Fruit fly outbreak declared at Daw Park
Wednesday 30 January 2008
Primary Industries and Resources SA (PIRSA) today declared a fruit fly outbreak at Daw Park in Adelaide.
The outbreak was confirmed following the detection of Queensland fruit fly larvae in home grown nectarines. A 1.5 kilometre quarantine area has been declared around the detection site.
PIRSA’s Manager Food and Plant Standards, Geoff Raven says it’s important that all people in this area do not remove fresh fruit, fruiting vegetables or garden waste from their properties until the completion of the eradication program.
The quarantine area takes in the suburbs of Daw Park, Colonel Light Gardens, Melrose Park, Clarence Gardens, Cumberland Park, Westbourne Park and Lower Mitcham.
“This is the second outbreak of fruit fly this season, with PIRSA half way through the eradication of another outbreak at Ceduna last month,” Mr Raven said.
“The news of a second outbreak this season is very disappointing and is likely to have been caused by someone bringing in infested fruit from the eastern states.
“This is the danger time for fruit fly outbreaks with travellers returning home from interstate summer holidays and home grown fruit continuing to ripen on trees across the State.
“If fruit fly becomes established in South Australia, this could jeopardise markets for our $480 million fresh fruit and vegetable industry.”
Mr Raven says a two-week program of organic bait spotting will be followed by the release into the area of sterile fruit flies.
“Residents and businesses within the quarantine area are being notified about the outbreak through a leaflet distribution and media advertisements,” Mr Raven said.
“The quarantine will be enforced until the completion of the eradication program which is anticipated to take about 12 weeks.
“Home grown fruit and fruiting vegetables can be removed from the quarantine area only if they have been cooked or processed. This includes tomatoes, capsicums, chillies, eggplant, stonefruits, pomefruits, citrus, loquats and table grapes.
“These are potential hosts for the pest and the movement of fruit and vegetables during the quarantine could start new outbreaks.”
Householders and property owners in the Daw Park quarantine zone are asked to provide access to their properties to PIRSA’s fruit fly eradication teams, to check their backyard fruit and vegetables and to report any maggots to the 24-hour Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010.
Commercial growers in a 15 kilometre zone around the outbreak will have to treat and arrange certification for fruit that is susceptible to fruit fly for interstate Victorian and Western Australian markets. This follows a recent change to the national code of practice for the management of Queensland fruit fly. Areas affected include Uraidla, Summertown, Norton Summit, Greenhill and Athelstone to the east and Longwood, Ironbank, Blackwood, Cherry Gardens and Clarendon to the south.
An 80km radius zone continues to apply for commercial host produce into Tasmania.
Information will be provided by PIRSA to key industry representatives and additional information will be available to affected growers via the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010.
