Depar tment of Pr imar y Industr ies, Par ks, Water and EnvironmentBiosecur ity TasmaniaDepar tment of Pr imar y Industr ies, Par ks, Water and Environment

Maintaining Tasmania’s freedom from fruit fly

A strategy for the future

2017-2050

Tasmanian horticulture relies heavily on the state’s fruit fly pest free area (FF-PFA) status for Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni) and Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) for international exports.Our freedom from this pest underwrites access by Tasmanian growers to premium markets who value the Tasmania’s clean-green brand attributes; a key principle of Tasmania’s Agri-Food Plan.

Export of fruit fly host commodities for the 2015-16 season totalled more than $50 million. Most of this value ($36.6 million) was generated by exports to key fruit fly sensitive markets in Asia.

Tasmania has a very strong system for managing the risk which Queensland

fruit fly (Qfly) and Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) pose to our horticultural industries. We must ensure that these arrangements remain robust and effective for the foreseeable future.

The current technically sound biosecurity arrangements for mitigating risks of fruit fly entry into Tasmania are working. Under those arrangements, Tasmania has for several decades maintained its international status as an area free of Qfly and Medfly.

The arrangements stretch across the biosecurity continuum: pre-border, border and post-border:

• Pre-border activities include clearance checks of vehicles and goods in Melbourne at the time of embarkation on the TT-Line ferries for fruit fly host material. We stay alert to the pests’ spread on the mainland and have tough requirements on imports. All fruit fly host material must be free of fruit fly before it is shipped to Tasmania.

• At the border we maintain a highly

visible presence of uniformed officers and dog detector teams checking passenger arrivals at ports and airports. Behind the scenes officers with dogs and scanners check incoming parcels across a range of entry points. They also are embedded in commercial food distribution centres, sampling hundreds of consignments destined for supermarket shelves.

• Post-border, we maintain a network of about 1400 insect attractant laced traps across Tasmania. The traps are strictly monitored to detect any incursion of the pests at the earliest opportunity and to continually demonstrate Tasmania’s fruit fly freedom.

We will continue to maintain and enhance these protection arrangements across the biosecurity continuum. This includes the capacity to target 100% of incoming air passenger arrivals at major airports in the state for inspection by Detector Dog Teams.

GROW

PROTECTMAKE

Greater Sunraysia PFA

Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone

Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone Suspended

QFly Endemic

No Fruit Fly

Medfly

Tropic of Capricorn Tropic of Capricorn

NORTHERNTERRITORY

WESTERNAUSTRALIA

SOUTHAUSTRALIA

QUEENSLAND

NEW SOUTHWALES

VICTORIA

TASMANIA

LEGEND

Whilst Biosecurity Tasmania implements all these measures and more to protect against Qfly and Medfly, the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) is responsible for negotiation and maintenance of our Fruit Fly-Pest Free Area status with trading partners.

The risk of entry, establishment and spread of Qfly and Medfly is assessed as very low. However, should this occur the estimated economic consequences will be high.

It is also important to recognise that Tasmania’s risk profile is changing. These risks include: projected changes to climate, accompanied by changes to tourism and to export and import volumes. This long term strategy provides an overarching timeframe to assess risk areas in Tasmania’s fruit fly management strategy until the year 2050. It is prudent to implement a long-term strategy to ensure that we maintain Fruit Fly-Pest Free Area status and that Tasmanian fruit continues to have the recognised premium brand value sought by our export markets into the future.

We will conduct five-yearly tactical reviews and validations of the strategy. This iterative process will provide effective horizons for forward risk prediction, analysis and mitigation measures.

Stakeholder involvement It is recognised that continued system development should be informed by stakeholders who have a direct interest managing Tasmania’s fruit fly risk. It is vital that those who benefit from or manage fruit fly-free horticulture are consulted regularly and involved in the continuous development of our fruit fly systems. Simpler systems include accessible web-based lodgement of documentation.

We will continue direct engagement with stakeholders on both current conditions and proposed management and regulatory updates. By January 2019 we will have a web-based server for digital documentation.

Climate risks and opportunities

Though Australia is confronted with a changing climate, Tasmania’s fruit industry is in a key position to benefit from being a leader in climate-resilient horticulture.

Tasmania is uniquely placed within the export market due to our temperate climate: a cold winter followed by a long mild growing season. A major benefit is that particular pests have great difficulty establishing populations at low temperatures. Survival of fruit flies is based on temperature, moisture and suitable and timely host fruit availability. Temperature is the variable of most significance for Tasmania.

Modelling techniques establish that Tasmania’s temperature increase will be slower than that of mainland Australia. A strong biosecurity management plan coupled with a climate that will not be as affected by the onset of climate warming puts Tasmania in a position to be leaders in climate-resilient horticultural practices.

Based on available heat, at present, only a small window of opportunity exists for Qfly to complete its lifecycle stages in Tasmania. This is also true for Medfly but to a lesser extent given their threshold temperatures are slightly more suitable. Even if Fruit Fly successfully completes a lifecycle in that narrow window, the five month long cool period in Tasmania will ensure the population is transient at best.

Observational studies on the growth, flight, dispersal and longevity for Qfly and Medfly under Tasmanian-specific conditions will provide robust new data. These parameters will then be used for modelling using CLIMEX pest risk projection system under various warming scenarios: providing a scientific

Map based on Dominiak, 2017 - Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni Froggatt) in eastern Australia and effect on possible incursions of Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann): Development of Australia’s eastern trading block (in publication)

basis for long-term policy and decision-making.

By April 2020 we will conduct Qfly and Medfly Tasmanian specific temperature studies. By October 2020 we will have done Tasmanian specific CLIMEX modelling.

Alternative treatment to existing fumigation treatmentsWhere entry based on area freedoms is not available for interstate produce, methyl bromide is the predominant method of treatment of fruit fly host material imported into Tasmania. It is used to treat about two-thirds of all such inbound consignments. The eventual global phasing out of methyl bromide called for under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer requires that we identify and investigate a range of alternative methods of treatment, including irradiation. Phytosanitary irradiation (PI) is a leading alternative treatment to post harvest chemicals, hot and/or cold disinfestation and fumigation.

By December 2018 we will determine the suitability of alternative treatments to methyl bromide.

Pest free properties and placesAll of Tasmania is a pest free area for Qfly and Medfly. An emergent approach in some mainland growing areas where fruit fly exists involves pest-free places of production (PFPP) and pest free production sites (PFPS). PFPP and PFPS strategies include growing product in regions locally-free of the pests or in structures proofed against target species: e.g. protected environments such as greenhouses with double doors, air curtains etc. The benefit for Tasmania with acceptance and recognition of such an approach is that in the event of a State incursion, opportunities to continue exports based on such freedoms may be available.

By April 2022 we will assess the implications of PFPP and PFPS for Tasmanian import requirements and any benefits arising in relation to entry risk management and maintenance of export trade in Tasmania in the event an incursion into Tasmania.

A winter window?Temperatures in Tasmania for the five coldest months of the year prevent Qfly and Medfly reaching sexual maturity. This is an opportunity for a ‘winter window’ period to be negotiated with trading partners. This could reduce burden on industry to export produce reflecting the inability of the pest to endure here. Following a rigorous risk assessment process, such an arrangement may also be considered for importation of host material to Tasmania under ‘winter window’ arrangements reducing costs to both industry and the community. The ‘winter window’ relies on in-field control mechanisms rather than post-harvest treatment of the commodities.

By October 2019 we will have determined winter window options.

Sterile insect techniqueThe use of Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) to suppress or eradicate populations of Qfly and Medfly has been used to varying degrees within Australia over the past two decades. SIT is generally considered useful where ambient temperatures are sufficient to ensure good sterile Qfly (or Medfly) mobility. Projections are that this will not be the case with Tasmanian temperature gradients over the 33 year scope of this strategy. However, Tasmania has a clear interest in the adoption of effective strategies – including use of SIT where appropriate - to counter the spread or abundance of fruit fly in mainland states. Adoption of such technologies in fruit fly regions interstate has the potential to lower risk of fruit fly entry to Tasmania considerably.

By June 2018 we will examine opportunities for Tasmanian engagement with SIT on the mainland.

Strong partnershipsGood communication, strong partnerships and the accreditation of suitable industry protocols are key biosecurity principles and have served Tasmania well in recent years. The proposed single Biosecurity Bill offers a legislative basis to formalise partnerships and pathways for industry to take on formal roles in State-based biosecurity self-management. The export cherry sector in Tasmania is already ahead of the game with certified self-inspection of product bound for international markets by accredited exporters already occurring. The proposed Biosecurity Bill offers a robust framework for biosecurity schemes based on accreditation, auditing and shared responsibility.

Within 12 months of the commencement of a proposed Biosecurity Act we will expand the adoption of co-regulatory approaches with willing industry partners.

National Codes of Practice (COPs)Tasmania will review the relationship of the State’s fruit fly management arrangements to the national Codes of Practice for Qfly and Medfly. Tasmania has successfully maintained a State-wide Fruit Fly-Pest Free Area operating largely in accordance with the national COPs guidelines with some localised and export market supported variations. It is prudent to assess whether this framework remains suitable over the longer term. Options are to continue with existing arrangements, to align the Tasmanian approach even more closely to national COPs or to have a Tasmanian-specific annex to the national COPs.

By October 2020 we will determine the future relationship with the national COPs.

Cover photo: Queensland Fruit Fly - Bactrocera tryoni by James Niland. Back page photo: Cherries by Martin Schlecht, Dreamstime.com.

Maintaining Tasmania’s freedom from fruit flyStrategic actions 2018-2023

Qfly and Medfly Tasmanian specific temperature studiesby April 2020

New studies will include: • Growth and longevity response of Qfly and Medfly to non-lethal low temps between 2 – 10° C • Flight activity threshold temperatures of each species • Generation time and population distribution in a marginal environment for each species

Digital documentation web-server systemby January 2019

An effective digital system to handle import documentation will have flow on benefits for all stakeholders of Tasmania’s FF-PFA maintenance. Once implemented the digital system will be capable of automated checks, responses and alerts for consignors; and automated archival, data sharing and decision support for analysts.

Tasmania-specific CLIMEX modelby October 2020

Climate Futures Tasmania has generated local climate information for Tasmania at a scale and level of information not previously seen in Australia. The General Climate Impacts Technical Report (Grose et al. 2010) demonstrates the ability of the pest risk projection system CLIMEX to map fruit fly’s potential distribution once climate warming impacts Tasmania sufficiently. Data supplied by Action 1 (above) can be used to model appropriate parameters for both Qfly and Medfly within Tasmania. This will provide a scientific basis for long term policy and decision making.

Stakeholder engagementContinuous

The close involvement of key stakeholders is vital on both current conditions and proposed management and regulatory updates.

Consider PFPS and PFPPby April 2022

In consultation with the Commonwealth and trading partners, consider the implications of PFPS and PFPP for Tasmania, including as a measure to limit economic impact in the instance of a localised outbreak, most likely occurring in an urban environment.

Examine use of sterile insectsby June 2018

Examine opportunities to mitigate the risk of fruit fly through Tasmania’s engagement with the Sterile Insect Technique program on the mainland.

Investigate alternative treatments of host materialby December 2018

Tasmania is heavily reliant on methyl bromide fumigation as an import treatment method. The eventual global phasing out of methyl bromide called for under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer requires that we will identify and investigate a range of alternative methods of treatment, including phytosanitary irradiation. Stakeholder opinion and support will be identified during Action 4 (above).

Explore a ‘winter window’ arrangementby October 2019

The temperatures Tasmania experiences for 5 months of the year are unsuitable for Qfly and Medfly to develop. There is an opportunity for Tasmania to reduce export/import requirements during the cool season using the Australia - New Zealand winter window arrangement as a precedent. This systems approach is in alignment with international standards and, using the same scientific basis, has the potential to be expanded to include surveillance activities.

Strengthen partnership and co-regulatory arrangementsby first anniversary of a proposed Biosecurity Act

Co-regulation allows stakeholders within the biosecurity system to play a bigger role in formal management of biosecurity risks. A structured approach to joint responsibility drives efficiency and innovation in pest management, promotes adoption of new technologies and approaches and encourages the beneficiaries of pest mitigation to take ownership of pest management.

Examine Tasmanian relationship to national COPsby October 2020

In conjunction with the Commonwealth and other jurisdictions, consider the best relationship between Tasmanian fruit fly mitigation arrangements and the national COPs.

Commence the first five year review of the strategyby June 2023

This long-term strategy will be subject to five-yearly tactical reviews and re-validations. This iterative process provides effective horizons for forward risk prediction, analysis and mitigation measures.

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