B3 enhances partnership with Māori

As part of its strategic plan, B3 is enhancing its partnership with Māori in all activities following the recent appointment of Alby Marsh as their Māori Research Leader. Director David Teulon says Alby will be creating the Māori Strategy for B3 and is excited by the opportunity to grow participation by Māori researchers.    “B3…

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Whakamarama Pest Trap Library Open Now

November 2020 saw the launch of the Whakamarama Pest Trap Library at the Whakamarama Community Hall, 469 Whakamarama Road.  Open the last Sunday of every month from 3-5pm, the library will loan out rat, stoat and possum traps for 3 months (with the right to renew for another 3 months) to members of the local Whakamarama community. …

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Predator Free BOP: it’s a great time to trap rats!

After a rocky first half of 2020 – Predator Free BOP finished the year with a bang with a massive month of events, signing up the highest number of new trappers in a month.   At the end of January 2021, Predator Free BOP have recorded over 3,200 traps registered across the Bay and over 8,400…

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New rules for boat ramp users a New Zealand first

New rules to stop the spread of aquatic pests across the Bay of Plenty came in to force this summer with boat ramp users now required to self-certify that their vessels and trailers are free from freshwater fish and plant pests.  Bay of Plenty Regional Council Biosecurity Manager Greg Corbett explains that the rules contained within…

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Novel Way to Protect Aotearoa NZ Borders from Biosecurity Threats

Computer Science and Software Engineering students Aaron Smith, Manoj Paladugu, Joel Ridden and Michael Shannon from the University of Canterbury worked on this B3 research project with AgResearch scientist Mark McNeill and Scion scientist Sam Davidson, to develop smart technology capable of rapidly detecting external contamination on shipping containers while not impacting on port operations. …

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Mature native trees now dying

The first known case of mature tree death due to myrtle rust infection has been observed in the East Cape of Aotearoa New Zealand, suggesting localized extinction for some native myrtles could become a reality.  “I’ve been monitoring myrtle rust in native forests for the last three years,” says Roanne Sutherland, a myrtle rust researcher…

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The impact of Psa seared into the mind

It arrived like a whisper but fast turned into a scream. Psa was first identified in New Zealand just over 10 years ago and what followed was one of the most tumultuous times in the history of the New Zealand kiwifruit industry. Now KVH has commissioned a project which follows some of the main players…

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Find-A-Pest app continues to develop

Find-A-Pest is an app that provides users with simple options to report potential insect and fungal pests of plants, pest weeds, and a range of other animal pests. Find-A-Pest is a great opportunity to participate in the Ko Tātou, This Is Us movement of all New Zealanders contributing to biosecurity. With the click of a camera…

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An interview with …. Steve Cotter

This month we chat to new TMBC member, Steve Cotter – CEO of Xerra about why they joined the TMBC network and how they’re tackling complex challenges in the maritime domain.   What made you want to become members of the TMBC network?  We sent Moritz Lehmann, our Senior Scientist specialising in marine biosecurity issues,…

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