New Oriental Fruit Fly Regulated Area Redland Florida

 

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2015-55

November 23, 2015

Subject: APHIS Establishes New Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF) Regulated Area in Redland, Miami-Dade County, Florida

To: State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

Effective August 28, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) established a new Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis or OFF) regulated area in the Redland area of Miami-Dade County, Florida. APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement or entry into foreign trade of regulated articles from this area. This OFF outbreak is considered to be transient, actionable, and under eradication.

On August 28, 2015, forty-five adult OFF males were confirmed in a detection trap in the Redland area of Miami-Dade County, Florida. As of November 10, a total of 157 adult OFFs and 1 larval detection site have been detected. These confirmed Oriental fruit flies triggered the establishment of the new OFF quarantine, which encompasses approximately 98.6 square miles of Miami-Dade County, Florida.

APHIS is working with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry (DPI), Dade County, and the agriculture industry to respond to these detections following the established eradication program survey, treatment, and regulatory protocols. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of OFF to non-infested areas of the United States.

The establishment of this regulated area is reflected on the following designated website, which contains a description of all the current federal fruit fly regulated areas:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/ff

For additional information on the OFF Eradication Program, you may call National Policy Manager John Stewart at 919-855-7426.

/s/

Osama El-Lissy

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine