Still no sign of further fruit flies

NZ Newswire May 18, 2012, 8:43 pm
Still no sign of further fruit flies

Biosecurity officials say there's still no sign of any more Queensland fruit flies, more than a week after finding one in suburban Auckland.

A male Queensland fruit fly - a species that could decimate New Zealand's $6.5-billion horticulture industry - was found in a trap in the suburb of Avondale last Tuesday, sparking a massive response from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

The discovery prompted a massive biosecurity response, with more than 1000 pheromone traps laid and movement of fruit into and out of the Avondale-Mt Roskill area restricted.

The Ministry of Primary Industries said on Friday there had been no new detections of the fruit fly.

The ministry will review the controlled-area notice and restrictions next week but they will not be lifted until Saturday, May 26 at the earliest.

The fly lays eggs in more than 100 species of fruits and vegetables, which are destroyed by the larvae. If an invasion was confirmed, countries would likely ban produce imports from New Zealand.

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