APHIS Removes the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata) Quarantine Area in Devore, San Bernardino County, California

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2020-14

07/14/2020

 

 

 Subject:           APHIS Removes the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata) Quarantine Area in Devore, San Bernardino County, California

 

To:                   State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

 

Effective June 27, 2020, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) removed the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) quarantine area in Devore, San Bernardino County, California.

 

On October 15, 2019, APHIS and CDFA established a Medfly quarantine in Devore, San Bernardino County, California, and restricted interstate movement of regulated articles from this area to prevent the spread of Medfly to non-infested areas of the United States. This action was necessary after CDFA confirmed the initial detection of two adult Medflies in Devore, on October 8, 2019. CDFA detected a total of 8 adult medflies and 71 larvae between October 2 and October 25, 2019. Since that time, APHIS has worked cooperatively with CDFA and the San Bernardino County Agricultural Commissioner’s office to eradicate the transient Medfly population through various control actions per program protocols. APHIS removed the quarantine area after three Medfly life-cycles elapsed with negative detections in this area. The following website contains a description of all the current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas:

 

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

 

For additional information on the Medfly quarantine area, please contact Fruit Fly National Policy Manager, Richard Johnson, at 301-851-2109.

 

/s/

Osama El-Lissy

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine