Tasmania’s peak farming body has called on Biosecurity Tasmania to “reset” its response to fruit fly after two more suspected detections of the insect.
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Larvae suspected to be Queensland fruit fly was detected inside the eastern boundary of the Greater Devonport control area and an insect suspected to be an adult male fruit fly was caught in a trap near George Town.
Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association chief executive Peter Skillern said the new detections highlighted “the concerns that we have had around this fruit fly incursion”.
The association has called for tighter restrictions around Tasmanian entry points and the movement of fruit around the state.
These include:
- All major arterial roads in and out of the zone have manned checkpoints
- All roads in and out of the zone should be appropriately and visibly signed
- Demonstrable Biosecurity Tasmania presence within the control area
- Accelerated communications strategy for those within the zone and the broader Tasmanian community
- Disposal bins within, or at the boundary of, the zone be sealed one-way bins, not the current wheelie bins
- Any breach of the control area should be prosecuted accordingly
- Information centres be established within the control area to provide appropriate advice to the community and tourists arriving in Tasmania via the Port of Devonport.
“We will hold the government accountable for any failure to meet these standards,” Mr Skillern said.
“This is about protecting our valuable markets and demonstrating to them that, as a state, we are professional and serious about the eradication of this insidious pest,” he said.
FROM LOW RISK TO MANAGING INCURSION
Queensland fruit fly’s risk was deemed to be “low” by Tasmanian industry stakeholders in 2015.
A report covering the regional prioritisation of the National Fruit Fly Research, Development and Extension Plan, prepared by the Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre, showed a fruit fly incursion was considered “unlikely” in Tasmania.
Four stakeholders – Cherry Growers Australia, Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment department and Fruit Growers Tasmania – contributed to the plan via teleconference in August 2015.
Report author Jenni Metcalfe said “[c]ontrolling fruit flies is seen to be of medium to high RD&E priority for all jurisdictions except for Tasmania,” Ms Metcalfe said.
When it came to managing the risk of fruit flies, Tasmanian stakeholders were concerned about an incursion, especially from the spotted wing drosophila, but considered it “unlikely given Tasmania’s climate”.
“Tasmanian participants are most concerned about maintaining Tasmania’s fruit fly Pest Free Area status so they can retain their access to various markets,” Ms Metcalfe said.
Tasmanian participants considered the state was climatically different enough to need different protocols, which “appears to ignore the likelihood of ongoing climate change”.
Tasmanian Labor senator Anne Urquhart used this report in question time on Thursday to ask whether the state government’s “low priority” ranking for fruit fly impacted the federal allocation of biosecurity resources.
Primary Industries minister Jeremy Rockliff said Biosecurity Tasmania would be provided with all the resources required to eradicate the incursion.
“Protecting our state from fruit fly is always a high priority and in 2017 we released a long-term fruit fly free strategy developed with industry, to protect Tasmania’s brand and export markets,” he said.
A spokesperson for Agriculture and Water Resources minister David Littleproud said the federal government was working with the state government during this fruit fly incursion.
“The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is actively working with trading partners to minimise impacts on trade for Tasmanian fruit growers,” the spokesperson said.
“The Minister is aware that Tasmanian Biosecurity officers are working closely with growers and the general community with the objective of eradicating fruit fly to protect Tasmania’s pest free status.”