New Zealand’s horticultural industry will welcome news no additional Queensland fruit flies have been discovered after a male of the species was detected in Auckland last week.
In a media release the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) announced today (Monday) testing on samples from traps in the area around where the detection was made have shown no sign of fruit fly.
However as a precautionary measure, the ministry will continue a large field effort to ensure if any more are present they are not able to spread from the Auckland suburb of Avondale where the fly was found last week.
Deputy director general of the MPI Andrew Coleman said control measures were likely to be in place for up to a fortnight while the ministry continues to check for the presence of any breeding population of the fruit fly.
'The traps that we have set are internationally recognised as the best way to locate any breeding population present, and if one is there, we will find it,' Coleman said.
The pest has the potential to seriously impact New Zealand’s multi-billion dollar horticultural industry.
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