Sonya Broughton
Border Control/Biosecurity
Key tools for managing fruit flies are pest free areas (PFA)
PFAs are recognised by various premium
markets:
• Tasmania
• Riverland in South Australia
• Western Australia free of native tropical
fruit flies (Qfly)
• Ord River Irrigation Area (free of Medfly)
• eastern states free of Medfly
• Ti Tree (NT) – Tennant Creek to Alice
Spring
• PFAs no longer exist in NSW and Vic• too expensive to maintain PFAs in NSW
and Vic
• 2010-2011 wettest two-year period
(record)
‒ >120 outbreaks, >27,000 Qfly in pest free
area
‒ Withdrew legislative support in 2013
(NSW, Victoria)
Higher than usual number of fruit fly
outbreaks
• Tasmania
• metropolitan Adelaide
• Western Australia (Qfly in Fremantle - one fly, Como – x flies)
• multiple and regular detections of fruit flies in the Riverland,
• high numbers of fruit flies detected in Sunraysia
Reasons
• inadequacies in managing fruit flies in endemic regions,
• lack of effective application of producer based measures e.g. orchard
hygiene, baiting,
• inconsistent treatment protocols across jurisdictions and inconsistencies
with internationally recognised protocols,
• lack of nationally agreed fruit fly management protocols, and associated
assurance and verification procedures along the supply chain,
• failure in treatments (e.g. fumigation) of some fruit fly host material
entering PFAs.
Review of methyl bromide fumigation –
SA/Tas (ICA-04)
• Treatment failure occurred between 10 and 15.9°C
• SA and WA revoked import conditions - QFF host produce must be treated at a pulp
temperature of not less than 16°C. QFF host produce treated at a pulp temperature of less
than 16oC will be rejected and directed for additional treatment or export out of the state
• Tas revoked import conditions – treated at a temperature of no less than 16°C.
Review of methyl bromide fumigation –
SA/Tas
Q. Can we again look at the fumigation process undertaken by the Department for fruit and
have the audit processes explained. We are concerned that there is a coincidence that
these outbreaks are so close to the location of where most of the fumigation of fruit and
vegetable takes place. We are currently fielding reports to us that fruit is unloaded in open air
prior to treatment.
• DPIRD does not undertake fumigation. This is carried out by a licenced contractor.
• Produce is inspected prior to fumigation for fruit fly larvae – if present, produce is subject to
destruction, re-export, fumigation and re-inspection
• Fumigation on arrival – Canningvale, Cockburn, Bibra Lake
• Highly unlikely that fruit fly is entering WA via fruit from eastern states.
• 17 fruit fly traps around Canningvale – 0 detections
• Detections are at single points over several areas
19 additional traps
Is there any consideration of changing the fumigation protocols from
post border to pre-border?
• No – it is up to the grower/exporter if they fumigate before or after shipment
• The quarantine risk from fruit fly is regarded to be the same whether it is fumigated before
or after arrival
It is the opinion of producers that if the correct levels of fumigation
chemical were being applied though-out the containers, it would
affect the shelf life of these products. This does not seem to be
evident in the market place.
• Fumigation can affect shelf life, but it this should not be evident in the market
place unless produce has been held for some time
We do recognise that one of the solutions would be to restrict trade, but we
are aware that this may compromise our existing trade to the East Coast.
• WA is a signatory to the Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity
(IGAB)
• WA (and Australia) must also comply with the WTO agreement – no
unnecessary barriers to trade
• Article 20 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) allows
governments to act on trade in order to protect human, animal or plant life or
health, provided they do not discriminate or use this as disguised protectionism.
• measures to protect plant biosecurity must be based on science and
least restrictive to trade, whilst achieving ALOP (Appropriate Level Of
Protection)
Low dose MB to China for nectarines
• work was funded by the Summerfruit levy (Hort Innovation)
• Summerfruit Aust. (SAL) didn’t request work on Medfly
• Victoria had lost area freedom so SAL was only interested in QFF.
• China accepted Medfly treatments in the USDA APHIS treatment manual.
Treatment for Medfly is T108-a For Apple, apricot, avocado cherry, grape,
kiwi, nectarines, peach, pear, plum, quince.
• Murdoch Uni has a project for cold and low dose MB including some
stonefruit/apples
• ask Hort Innovation what is the status of that research
Thank you
Visit dpird.wa.gov.au
Important disclaimer
The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional
Development and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of
negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it.
Copyright © Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 2018