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AgVetLink: Number 67, April 2008

Whose Job Is It?

A recent amendment to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996 has clarified government department roles and areas of responsibility for organisms that could be introduced inadvertently as contaminants in agricultural compounds.

It is now clear that MAF, via Import Health Standards under the Biosecurity Act 1993, is responsible for setting controls that would prevent the introduction of such organisms and take action if it were to happen.

ERMA is responsible under the HSNO Act for setting controls on the intentional introduction of new organisms.

The process of authorisation of agricultural compounds that might harbour such organisms is still the responsibility of NZFSA under the ACVM Act.

In this authorisation process, the ACVM Group will continue to look to MAF for guidance in regard to setting information requirements and imposing conditions of registration that minimise agricultural security risks associated with these organisms.