Outbreaks explained

Check the outbreak map to see if you live or work in a fruit fly outbreak area, and ensure you understand the restrictions.

Declaring an outbreak

An outbreak area is named based on the location where the outbreak was detected.

Fruit fly are detected in traps or through the reporting of maggots in locally-grown fruit and vegetables. Individual detections do not necessarily mean there is a fruit fly outbreak.

A Queensland fruit fly outbreak is declared if one of these things happens:

• a gravid female is detected (gravid means carrying fully developed eggs)
• 5 male or non-gravid  female flies are trapped within 1 km in a 2-week period
• 1 or more maggots are detected in locally grown fruit.

A Mediterranean fly outbreak is declared if one of these things happens:

• a gravid female is detected
• 3 male or non-gravid female flies are trapped within 1 km in a 2-week period
• 1 or more maggots are detected in locally grown fruit.

If an outbreak is declared, 2 quarantine areas are established around the fruit fly discovery point.

• A red outbreak area focussing on eradication is established with a 1.5 km radius around the detection point.
• A yellow suspension area providing an additional safeguard is established:
  • 15 km radius around the detection point for Queensland fruit fly
  • 7.5 km radius around the detection point for Mediterranean fruit fly.

Outbreak restrictions

Restrictions are applied for red outbreak and yellow suspension areas. These apply to restricted fruit and vegetables.

In a red outbreak area, the following measures are used:

• installing additional fruit fly traps
• checking fruit and vegetables on properties for maggots
• removing fruit and vegetables
• treating soil under infested trees (maggots bury themselves in soil to develop into flies)
• applying bait to fruit trees, ornamental and native trees
• cleaning up fallen fruit
• releasing sterile flies.

If you are in a red outbreak area, you will be visited by Fruit Fly Officers.

Industry has to meet other requirements to facilitate trade:

• Restrictions for growers and producers selling restricted fruit and vegetables
• Storing, packing and transporting fruit and vegetables from fruit fly affected areas.

Outbreak end date

The anticipated outbreak end date is calculated using an agreed method under the National Fruit Fly Management Protocol. This Protocol defines how all Australian states and territories manage their response to declared fruit fly pests.

The outbreak end date is dependent on there being no fruit fly detections in red outbreak or yellow suspension areas for at least 12 weeks. It can be longer, depending the time of year and how temperature impacts the fruit fly life cycle.

Fruit fly eradication activities and restrictions on fruit movement in the Riverland will likely need to continue beyond the outbreak end date due to the complexity of the Riverland outbreaks, and to ensure area freedom requirements are met.

Area freedom

"Area freedom" is the term used when it can be scientifically shown that a specific pest is absent from a particular location. In recent years, area freedom was achieved for outbreaks in metropolitan Adelaide and Port Augusta.

Reinstatement of the PFA

South Australia's Riverland Pest Free Area (PFA) is a recognition by trading partners, both in Australia and overseas, that South Australia does not have a permanently established (also known as endemic) population of any pest species of fruit fly. This gives our growers valuable advantages and opens up market opportunities they may not otherwise have.

Where the Riverland is impacted by an outbreak, the PFA is temporarily suspended. Reinstatement of the PFA will occur when trading partners officially recognise that any fruit fly outbreaks have been eradicated. The reinstatement of the PFA will always come after the outbreak end date as markets consider the work that has been done and whether or not it satisfies their requirements for trade.

Restrictions when travelling

Separate to any fruit fly outbreaks, there are ongoing quarantine restrictions:

• Travelling with fruit and vegetables to South Australia from interstate
• Travelling with fruit and vegetables to the Riverland from within South Australia