BMSB (brown marmorated stink bug) risk assessments

Last updated: 4 February 2021

How BMSB risk assessments are reflected in the app

Every vessel has a binary risk rating, which is an output of our BMSB (brown marmorated stink bug) 1 model. The model compares a vessel’s travel history with the BMSB Management measures as outlined in the Import Health Standard: Vehicles, Machinery and Parts 2 (IHS: VMP) in order to identify possible contamination. It’s worth noting that our model evaluates risk based on vessel pathways rather than freight.

The colour of the vessel on the map represents the binary risk of BMSB contamination, as defined by whether that vessel visited a BMSB risk country during the risk period.

BMSB risk A cargo vessel visited any risk country for any amount of time during the risk period.
No BMSB risk A cargo vessel did not visit a risk country during the risk period, and has no data gaps of >12 hours in the time since 1 September.
Unknown risk A cargo vessel did not visit a risk country during the risk period, but has at least one AIS data gap of >12 hours in the time since 1 September, during which time it could have loaded risk goods from a risk country.

BMSB information is updated daily at approximately 4pm NZDT.

How our BMSB model works

Starboard’s model that determines the risk of BMSB contamination of vessels closely follows the BSMB management measures outlined in the IHS: VMP.

As outlined in the standard, the BMSB risk season begins on 1 September. The measures apply to target vehicles, machinery, and parts (risk goods) exported on or after this date, and which will arrive in New Zealand before or on 30 April.

The BMSB management measures apply to risk goods originating from or passing through BMSB risk countries listed in Schedule 3 of the IHS: VMP. These 37 countries are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Schedule 3 risk countries

  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • Armenia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • Croatia
  • Czechia
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kosovo
  • Liechtenstein
  • Luxemburg
  • Moldova
  • Montenegro
  • Netherlands
  • Portugal
  • Republic of North Macedonia
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • USA (excludes Alaska and Hawaii)

While the BMSB management measures in the IHS: VMP apply at the freight level, our model evaluates risk at the vessel level. As a result of Starboard taking on this macro view, some criteria used to determine BMSB risk differ between the management standard and the Starboard risk model. These differences are shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Differences between management standard and Starboard risk model

Criteria IHS: VMP Schedule 3 BMSB Management Starboard risk model Further details
Goods type Vehicles, machinery, parts, and new tyres Any All cargo vessels, regardless of goods on board, are included in the risk analysis. All other vessel types are set to ‘no BMSB risk’.

See IHS: VMP Schedule 3 (1).

Goods origin Any risk country Any risk country with export pathways via a risk country. For risk countries without maritime ports, the maritime export pathway are generally still via high risk neighbouring ports, so anticipated deviations are minimal. The possible exception would be goods from Slovakia or Czechia exported via Poland, which would not be flagged for BMSB risk.

Additionally, any goods originating from a risk country but transhipped via a non-risk country, and subsequently loaded onto a vessel with no BSMB risk prior to arrival in NZ, would be missed.

See IHS: VMP Schedule 3 (1a).

Risk country 37 countries (see Table 1) 37 countries (see Table 1) See IHS: VMP Schedule 3 (1a).
Export / load date On or after 1 September On or after 1 September See IHS: VMP Schedule 3 (1a,b).
Duration of goods in transit or storage in a risk country before being loaded in that country > 5 days Any duration For cargo originating outside a risk country, but loaded from a risk country after less than 5 days in storage/transit, our model will still flag the vessel for BMSB risk, as it may have loaded other goods originating directly from the risk country.

See IHS: VMP Schedule 3 (1b).

Arrival date in NZ On or before 30 April On or before 30 April See IHS: VMP Schedule 3 (1c).

Classifications from the Starboard risk model are similar, but slightly more conservative than the IHS: VMP management standard. This is a consequence of analysing vessel movements rather than cargo manifests. The following pathways illustrate cases where more conservative classifications may occur.

Pathways which could result in incorrectly labelling a vessel as ‘BMSB risk’ in Starboard:

  • Vessels transporting non-risk goods (only) from a risk country.
  • Vessels transporting risk goods that spent less than 5 days in a risk country prior to being loaded.
  • Vessels that transported risk goods from a risk country during the risk season, but subsequently unloaded these goods prior to arrival in NZ.
  • Vessels arriving in NZ with risk goods on board, but only non-risk goods are unloaded.

Pathways which could result in incorrectly labelling a vessel as ‘no BMSB risk’ in Starboard:

  • Risk goods originating from a risk country, but loaded onto a vessel at a non-risk port. (If the vessel has visited any risk countries en route to New Zealand, it will be correctly flagged as having BMSB risk).
  • Risk goods originating from a risk country, but transshipped via a non-risk country, and subsequently loaded onto a vessel with no BMSB risk prior to arrival.

Furthermore, note that conditions which could exempt individual containers or freight from BMSB management measures do not exempt its host vessel from risk assessment in Starboard.

For example, BMSB management does not apply if risk goods are loaded into a fully enclosed container that is sealed before 1 September and then exported before 1 October of the same year. Furthermore, BMSB management does not apply to break bulk transshipped through a risk country if the duration in the risk country is less than 120 hours and if the goods are segregated from sources of possible BMSB contamination. Likewise, for risk goods in a fully enclosed container if the contents remain in the unopened container while in the risk country.

In each of these examples, we do not exempt vessels from risk assessment in Starboard, as they may also have loaded other goods which do not meet these conditions at the same time.

References

  1. Halyomorpha halys
  2. Ministry for Primary Industries. “Import Health Standard: Vehicles, Machinery and Parts.” https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/30224-Vehicles-Machinery-and-Parts-Import-Health-Standard. 31 August 2020. Accessed 3 February 2021.