provided an update on the pests affecting crops such as coffee and copra in various parts of the country.
He said the coffee berry borer was detected in Jiwaka in Feb 2017.
Naqia was able to confine and manage it.
“We tried our best to manage the berry borer in Jiwaka and Eastern Highlands. But it has gone out of those provinces. It is now in Madang,” he said.
“Our concern is that it may go out to other provinces because we don’t have proper checks between provinces.
The only checkpoint is in Kondopina, funded by Naqia.
“The borer is a beetle and it flies. And we don’t have control over insects flying (to other districts).
“We managed to stop berries going out from infected areas to non-infected areas. It is not an endemic pest since it has gone out to coffee growing areas of PNG.
“Naqia has a duty to our people.
“We don’t want the borer to go to SHP, Enga and Hela because it will destroy coffee.
“It might come to a stage where we will have to pull out from Kondopina because the borer flies.
“For this year in the first quarter, our officers have conducted surveillance to find out where exactly will the CBB be in the three years. It is not found in upper Highlands.
“It goes back to the main industry that has jurisdiction over CBB.
“We are just there to stop it from going up to the upper highlands.
“Who will provide resources to assist our village people control CBB?
“That is one of the issues we have.
“Another concern is the fall armyworm which destroys vegetables especially corn. It originated from South America but has gone to Africa and Asia and is now in Sumatra, Indonesia.
“We don’t want it in PNG. We are working with the FAO to develop strategies to stop the worm from entering PNG.”
There is also the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) – Guam Biotype (CRB-G) – discovered in PNG in 2009. It has been an ongoing problem.
“In PNG, we are looking at identifying a virus to control the beetle, he said.
“It’s very difficult to control with conventional treatment. So we are looking at the virus which is being trialed out in the Solomon Islands.
“We will be getting the virus into the country. We will trial the virus in Central and Gulf, two main areas affected by the beetle.
“We heard that an island in Milne Bay called Ware has also been infected by the Guam biotype. And the Bogia Coconut Syndrome in Madang caused by insects killed hundreds of coconut trees recently. We pulled out from our checkpoint at Tapo River crossing in 2011.
“Organisations which have jurisdiction over whether its oil palm or coconut, need to put money where the mouth is.
“They cannot rely on Naqia to man checkpoints. We have managed checkpoint for over 20 years and its eating into our resources.
“Industries like oil palm and coconut need to look at stopping the syndrome from going into other coconut growing provinces.”