Brown Marmorated Stink Bug – the 2024/25 season has started

Published: 27 September 2024

Ships heading for Australia, New Zealand and Chile and maybe Fiji need to be aware of the BMSB rules for 2024/25 season.

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) season 2024/25 began on 1 September 2024. As usual, Australia and New Zealand authorities have set out their requirements for the current season to ensure that these bugs are kept out of their countries. BMSBs are a serious pest, pose a threat to their agricultural industries and are frequently found in goods carried as sea-freight upon arrival.

BMSB seasonal measures apply to targeted goods manufactured in or shipped from target risk countries that have been shipped between 1 September and 30 April (inclusive), and to ships that berth, load, or tranship from target risk countries within the same period. Hence the measures are imposed on a targeted list of risk countries where these goods come from.

Note that the shipped on board date, as indicated on the Ocean Bill of Lading, is the date used to determine when goods have been shipped. “Gate in” dates and times will not be accepted to determine when goods are shipped.

The changes introduced for this season are as follows:

Addition of China and Republic of Korea to the heightened vessel surveillance list

Introduction of AusTreat for offshore treatment providers

Removal of the Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme.

For the current season 2024/25, both countries have now a total of 41 countries in the target risk country list, with United Kingdom and China identified as emerging risk countries which may be selected for a random onshore inspection as follows:

China – random inspections will apply to goods shipped between 1 September and 31 December (inclusive)

United Kingdom – random inspections will apply to goods shipped between 1 December and 30 April (inclusive)

For full details and information on the BMSB requirements and target lists of BMSB-risk countries imposed by Australia and NZ as well as Chile and Fiji, please see our information about Phytosanitary restrictions / Brown marmorated stink bug regulations.

BIMCO Recommendations

Ships heading for Australia, New Zealand and Chile and maybe Fiji should ensure that the above BMSB seasonal measures are complied with in order to avoid ships being turned away from their territorial waters, notwithstanding that the responsibility of ensuring the cargo is ¨'clean' lies with the importers.

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