Category: New Zealand Government – Business

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Significant work continues in the Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe, with no signs of any further Oriental fruit flies to date, says Mike Inglis, Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner north.

“We have placed more than 100 extra traps in the area, and checking of all of them has not found any signs of other fruit flies so far,” Mr Inglis says.

“Specialist staff in our mobile laboratory, which is set up at our response base in Auckland, have been hard at work examining fruit and vegetables collected from within Zones A and B. They’ve processed more than 100kg of fruit so far and we’ve found no larvae or eggs, which helps to provide assurance that we are not dealing with a breeding population.”

Mr Inglis thanked the community for its efforts and sector groups for their support.

“We’ve surveyed more than 500 local properties and the fruit grown on them, and we’ll continue to talk to residents, local businesses, and groups, including attending local markets over the weekend to provide information to people. The response from the community is greatly appreciated.

“We have more than 150 people working on the response and a good system in place for how to do things thanks to the 12 previous times we have found and successfully eradicated different fruit flies in New Zealand,” Mr Inglis says.

For more information on the fruit fly

For Media enquiries, call 029 894 0328

To report suspected finds of fruit fly, call MPI’s Pest and Diseases Hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

The biosecurity response to the find of a single male Oriental fruit fly in Papatoetoe is making good progress with extra traps in place, stepped up checks, legal controls introduced, special bins delivered for fruit and vegetable waste disposal, and a mobile lab in place, says Mike Inglis, Biosecurity New Zealand regional Commissioner North.

“Our team have been back out today as we continue to ramp up our response efforts to ensure there are no other fruit flies around,” says Mr Inglis.

“There were already 187 surveillance traps in the Papatoetoe/Mangere area, and by the end of today an extra 105 will be in place within a 1,500 metre area of the original find.

“While we look for more flies, yesterday, we introduced legal controls to restrict the movement of fruit and vegetables around the location where the Oriental fruit fly was found to stop the spread of any other Oriental fruit flies that may be out there.

“We’ve been delivering information to residential letterboxes about the two zones affected by restrictions and people can also find full information about what they need to do here:

Oriental fruit fly detection

“People will notice biosecurity signage up in the area and we delivered special disposal bins for fruit and vegetable waste this morning.”

Mr Inglis says instead of putting waste in rubbish bins to be disposed of normally, residents in the two zones are being asked to put fruit and vegetable waste into the special response bins for Biosecurity New Zealand to dispose of securely.

Every household in Zone A will have a fruit and vegetable disposal bin, and in Zone B, there will be about 34 bins placed around the edge of the zone, primarily on major transport routes and a further 75 placed within the Zone.

“The bins in Zone A will be cleared daily initially, then as required. There will be no need to put them out on the street as they will be serviced, rebagged and insecticide applied in bag and inside lid where they are currently placed. If residents have any issues with the bin or need them  clearing earlier, they can call us on 0800 80 99 66.

“I want to thank the local community for their positive response to our team so far. In the previous 12 occasions we’ve found fruit flies in New Zealand we’ve successfully eradicated them with the help of our horticulture sector partners and local communities, so it’s important everyone plays their part.  At present, the restrictions will be in place for a fortnight.”

Mr Inglis said a mobile laboratory to examine fruit and vegetables collected from around Papatoetoe for Oriental fruit fly larvae and eggs had been set up.

“The mobile lab work and checking of fruit helps to provide us with an extra layer of certainty that there are no other fruit flies out there,” Mr Inglis says.

To report suspected finds of fruit fly, call MPI’s Pest and Diseases Hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

We will send out a further update if we receive significant new information.

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Biosecurity New Zealand has now placed legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in Papatoetoe, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.

The move follows the detection of a single male Oriental fruit fly in a surveillance trap in the area. To date, no other flies have been found in surveillance traps.

“We need community help to make sure we successfully find and eradicate any further fruit flies that may be present in the area,” says Mr Inglis.

Biosecurity New Zealand staff are busy in the area today laying more traps and giving out information to households.

“There have been 12 previous fruit fly incursions in New Zealand, which we have successfully eradicated so we have a very strong and detailed operational plans to guide our work.”

“The rules now in place prohibit moving fruit and vegetables out of a specified controlled area around where the fruit fly was found.

“You can find a detailed map of the controlled area and a full description of the boundaries and rules in place here:

Controlled Area Notice (CAN) [PDF, 485 KB]

The controlled area has two zones – A and B. Zone A is a 200m zone, with a 198 properties. Zone B covers a 1500 metre area, with 5,470 properties.

Zone A

No whole fresh fruit and vegetables, except for leafy vegetables and soil free root vegetables, can be moved outside Zone A. This applies to all produce, regardless of whether it was bought or grown.

Zone B

All fruit and vegetables grown within Zone B cannot be moved out of the controlled area.

“These legal controls are an important precaution while we investigate whether there are any further fruit flies present in the area,” Mr Inglis says.

“Should there be any more flies out there, this will help prevent their spread out of the area.

“We are working closely with our Government Industry Agreement partners in the horticultural industry. We all appreciate this will be inconvenient for the many people living in and around the controlled area, but following these directions is a critical precaution to protect our horticultural industries, home gardens and our New Zealand way of life.

“It is likely the restrictions will be in place for at least two weeks.”

Signs will also be put in place notifying people of the restrictions and marking the controlled area boundaries.

To report suspected finds of fruit fly, call MPI’s Pest and Diseases Hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

Detail about the controlled area

Zone A

No fruit and vegetables (other than leafy or soil free root vegetables and cooked, processed, preserved, dried, frozen and canned fruit) can be moved from Zone A of the controlled area.

Compost and green waste from gardens also cannot be moved out of this zone.

Residents in Zone A are asked to avoid composting fruit and vegetables. To dispose of fruit and vegetable waste, use a sink waste disposal unit if available, or bins provided by Biosecurity New Zealand. These bins will be delivered shortly, and residents advised of their location.

Zone B

No fruit and vegetables grown in the Zone B can be moved out of the controlled area. You are free to move commercially purchased fruit and vegetables (e.g. fruit and vegetables brought at the supermarket) out of the area. Home grown produce waste and garden waste needs to be disposed of in Biosecurity New Zealand bins.

For more information on the fruit fly

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

A biosecurity operation is under way and extra field teams are today in Papatoetoe, Auckland, after the find of a single male Oriental fruit fly in a surveillance trap in a suburban backyard, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis. 

“Checks of the other 187 traps in the Papatoetoe/Mangere area did not find any fruit flies in them,” says Mr Inglis. “However, our previous experience with the successful eradication of several different types of fruit fly is that we might find other insects, so it is important we move quickly, look for any others and eradicate them. 

“We will be ramping up trapping and testing, with daily checks in a 200-metre zone from the original find and three daily testing in a second zone out to 1500m,” Mr Inglis says.

“There have been 12 incursions of different fruit fly in Auckland and Northland since 1996 and all have been successfully eradicated thanks to the work of Biosecurity New Zealand, our horticulture partners, and local communities who have stepped up to help.” 

Mr Inglis says the latest find demonstrates the benefit and effectiveness of MPI’s lure-based surveillance trapping network and the biosecurity system. 

“Our trapping network involves some 7,878 traps set nationwide, and these are checked regularly.  

“By setting traps for these pest insects, we are able to find them early, know exactly where the problem is, and respond quickly and effectively.”

Mr Inglis says the fruit fly poses no human health risk, but there would be an economic cost to the horticulture industry if it were allowed to establish here. 

“The capture of a single male does not mean we have an outbreak. However, while we do our checks for any other fruit flies, we need community help to prevent any possible spread.

“As a precautionary measure, we’ll be putting legal restrictions in place on the movement of fruit and vegetables out of the area where the fruit fly was found.

Map of affected area [PDF, 424 KB]

“Instructions about these controls and the exact area affected will be issued by midday Sunday once we have completed an initial investigation.  In the meantime, we ask that people who live and work in the suburb not take any whole fresh fruit and vegetables out of your property.”

Mr Inglis says biosecurity staff will be out tomorrow providing people with information.

“You may notice increased activity in the neighbourhood as we go about inspections and trapping. Our field officers may ask to look at fruit trees on your property. They will always show you a form of official identification and will only enter your property with your permission.”

In addition to the field work, Biosecurity New Zealand is working closely with international trading partners and Government Industry Agreement (GIA) partners in the horticultural industry to minimise the risk to New Zealand growers and exporters.

Mr Inglis says Biosecurity New Zealand has among the strictest controls in the world for the importation of fruit and checks at the border. The most likely way that fruit flies can arrive in New Zealand is on fresh fruit and vegetables.

For Media enquiries, call 029 894 0328

To report suspected finds of fruit fly, call MPI’s Pest and Diseases Hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

Background

The Oriental fruit fly is native to Asia but has now spread to many warmer countries, especially as the climate warms. Adult flies lay eggs into fruit. The young stages (maggots) feed inside the fruit, causing it to rot and become unmarketable.

The Oriental fruit fly maggots can feed on 300 different fruit and vegetables. The fly’s favourite hosts are apple, guava, mango, peach, and pear.

How to identify the fly

Adult flies:

• are a little larger than a housefly (6mm to 8mm long)
• have a dark “T” shaped marking on the abdomen (the part behind the waist)
• usually have a bright yellow and orange abdomen (but can vary)
• have clear wings.

The female fly has a pointed “sting” to lay eggs inside fruit (but she can’t sting or bite people). The male fruit fly is a similar size but is reddish-brown.

If you think you’ve found the fruit fly

For further information on the oriental fruit fly detection

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Farms linked to Mainland Poultry’s Hillgrove site, which tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H7N6) on 1 December 2024, have been confirmed as free of the virus after testing on thousands of samples at the end of the full incubation period for the disease, says the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). 

And there are no signs of the disease anywhere else, providing confidence that HPAI has been restricted to one property, MPI’s chief veterinary officer Mary van Andel says.

“On Sunday, we took about 4,300 samples from 36 flocks across 5 farms linked to Mainland’s Hillgrove layer property, where HPAI H7N6 was confirmed earlier this month, to coincide with the end of the full incubation period for the virus and none returned positive results.

“It is a significant number of tests and gives us confidence that this virus has been contained to just the one property and that we are on track to stamp out this disease.”

Dr van Andel says the Hillgrove site remains under a strict biosecurity lockdown as it undergoes cleaning and decontamination.

“The response effort will continue into the New Year with work to clean and decontaminate the Hillgrove site taking place over a number of weeks. It needs to be done carefully to ensure all traces of the virus have been removed.

“We will work with Mainland Poultry regarding an appropriate stand-down period for the property once decontamination is complete. MPI is working closely with the affected farmer on the matter of compensation.”

Dr van Andel says the clear incubation period testing will help ongoing discussions with trading partners regarding New Zealand poultry exports and highlights the benefit of responding quickly to the bird flu find alongside industry.

“I want to acknowledge Mainland Poultry for working closely with us to stamp this out.

“MPI has had more than 200 people working on this response and the quick work to depopulate the approximately 200,000 chickens at Hillgrove, was the right decision.

“In total we’ve carried out more than 5,600 tests on samples and bird flu has not been found anywhere other than Hillgrove.

“We’re in close contact with relevant trade partners and to date, we’ve reached agreement with Australia to continue the export of some poultry products, including chicken meat, dried pet food, and dog rolls that meet avian influenza heat treatment requirements, worth more than $50 million.

“It’s important to note that while there are common elements across markets, solutions are agreed with each country,” says Dr van Andel.

For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 008 333 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

Find out more about the strain of bird flu (H7N6) in Otago