A biosecurity operation is under way and extra field teams are today in the suburb of Birkdale, on Auckland’s North Shore, after the discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly in a surveillance trap in a suburban backyard.
“This is the same species of fruit fly that we responded to in Papatoetoe recently,” says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.
“But it is too early to say whether the two finds are linked. Our lab will do further DNA analysis of the fly over the coming days.”
With this latest detection, Biosecurity New Zealand is moving quickly to look for any others and eradicate them.
“We will be ramping up trapping and inspection, with daily checks in a 200-metre zone from the original find and checks every three days in a second zone out to 1500m,” Mr Inglis says.
“The capture of a single male does not mean we have an outbreak. However, while we do our checks for any other fruit flies, we need community help to prevent any possible spread.
“As a precautionary measure, we’ll be putting legal restrictions in place on the movement of fruit and vegetables out of the area where the fruit fly was found.
“Instructions about these controls and the exact area affected will be issued tomorrow (Friday) once we have completed an initial investigation. In the meantime, we ask that people who live and work in the suburb not take any whole fresh fruit and vegetables out of your property.”
Mr Inglis says biosecurity staff will be out tomorrow providing people with information.
In addition to the field work, Biosecurity New Zealand is working closely with international trading partners and Government Industry Agreement (GIA) partners in the horticultural industry to minimise the risk to New Zealand growers and exporters.
There have been 13 incursions of different fruit fly in Auckland and Northland since 1996. All have been successfully eradicated thanks to the work of Biosecurity New Zealand, its horticulture partners, and local communities who have stepped up to help.
“Back in 2019, we responded to the detection of fruit flies in three separate suburbs over a period of several months, so this is not unusual,” Mr Inglis says.
“We traced and tracked in all three suburbs and continued until we were confident we had eliminated the pest.”
Mr Inglis says the latest find demonstrates the benefit and effectiveness of MPI’s lure-based fruit fly surveillance trapping network and the biosecurity system.
“Our trapping network involves nearly 8000 traps set nationwide, and these are checked regularly.
“By setting traps for these pest insects, we are able to find them early, know exactly where the problem is, and respond quickly and effectively.”
The fruit fly poses no human health risk, but there would be an economic cost to the horticulture industry if it were allowed to establish here.
The most likely way that fruit flies can arrive in New Zealand is on fresh fruit and vegetables.
Biosecurity New Zealand will provide a further update to media tomorrow afternoon.
The Oriental fruit fly is native to Asia but has now spread to many warmer countries, especially as the climate warms. Adult flies lay eggs into fruit. The young stages (maggots) feed inside the fruit, causing it to rot and become unmarketable.
The Oriental fruit fly maggots can feed on 300 different fruit and vegetables. The fly’s favourite hosts are apple, guava, mango, peach, and pear.
Source: Ministry for Primary Industries
