Ship turned away from Australia
Hapag-Lloyd said the ship Tatiana Schulte was turned away from Australia by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) and forced to return to New Zealand after wood-boring beetles were found on the ship.
The vessel was originally due into Sydney on Feb. 5 and Melbourne on Feb. 8.
Because Burnt Pine Longicorn beetles were found on the ship, the ship was instructed under Australia’s Quarantine Act to leave Australian territorial waters prior to its arrival. The ship will return to New Zealand and the beetles removed.
AQIS said the beetle is found in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, North Africa, the countries between the Black Sea and Caspian Seas, Syria and Israel. Adults are known to hitch a ride, normally in summer, on imported timber and cargo. The beetle larvae cause damage to pine tree timber used for construction by tunneling in the wood, which significantly reduces the quality of the timber.
An information sheet on the pest can be found here.
