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July 2011. Kiribati asked for assistance with the importation of cypress from Fiji (such plants belong to the family Cupressaceae, conifers of northern temperate regions). Information was required on pests and diseases or any potential risks associated with this introduction.
There were several kinds of response:
a) Some members (e.g., Ethiopia) were concerned with potential threats from the importantion, such as the cypress aphid, Cinara cupressivora, a devasting pest (see the discussion in “Cyprus lucitanica dieback” on this website, staging.pestnet.org/SummariesofMessages/Crops/Treespalmspandanus/Trees/CyprusdiebackStLucia.
b) Discuss the importation with biosecurity authorities to mitigate risks associated with the importation. An up-to-date pest and disease list from Fiji would be required for a proper IRA to be conducted by Kiribati authorities.
c) As an example of the way to proceed with the importation, it was suggested to look at the guidelines of the Australian Agricultural Inspection Service (ICON) to gain an appreciation of the various ways that cypress could be imported into Australia and the corresponding treatment requirements. These could be modified to suit Kiribati circumstances. See: www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_querycontent.asp.
d) Contact SPC (Secretariat for the Pacific Community) for help in identifying the risks and for suggestions on safe methods of plant movement. The movement of plants and plant
parts between island countries always has risks, and the movement of living plants is the riskiest of all. If seed is not available, then you need to move as few plants as possible and bulk up within country. The first plants should be free of soil and dipped in insecticide and fungicide to remove external pests before they are exported. If possible, the new plants should be grown in a fully screened house for some time after arrival so checks can be made for pests before the plants are planted in the open. All this suggests that you need to think very carefully before importing a new type of plant into an ecosystem as fragile as a coral atoll.
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