EDITION 36 | AUGUST 2022
Message from the Manager
The national Fruit Fly arena continues to be active with considerable progress in recent months against key priority areas supporting the delivery of the National Fruit Fly Strategy (2020-25) and the Council and fruity fly system more broadly.
Stuart Burgess
Manager, National Fruit Fly Council
NFFC Meeting #30
The 30th meeting of the National Fruit Fly Council (NFFC) was held on 15 July 2022.
Council members attended the meeting in Brisbane.
Welcome to
Chris O'Connor
Welcome to Chris O’Connor, who joined PHA in July as the Fruit Fly Engagement Coordinator.
With a strong background in horticulture, Chris has held commercial buying roles with major retailers, as well as roles with state and national peak industry bodies. He has solid experience in delivering extension programs in biosecurity and has supported the delivery of the nursery industry’s BioSecure HACCP program.
Hypothetical exploration a success
The National Fruit Fly Council (NFFC) recently hosted an exercise with a difference. Almost 90 stakeholders in Brisbane and Melbourne participated in an hypothetical exercise to explore potential trade disruptions if Australia’s fruit fly distribution were to change and what it would mean for industry.
Over $600 million in annual horticultural export trade relies on phytosanitary agreements with fruit fly sensitive countries that have been negotiated based on our current Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) and Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) east-west distribution. Changes, or suspected changes, to our fruit fly distribution could result in suspended trade and changes to market access criteria in both export and domestic markets.
15 Fruit fly system workshops held
Fruit fly poses a considerable threat to our horticultural trade affecting 99% of our total fruit production value, 59% of our fruit and vegetable production value and 42% of our total horticultural production value. For an industry worth more than $15 billion and growing, this is a significant issue with a substantial amount of dollars at stake.
How we respond to this threat is framed within the context of our fruit fly system. To build a shared understanding of the system and the effect of fruit fly on trade, a series of 15 tailored workshop sessions were recently held with key stakeholders across the country. Participants included trade organisations, horticultural industries, and government.
Improving national fruit fly management
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has recently commissioned several projects related to improving the management of fruit fly in Australia.
These projects are all operating concurrently and involve consultation with similar stakeholder groups, however they each have distinct scopes and objectives which complement each other.
Community engagement is key
Managing fruit fly is a complex process. On one hand are the often-immense technical aspects of understanding and controlling it. Conversely, there is a human element, which has been said to be more unpredictable and problematic than the pest to be managed.
With this in mind, it is important to consider the human aspects of fruit fly management, in particular how to amplify response messaging and how to foster positive behaviours on a broad scale.
The technique of area wide management places particular importance on the engagement of the community and the many components which make up the community and is one example of the tools and approaches being used in fruit fly management.
In science
Fruit fly larval survival in picked and unpicked tomato fruit of differing ripeness and associated gene expression patterns
Shirin Roohigohar, Anthony R. Clarke, Francesca Strutt, Chloé A. van der Burg &
Peter J. Prentis
Published 10 May 2022
Tephritid fruit flies have a large diversity of co-occurring RNA viruses
Stephen R.Sharpe, Jennifer L.Morrow, Laura E.Brettell, Deborah C.Shearman, Anthony Stuart Gilchrist, James M.Cook & Markus Riegler
Published Nov 2021
The use of host reproduction number and host suitability index to rank hosts of fruit flies in Africa
Bernard C. Dominiak
Published 3 May 2022
Electrophysiological and behavioural responses of sexually immature female Bactrocera tyoni to microbial volatiles from Enterobacteriaceae
Flore Mas, Lee-Anne Manning, Anaïs K. Tallon, Kirsty Boyd-Wilson & David M. Suckling
Published 2 May 2022
In the media
Fruit fly eradication efforts increase ahead of spring
Riverland fruit fly eradication efforts will reach new heights with more community and grower involvement than ever before to fight the pest as the weather warms up and flies re-emerge, threatening locally grown fruit.
Familiar weapon in fruit fly battle
STERILE fruit flies are again being deployed in the Riverland to combat ongoing outbreaks of the pest.
PIRSA began the release of Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) male fruit flies across the region, aimed at interrupting breeding of the pest before spring.
New Queensland fruit fly outbreak declared in Loxton North
A new Queensland fruit fly outbreak has been declared in Loxton North following the detection of fruit flies in monitoring traps.
Meeting with Biosecurity NZ to help further protect Tasmania
Other issues discussed in our comprehensive meeting included Fruit Fly, Blueberry Rust and National Animal Identification systems, and community and stakeholder engagement around the shared responsibility of biosecurity.
Fruit fly survey aims to explore local knowledge
Calling on home gardeners in the Goulburn Murray Valley to share what you know about Queensland fruit fly in a quick survey. If you live in the Campaspe, Greater Shepparton, Strathbogie, Moira or Berrigan Shire please complete the survey.
New heights in fruit fly battle
Traps will be installed throughout Riverland backyards and horticultural properties as efforts to combat the ongoing threat of fruit fly to locally grown produce “reach new heights”.
Fruit Fly ID
Breadfruit fruit fly (Bactrocera umbrosa)
The breadfruit fruit fly is one of the most distinctive of all Bactrocera spp. Its wing has three stripes across, in addition to the costal band and anal streak.
Its major commercial hosts include breadfruit and jackfruit.
Bactrocera umbrosa is widespread and very common in Malaysia, southern Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea (much less common in the Highlands), Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
