Queensland male partially shuts down fruit and vegetable movement in part of NZ

The Queensland fruit fly is a notifiable insect in NZ because it could seriously impact on the country’s horticultural industry. So finding just a single male Queensland fruit fly in a surveillance trap has caused the NZ Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to place controls on the movement of whole fresh fruit and some vegetables out of a specific area of Whangarei.

Whole fresh fruit and vegetables (except for leafy vegetables and root vegetables) cannot be moved outside of the Controlled Area which is in force for a 1.5 km circular area around the location of the find, taking in parts of Parihaka, Riverside and central Whangarei. (Detailed maps of the area, a full description of the boundaries and full information about the rules are at www.mpi.govt.nz.)

Within the wider Controlled Area there is a smaller central Zone A (which takes in a circle 200 m out from the initial find), and whole fruit and vegetables cannot be moved outside of this zone at all.  Key fruits, vegetables and plants of concern are: all citrus fruits, all stone-fruit, pears, apples, blackberry, boysenberry, grapes, feijoa, passionfruit, tomato, eggplant, capsicum, pumpkin, avocado, custard apple, quince, persimmon, loquat, olives, oleander, kumquat, crab-apple, cape gooseberry and guava.

Fruit and vegetables can continue to be transported from outside the Controlled Area into the Controlled Area.

“These legal controls are an important precaution while we investigate whether there are any further fruit flies present,” said Andrew Coleman, MPI deputy director general, compliance and response. “Should there be any as yet undetected flies out there, this will help prevent their spread out of the area.

“The Queensland fruit fly is an unwanted and notifiable insect that could have serious consequences for our horticultural industries. While we search for any further signs of the fruit fly in Whangarei, we need the support of local people.”

Residents have been asked to avoid composting any of the risk fruits and vegetables. For disposing of fruit and vegetable waste, they are encouraged to use a sink waste disposal unit if possible. MPI is providing special bins in the Controlled Area for the disposal of fruit and vegetable waste.

“We appreciate this will be inconvenient for the many people living in and around Parihaka, Riverside and parts of central Whangarei, but compliance with these restrictions is a critical precaution to protect our horticultural industries and home gardens,” Coleman said.

“It is likely the restrictions will be in place for at least a couple of weeks.”

MPI and its partners have deployed investigators in the affected area. They will be laying traps and checking fruit trees, vegetable gardens and rubbish bins for any signs of fruit flies.

“It is vital that we ascertain if the insect is a solitary find or if there is a wider population in Northland which will need to be treated,” Coleman said.

If further fruit flies are found, the Ministry said there will not be aerial spraying of insecticides as there are other more effective treatment methods available.