Fruitfly response widens
A second male Queensland fruitfly has been discovered on Auckland’s North Shore, following the first discovery in Devonport on February 14.
The fly was found in Northcote and was collected from a trap on Wednesday.
An area of Northcote has been placed under a controlled area notice, restricting the movement of certain fruits and vegetables.
The biosecurity restriction extends from Northcote Point to Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, over to the suburb of Birkenhead.
A field crew has also begun work on the ground and a brochure with information about the fruitfly and controls were to go to homes in the area yesterday morning.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director-general Ray Smith said the discoveries did not mean New Zealand had an out- break of the fruitfly.
‘‘We are totally focused on finding out if there is an incursion of the Queensland fruitfly in these areas.
‘‘At the moment, these are two single males found quite some distance apart, and there’s no evidence of a breeding population.
‘‘We have an absolute commitment to tracking down these unwanted pests and ensuring New Zealand is free of harmful fruitfly.’’
Smith said an independent assurance review of the country’s air and cruise passenger pathways had been commissioned which would get under way next week.
The review would be carried out by Rob Delane, a former deputy secretary of the department of agriculture and fisheries in Australia and a former director-general of the department of agriculture and food, Western Australia.
‘‘Biosecurity New Zealand deals with dynamic challenges.
‘‘Changing trade and traveller
‘‘At the moment, ... there’s no evidence ofa breeding population.’’ Ministry for Primary Industries directorgeneral Ray Smith
patterns, climate change and emerging technologies mean we have to continually evolve our biosecurity system.
‘‘Advice from the independent assurance review will be invaluable,’’ Smith said.
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor said surveillance activity would be stepped up following the fresh discovery.
O’Connor said hundreds of fruitfly traps would be checked daily.
‘‘I have asked Biosecurity New Zealand to check the hundreds of traps within the North Shore area of Auckland by the weekend instead of the internationally accepted practice of once a fortnight, then to expedite a check of all 2000 Queensland fruitfly traps across Auckland,’’ he said.
‘‘We need to know what we are dealing with as the response ramps up at pace to ensure the fruitfly doesn’t establish here.’’
As a precautionary measure, restrictions had been put in place on the movement of fruit and vegetables out of the area.
Two zones – A and B were established.
Yesterday, a field crew continued to work in Devonport, where no further fruitflies have been found.
Biosecurity New Zealand is also continuing a large field operation in the Auckland suburb of O¯ tara following the discovery of a second type of fruitfly.
The single male facialis was found and formally identified on Monday, Biosecurity New Zealand said.
A restriction zone, within 200 metres of the initial discovery, was immediately in force.
A 1.5 kilometre restriction zone would follow.
The Queensland fruitfly has been detected before in the upper North Island. Of these detections, only one – in Auckland in 2015 – turned out to be a part of a wider breeding population and this was successfully eradicated.