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Stink Bugs Prevent Thousands of Japanese Cars from Reaching New Zealand

When something is called a "stink bug," you just know it's best to hold your breath around it, though that's just a minor inconvenience compared to what the tiny creature might do if it got on New Zealand's shores.
Stink bug 1 photo
Photo: pixabay
Being situated on a remote island certainly has its perks if you want to keep things from reaching you, and when those "things" are a species of non-indigenous insects that could run havoc through local crops, you tend to be extra-cautious. Especially since New Zealand relies heavily on its agriculture.

You may remember the scandal involving Johhny Depp and his dogs as the American actor smuggled them into Australia, despite there being very strong rules against all animals - pets or otherwise - entering the country. It's not completely forbidden, but they do have to pass multiple checks and spend a very long time in quarantine before they're allowed free passage.

Well, if that's what a cute furry dog has to go through, imagine how welcome a relatively ugly insect that's also called a "stink bug" is. Exactly. And there's another aspect: they're not the kind to travel on their own. In fact, stink bugs are incredibly prolific, so it's very probable that there was more of them on the ship when it reached New Zealand then there were back in Japan.

Also aboard the ships were about 10,000 cars, both new and used, with 8,000 more waiting back in Japan to make the trip. But since the first batch, transported in three cargo ships, is being refused access to New Zealand ports, they will have to wait until the infestation is sorted out.

The situation may seem somewhat funny to us, but it definitely isn't for anyone working in the car selling segment in New Zealand. CNN reports lots of employees were forced to take holidays or have their hours cut-off, but if the situation continues, business owners might be forced to take even more radical actions, such as layoffs. Software engineers might lose their jobs because of bugs, but it's not all that common for car salespersons.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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