Coordinated biosecurity surveillance for NZ’s primary industries

Surveillance for high priority pests is a critical part of early detection of pests and pathogens, allowing a biosecurity response to be initiated faster and increasing the likelihood that an organism can be eradicated. By understanding surveillance gaps and opportunities more effective surveillance systems can be designed to target high priority pests.   

The aim is to review current and emerging biosecurity surveillance tools and biosecurity surveillance systems currently deployed in NZ by primary industries, MPI and others. Summarise the information gathered to design integrated, synergistic and optimised surveillance systems across multiple targets and industries using multiple surveillance tools. The findings from this project are expected to:

• Identify specific areas where different primary industries are collaborating or might collaborate on biosecurity surveillance activities, including risk mapping, operational deployment and diagnostics. 
• Identify operational gaps in current surveillance activities, in terms of target taxa, vulnerable host plant systems, or viable technologies that are not being utilised. Highlight taxa of concern to primary industries and their establishment risk locations in New Zealand that are not currently surveyed effectively.
• Recommend and prioritise particular tools, methods or applications for further research to be funded later by B3, MPI, industry partners or other funders.

This will strengthen New Zealand’s border biosecurity and make it more efficient by identifying sector-specific surveillance needs, evaluating current tools, and recommending emerging technologies to improve early detection and response.

Contact Project Leader Rachael Horner: [email protected]