Fruit fly war: Permission granted to import live species

Live News Team Leader, NZ Herald·NZME.·

24 Feb, 2015 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Biosecurity response members check property's around Grey Lynn looking for more possible outbreaks of the Queensland fruit fly. Photo / Dean Purcell

As extermination drive continues in Grey Lynn, researchers plan to bring in sterile samples.

Researchers have been given permission to import live specimens of the pest the Ministry for Primary Industries is waging war against in Grey Lynn.

In December, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) approved an application by the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, a crown research institute, to import sterile male Queensland fruit flies for research.

A fifth Queensland fruit fly was yesterday found in the same area of Grey Lynn as four previous flies.

The institute intended to import the sterile male flies this year, a Plant and Food spokesman said.

"When we do, it will be in winter at a point when the flies wouldn't survive naturally."

The number of flies imported would be small - "in the tens" - and they would be kept in containment.

The EPA said yesterday that the pupae of the flies would be imported between April 1 and August 31, so there could be no link between them and the incursion in inner-Auckland Grey Lynn.

MPI said the flies found in Grey Lynn were fertile.

The application to the EPA included an investigation into the adequacy of Plant and Food's containment system. The investigation found it was highly improbable fruit flies would be able to escape.

Plant and Food chief scientist Dr Richard Newcomb said the institute was involved in collaborative research programmes on insect biosecurity in New Zealand and Australia.

"Some of this research includes specific projects on the monitoring and control of Queensland fruit fly."

MPI said it expected to find further flies close to the property in Grey Lynn where the initial discovery was made.

But the ministry remained confident it was an "isolated population" which would be eradicated.

Four male fruit flies have been caught in traps, and a single unmated female was found at a residential property on Friday. One pupa and 39 larvae have also been found.

MPI field work yesterday continued to focus on surveillance trapping and applying insecticide bait to fruiting trees and plants throughout the controlled area.

MPI said the bait application might look like spraying, as it was applied by operators using backpacks and spray-like wands.

But spraying of insecticide had been done only at properties where fruit flies or their larvae or pupae had been found.