Country: United States

Title: Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean Fruit Fly) - Removal of Quarantine Area in the Cabo Rojo Area of Puerto Rico

Contact:
John Stewart, National Fruit Fly Policy Manager, at 919-855-7426

Report:

Effective June 29, 2015, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has removed the Cabo Rojo area of Puerto Rico from the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) quarantine area. As a result, Puerto Rico does not have any medfly quarantines.

On May 13, 2015, APHIS implemented the medfly quarantine in the area of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. The quarantine restricted the interstate movement of regulated articles from that area to prevent the spread of the medfly to noninfested areas of the United States. Since then, APHIS has cooperated with the Puerto Rican Department of Agriculture (PRDA) to eradicate the transient medfly population through various control actions, including high density trapping, fruit removal, control measures, regulatory quarantine measures, and foliar bait sprays near the detection sites.

Eradication was concluded after three lifecycles passed without finding additional Mediterranean fruit flies in this area. Accordingly, APHIS removed the interstate medfly quarantine in Cabo Rojo on June 29, 2015. This removal of the quarantine area is reflected on the following designated website, which contains a description of all the current federal fruit fly quarantine areas:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/fruit_flies/index.shtml

Under IPPC Standards, Ceratitis capitata is considered to be a pest that is absent: eradicated from Puerto Rico.

Posted Date: Aug. 21, 2015, 9 a.m.