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Bioprospecting Discussion Paper

Bioprospecting is the examination of biological resources (for example, plants, animals, micro-organisms) for features that may be of value for commercial development. Bioprospecting focuses on the discovery and commercialisation of valuable biological features. It does not involve genetic modification, although this is one of many possible research and development techniques that could be applied to a bioprospecting discovery.

How much bioprospecting is currently occurring in NZ? There is a general lack of information on the bioprospecting sector – which is fairly small in NZ – making it hard to quantify the extent of current research, or the potential commercial value of our biological resources. There are, however, a number of bioprospecting projects currently being undertaken by the Crown Research Institutes, universities and private companies. For example: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) has a Marine Biotechnology Programme; Marine Chemistry Group at the University of Canterbury is involved in screening NZ marine flora, fauna and micro-organisms to identify species that contain bioactive components; Nature is a NZ company based in Kerikeri that produces natural skin and body care products with no synthetic chemicals, genetically modified or animal ingredients. The ingredients used in its products are essences extracted from over 80 unique medicinal plants; Research Limited is involved in screening marine species, waste streams from meat and milk processing and native terrestrial and marine plants for bioactive molecules (in collaboration with the Wellington School of Medicine) and functional food ingredients; Medicinal Herbs is a NZ company that manufactures and supplies liquid extracts and dried herbs to health practitioners and other herbal manufacturers. It also produces and sells the Kiwiherb product range to retailers. It has a range of more than 190 different liquid extracts and tinctures. Phytomed promotes the use of native NZ plants, and works with local iwi in the Ureweras and East Coast to ensure the harvest and use of native plants is sustainable and ethically sound.

The Government is taking an interest in bioprospecting because it has the potential to uncover highly valuable commercial discoveries. An improvement in the bioprospecting policy framework will, the Government says, increase NZ’s ability to take advantage of bioprospecting opportunities, while ensuring it happens in a way that gives the public confidence that the appropriate checks and balances are in place. The Government wants NZers to consider how best to gain benefit from bioprospecting and the use of our biological resources, consistent with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

The discussion paper asks whether NZ should promote the potential economic development opportunities and other benefits from bioprospecting. The paper covers the opportunities available, problems with the current system of regulations (the current framework is considered ad hoc and reliant on legislation designed for other purposes, there is no clear process to maximise possible benefits to NZ, or to address the concerns of Maori around bioprospecting), and the advantages of having a bioprospecting policy. It does not address issues associated with the collection and use of human tissues or genetic material.

Work on a bioprospecting policy will not address the larger issues relating to ownership of NZ's indigenous flora and fauna, or the suitability of NZ's intellectual property system for the protection of indigenous knowledge. This is currently being reviewed by the Waitangi Tribunal in response to the Wai 262 claim, which asserts exclusive and comprehensive rights to flora, fauna and other taonga. The work on a bioprospecting policy will, however, examine how the current legal framework could better provide for sharing benefits with Maori and protecting the use of traditional knowledge. This may help the Government address the concerns raised in Wai 262.

The discussion document will be available at: www.med.govt.nz/ers/nat-res/bioprospecting

Contact for Enquiries

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington

Tel: 0800 00 83 33
Fax: +64 4 894 0720
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