A MEETING between representatives of the global container shipping industry and biosecurity sector has explored pest-resistant container designs.
Attendees at the recent International Symposium on Optimising Container Design to Mitigate Risks of Pest Contamination included representatives from major carriers, leasing companies, container manufacturers, biosecurity experts, and plant health stakeholders.
Hosted in Rotterdam, Netherlands, a primary focus of the symposium was on aiming to address the US$423 billion global challenge posed by invasive pests every year.
Mike Downes, senior technical expert at Bureau International des Containers (BIC) and chair of the Container Cleanliness Industry Advisory Group, said container design has historically focused on production efficiency and durability, but in global supply chain industry must also prioritise pest resistance.
“By rethinking container design, we can mitigate the risks of invasive species and safeguard biodiversity, forests, and global food supplies,” Mr. Downes said.
A key focus was a study by the Australian government that compared standard containers with modified designs.
The study revealed that while 8% of standard containers showed signs of pest contamination, the rate dropped to just 1.45% in modified units, demonstrating the potential of targeted design modifications.
Rama Karri, director at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), said, “Data from interceptions collected by several countries indicate that approximately 90 per cent of pest contamination found on the external surfaces of sea containers is linked to the understructures, while contamination on internal surfaces is primarily associated with the floorboards”.
The symposium reportedly looked at practical modifications such as floor designs that eliminate gaps and cracks and prevent nail holes; understructures with fewer horizontal ledge configurations; and the elimination of bitumastic under-coatings.
The design changes are aimed to make containers less hospitable to invasive pests without compromising functionality or cost-efficiency.
At the conference’s conclusion, a working group with representatives from the major container owners, operators, and manufacturers was established to move forward on the ideas that were introduced.
The group will reportedly present proposals for container design modifications to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)’s Sea Container Focus Group (SCFG), and ultimately to the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) that oversees the IPPC’s activities in regard to container cleanliness.
Lars Kjaer, senior vice president of the World Shipping Council commented, “This is a critical societal issue, and collaborative efforts like this symposium are helping broaden our industry’s recognition of the problem and strengthen its commitment to accelerate efforts to create a pest-resistant supply chain”.
The symposium was organised by the IPPC secretariat in partnership with the BIC, the Container Owners Association (COA), and the World Shipping Council.
