Home News and Resources News Loss Prevention 14 Apr, 2023 Biosecurity - Insect Infestation on Ships Dean Crossley Head of Loss Prevention Asia The risk of introducing harmful pests and diseases is an inherent hazard in the global movement of goods.  Download PDF Insects are one of the major concerns for ships as they can cause significant damage to the cargo being transported, and a ship can face severe penalties and delays from the authorities for breaches of biosecurity protocols. In addition, introducing pests into new environments can have severe ecological and economic consequences. Therefore, implementing biosecurity protocols for ships to prevent insect infestation is essential to ensure the safe and efficient movement of goods across borders. Unfortunately, the Club has experienced numerous incidents where entered ships' have failed to comply with biosecurity protocols resulting in the local authorities finding invasive insect species onboard, such as the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys), Asian Long-Horned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), Khapra Beetle (Trogoderma granarium), Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), etc. Consequently, due to the importance for ships to avoid an insect infestation event, we will briefly discuss the measures and challenges in mitigating a breach of biosecurity protocols onboard and the actions to take when there has been a breach. Identifying the Risks: The first step in preventing an insect infestation on a ship is to identify the potential risks, which involves assessing the cargo that will be transported, the origin of the cargo, and the shipping route. Cargo that is being transported from areas known to have high levels of insect infestation should be subject to additional scrutiny. For example, cargo from tropical regions or countries with a history of insect infestation should be subject to strict biosecurity protocols. Similarly, packaging materials that are known to be at high risk of carrying pest