Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)

Today we’d like to give a massive round of “a-paws” to detector dog Gong-fu – or Gus for short – who has officially hung up his jacket, for a life of retirement 👏 Gong-fu was born in 2016 – a member of our G-Litter – and worked for 8 years at Auckland and Christchurch airports. Gong-fu has had three handlers over the years, with Rob being his last partner. What was meant to be a short-term pairing ended up lasting the last two years of his career. “While it wasn’t initially a match made in heaven, his personality won me over in the end, and I enjoyed our time together. He’s made some great finds in his career and was a very reliable detector dog. His end-of-the-day “hour of power” is something I’ll never forget. Thank you for your service, Gong-fu, and enjoy your retirement, little buddy.” Detector dog handler Tim has given Gong-fu his cushy new home. Tim’s current four-legged partner is Gizmo – Gong-fu’s brother – and Tim plans on adopting him as well when the day comes, so the brothers can enjoy their retirement together! It looks like he’s wasted no time getting used to his post-work life. “He enjoys his morning alone-time sitting in the sun as well as meeting new friends on his daily walks. In the evenings he spends his time on the couch taking up all the space.” We thank you for your service protecting our borders 🫡 Enjoy your retirement, Gong-fu, you’ve certainly earned it.

Our MPI Director-General Ray Smith met with the Thailand Food and Drug Administration, Thai government ministers and officials, and primary sector organisations and businesses this week. Issues discussed included boosting market access and bilateral trade, farming production systems, aquaculture, food safety and improving export certification.

Jasmine joined MPI in September 2022 as a Quarantine Officer, but the end goal was always to be a dog handler. After a year in the role the opportunity came up to join the Detector Dog Programme and five months of training later Jasmine graduated with her partner Sophie. During Jasmine’s first year as a Quarantine Officer, she got experience working at the airport and with cargo. “It was great to be able to experience both sites before becoming a handler as it really broadened my knowledge of biosecurity and equipped me with a variety of skills. “Although it seemed like a long wait to join the dog team, I wouldn’t trade my first year as a Quarantine Officer for anything now!” Jasmine finds it super rewarding seeing Sophie develop her confidence and search intent. “Her progress has been amazing, and she still regularly surprises me. Just when I think I’ve seen it all, we get another crazy find. “Apart from being seriously adorable and sweet natured, my favourite thing about Sophie is how eager to please she is. She might not have the same strong spirit as our beagles, but she still gets the job done because of the trust and bond we’ve worked at over this past year and continue to work at every shift.”

New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Nishin Ltd in its recall of Nishin brand Seasoned Seaweed Salad due to undeclared allergens (wheat and gluten). All batches and all dates of the Nishin brand Seasoned Seaweed Salad are affected by this recall. The affected product, imported from China, is sold in supermarkets throughout New Zealand. Full details 👉 https://bit.ly/3Ysk5Cb

New Zealand Food Safety is supporting My Food Bag Ltd in its recall of My Food Bag brand Middle Eastern Spice Mix due to the presence of an undeclared allergen (gluten). My Food Bag brand Middle Eastern Spice Mix with a Best Before date of 18/02/2025 and 19/02/2025 are affected by this recall. The affected product was delivered through My Food Bag across New Zealand. Full details 👉 https://bit.ly/4frKZkR

MPI Director-General Ray Smith is visiting Malaysia and Thailand for discussions on a wide range of topics, including improving overseas market access and bilateral trade In Kuala Lumpur, he held discussions with Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup, Malaysia’s Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Food Security (left), and Datuk Dr Sirajuddin Suhaimee, Director-General of the Department of Islamic Development. Malaysia is one of New Zealand’s top 10 trading partners, and the two countries celebrate 67 years of diplomatic relations this year.

Whilst conducting an inspection last weekend in Kawerua, Northland, fishery officers stopped a Nissan Navara and upon inspection found 200 undersized pāua. The group of six were stopped at 6pm on Sunday after an afternoon at the beach – in which only three of the men had participated in the gathering of the pāua. The group were more than six times over the recreational daily limit – of 10 pāua per fisher – and all 200 pāua were less than the legal minimum size of 125mm. The smallest were only 60mm. MPI seized the group’s vehicle, and the investigation continues. Excellent mahi from our Northland fisheries team 💪 You can report any suspected illegal fishing activity on 0800 4 POACHER (0800 47 62 24) or email us at poacher@mpi.govt.nz

New Zealand Food Safety is supporting My Food Bag in its recalling of My Food Bag All the Flavour brand Dukkah, due to the presence of an undeclared allergen (peanut). My Food Bag All The Flavour Dukkah with a Best Before date of 01/11/2024, 21/11/2024, 17/12/2024 and 10/01/2025 are affected by this recall. The affected product was delivered through My Food Bag across New Zealand. For full details, see here 👇 https://bit.ly/3YB95nk

Detector dog team Hunter and Nicky are formidable, and Hunter’s latest find did not disappoint. During a shift at Auckland International Airport recently, Hunter indicated on a passenger's handbag, who was on their way home in New Plymouth, from Singapore. Nicky inspected the handbag and found a live plant cutting. A more thorough inspection led to the uncovering of fresh ginger and many small envelopes containing different types of seeds 🌱 The passenger claimed they didn’t realise that the cuttings and seeds were a biosecurity risk. They had intended to plant them in their garden and distribute them to the community, “as you can’t get these plants here”. The passenger was issued with an infringement notice and educated on biosecurity risks. What an excellent day at the office, team. Keep it up 🙌

Tomorrow is NZ ShakeOut Day and on behalf of your pets, have you included them in your emergency plans? 🐶🐱 There are lots of things you can do to ensure the welfare of your animals in an emergency. A good place to start is putting together an emergency survival kit and a ‘grab bag’ if you need to evacuate. Your at-home emergency survival kit should contain enough supplies to last at least three days, whilst your ‘grab bag’ is more portable and easier to grab in a hurry. Here are some essentials to keep in your ‘grab bag’: 💧 Food and water 🍽️ Bowl ⚕️ Basic first aid kit 🧸 Carrier and blanket/bedding 🐱 Photograph 💉 Veterinary records/medication 🐕 Lead/muzzle for dogs Being prepared can help save lives, and your animals can’t prepare for themselves. Check out our website for more info: https://bit.ly/3BVdmJE