One fruit fly costs about $1m

The Minister of Biosecurity has put the cost of a single fruit fly at ‘‘about $1 million’’, and says it could be weeks before the saga wraps up.

On February 14, Devonport on Auckland’s North Shore was put into a fruit and vegetable lockdown after the discovery of a male Queensland fruit fly. Since then, the Ministry for Primary Industries has allocated 60 staff, up from the original 55 , to search and set traps.

MP Damien O’Connor said it was important they took as many precautions as possible. ‘‘We need to be able to reassure our trading partners we don’t have fruit flies here in New Zealand,’’ he said. ‘‘We’ll be on the ground for weeks here until we can confidently establish we don’t have any more.’’

There had been no impact exports at this point, he said.

Biosecurity New Zealand has set up

on

any legal controls over the movement of fruit and vegetables in and out of the area, with the tightest restrictions (Zone A) centred around one intersection.

MPI Response Spokesperson Dr Catherine Duthie said they are confident that the zones are placed to control the issue.

‘‘[The plan] sets up specifications for the detection of a Queensland fruit fly on appropriate distances for setting traps and administering controls. This is designed to prevent any spread of fruit fly, should there be an incursion in the area.’’

She said locals in the zone had been very helpful with the procedure.

The traps use pheromones to attract male fruit flies, who then enter a small plastic container and are killed by insecticide.

The traps being set are part of a network of 7600 traps across the country, which use pheromones to lure the flies in. Traps are predominantly situated around entry locations to the country such as airports and ports.