Lookout for the Oriental fruit fly

A single male Oriental fruit fly found in a surveillance trap in Papatoetoe, Auckland has triggered a biosecurity response to prevent the pest from establishing itself in New Zealand.

The discovery, made in early January, has raised concerns for the horticulture industry due to the potential economic impact of an infestation.

The Oriental fruit fly, native to Asia, poses no human health risk but can damage up to 300 types of fruit and vegetables, making them unmarketable. The risk of the fly appearing is higher in backyard vegetable gardens, where pesticides and insecticide sprays are not commonly used, allowing the pest to thrive more easily.

In response to the find, Biosecurity New Zealand has placed legal restrictions on the movement of fruit and vegetables in the affected area to prevent the spread of the pest. The controlled zone covers 1,700 meters and totals 5,668 properties affected by the restrictions.

Rachel Lowe, a fourth-generation orchardist from Brightwater, says, “We are keeping an eye on further developments but so far MPI (Ministry of Primary Industries) and Biosecurity New Zealand have mobilized quickly to contain the threat under control, paired with a rigorous trapping regime it seems they have the situation fairly well in hand and the risk of spreading to our orchard in Brightwater is minimal at this stage.”

With 12 incursions of different fruit fly species in Auckland and Northland since 1996, all successfully eradicated, response organisations have developed robust, detailed operational plans to guide eradication efforts.

To date, no other flies have been found in surveillance traps in the area or from the 7,878 traps set nationwide.