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Leave Fruit Flies Behind

Travellers must not carry uncertified fruit fly host fruit from the declared Permanent Fruit Fly Zone (PFFZ) into fruit fly free zones elsewhere in the State.

By Department of Primary Industries - 14th April 2010 - Back to News

DPI Senior Plant Standards Officer Lavinia Zirnsak said the PFFZ starts at the Nicholson River and extends east to the New South Wales border.

"Queensland fruit fly is long-established in this zone and fruit grown there must not be moved out of the PFFZ unless certified by DPI to do so," Ms Zirnsak said.

Most fruits, including stone fruit, citrus, berries, avocadoes, tomatoes, capsicums and chillies, are hosts of Queensland fruit fly.

The area to the west of the Nicholson River is considered to be free of fruit fly. However, outbreaks have been recorded in the area recently (eg Sale and Bairnsdale), and 15-kilometre suspension zones are in place around the outbreak sites.

"Uncertified host fruit must not be taken out of these suspension zones and residents should remind visitors to the zones not to do so," Ms Zirnsak said.

Maps showing the suspension zones can be found with other fruit fly outbreak information on the DPI website at www.dpi.vic.gov.au/psb

"Penalties can be applied for any illegal movement of host fruit into or out of restricted areas," said Ms Zirnsak.

"It’s not worth risking a fine by carrying fruit and vegetables into a region where they are readily available anyway."

Ms Zirnsak said these strict control measures are required to protect the health of Victoria’s fruit industry and the cooperation of travellers makes all the difference to the success of these measures.

For more information, please contact the DPI Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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