Fruit fly larva found at airport

Stephen Darling.
Stephen Darling.
A pest which has the potential to devastate New Zealand's horticulture and vegetable industry has been found in an undeclared mandarin at Dunedin International Airport.

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry biosecurity officials confirmed yesterday a maggot found in the mandarin was the Queensland fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni.

It is considered one of the world's worst economic pests as it makes fruit inedible and lowers production.

MAF Biosecurity New Zealand operations manager Kevin Kennet said the fruit fly could have a devastating impact on New Zealand's horticulture and vegetable industry.

"In Australia, it is considered to be the country's most serious insect pest of fruit and vegetable crops.''

An Australian passenger forgot to declare the mandarin when she arrived from Sydney on April 14. A quarantine official found the fruit in the passenger's hand luggage during an inspection and she was fined $200.

There were eight cases of fruit fly being intercepted at New Zealand borders last year. Pipfruit New Zealand director Stephen Darling, of Ettrick, said the interception proved there was a very real danger to New Zealand's fruit industry from overseas pests.

Establishment of the fruit fly would be a "disastrous blow'' to summerfruit export growers in Otago, he said.

The Australian fruit industry was in talks with the New Zealand Government over sending summerfruit here, but this incident proved the danger to this country's industry from the fruit fly was a very real one, he said.

"We cannot allow any possible risk of the pests coming across here.''

Summerfruit New Zealand executive member Gary Bennetts, of Roxburgh, said any arrival of fruit fly would decimate the export markets Otago growers relied upon.

"It would be catastrophic if it got in here.''

The fruit fly was found in Queensland, New South Wales and parts of Victoria, as well as in New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Pitcairn Island.

It destroys the fruit by laying eggs just below the surface. The larvae then feed on the flesh. Up to 70 fruit flies have been reported as developing from a single fruit.

More than 100 species of fruits and vegetables had been recorded as hosting the fruit fly, including plums, pears, nectarines, apricots and tomatoes.

Mr Kennet said this case highlighted how important it was for international passengers to declare or dispose of food items before they crossed borders.

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