The discovery of solitary male Queensland fruit fly in the Grey Lynn area of Auckland has biosecurity authorities on high alert and prompted a lockdown on the movement of fruit and vegetables in the area.
The fly was found in a Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) surveillance trap on Monday night and 1.5 kilometer control zone has been established around the location. Fresh fruit and vegetables (except for leafy vegetables and root vegetables) cannot be moved outside of the Controlled Area.
Also know as Q’fly, the species can infest more than 100 kinds of fruit and vegetables and if a breeding population became established in New Zealand it could have significant impact on the horticultural industry.
More information is available in this MPI media release
According to the MPI, this is the fourth Queensland fruit fly that has been found in northern New Zealand since 2012. In all previous cases the solitary fly was the only detection and no breeding populations were found in the area.
The media has reported widely on the fruit fly discovery. Examples include:
3 News: Fruit fly found in Auckland
Radio New Zealand: Major biosecurity operation underway
3 News: Biosecurity measures attacked after fruit fly find
MSN News: PM defends border checks after fly found
Otago Daily Times: Fruit fly found in Auckland
The Aucklander: Fruit fly found in Grey Lynn: ban in place
New Zealand Herald: Ban in place after fruit fly found in Auckland
TVNZ News: Crucial day for fruit fly containment effort
Radio New Zealand: Tougher fruit fly checks possible