Fruit fly find fears

TASMANIAN growers are on high alert after a fruit fly discovery in Launceston.

The single male Queensland fruit fly was detected on Monday in one of about 1000 permanent traps checked weekly across the state.

The discovery has prompted Biosecurity Tasmania to remind the public to remain vigilant for the pest.

Biosecurity Tasmania chief plant health manager Andrew Bishop assured the public there was no indication of an incursion or outbreak.

But he said people should report anything suspicious to help protect the state’s $200 million fruit industry.

A FRUIT fly discovery in Launceston has prompted Biosecurity Tasmania to remind the public to remain vigilant.

The single male Queensland fruit fly was detected in one of the about 1000 permanent traps checked weekly across the state on Monday.

Biosecurity Tasmania chief plant health manager Andrew Bishop assured the public there was no indication of an incursion.

“The detection of a male Queensland fruit fly has occurred in the past, it does not constitute an outbreak requiring an incursion response and it will not impact on the state’s pest-free area status,” he said.

“Biosecurity Tasmania has responded to this single detection in accordance with Australia’s national management arrangements for fruit fly, which includes setting of supplementary traps and checking of fruit trees on other properties in the surrounding area.”

Mr Bishop reminded everyone to report anything suspicious.

“Given this detection, we are reminded that good biosecurity is a shared responsibility relying on the community, industry and government working together,” he said.

Fruit Growers Tasmania

CEO Peter Cornish said fumigation methods for fruit fly quarantine were not 100 per cent foolproof.

“This is a detection rather than an incursion, it happens from time to time,” he said.

“In a perfect world it would be great if there was nothing to detect, but a lot of work and effort has gone into putting systems in place to detect these things at different stages.”

The state’s fruit industry is worth about $200 million a year at the farm gate and its value increases when it is processed and sold as food products.

A fruit-fly outbreak in 2018 threatened Tasmania’s coveted pest-free status, which underpins the state’s valuable export markets.

Strict biosecurity restrictions in the North were lifted in January 2019. The control zones limited the movement of fresh fruit from some of Tasmania’s prime horticultural production areas.

A mature fruit fly is about 7mm long and is reddish brown with some yellow markings.

Fruit fly larvae look like blowfly maggots and are usually easy to see in the flesh of the fruit.

To report a sighting call Biosecurity Tasmania on 03 6165 3777.