31 March 2010
BIOSECURITY AUSTRALIA ADVICE 2010/09 COMMENCEMENT OF A PEST INITIATED PEST RISK ANALYSIS FOR DROSOPHILA SUZUKII (SPOTTED WING DROSOPHILA)
This Biosecurity Australia Advice announces the commencement of a pest initiated pest risk analysis (PRA) for Drosophila suzukii for all fresh fruit import pathways.
Biosecurity Australia will prepare a draft PRA report that will be circulated to stakeholders for comment.
The commencement of this analysis is in response to the recent reports of Drosophila suzukii affecting commercial crops in western North America. More recently, Drosophila suzukii has been confirmed present in Florida, USA, and in Italy.
Drosophila suzukii has been recorded from a large variety of plant species where the immature stages of the fly occur within host fruit. Unlike other drosophila species, this pest has been recorded to cause damage to commercial fruit before harvest, and may be on the pathway for traded host fruit. By late 2009, Drosophila suzukii had been confirmed to cause damage to fruit of caneberries (e.g. raspberries), cherries, stone fruit, strawberries and blueberries in North America. It has recently been confirmed to be affecting grapes in North America and is known to damage grapes in Japan.
To address the risk posed by high risk commercial fruit, Australia is introducing emergency measures to ensure Drosophila suzukii does not enter and establish in Australia through the trade in host commodities. Emergency measures will be implemented for high risk commercial fruit before the 2010 trade season commences.
Biosecurity Australia is also preparing a draft PRA report. The report will identify import pathways and propose management options to mitigate the risk associated with Drosophila suzukii in a range of commodities. Publication of the report will also fulfil Australia’s international obligations under the SPS Agreement following the introduction of emergency measures. All interested stakeholders will be able to comment and provide submissions on the draft report during a 60 day comment period.
Following the completion of the comment period, Biosecurity Australia will consider all comments and publish a final report.
Dr Colin J Grant
Chief Executive
Contact: Darryl Barbour
Telephone: +61 2 6272 3933
Facsimile: +61 2 6272 4333
Email: Plant Biosecurity