APHIS Establishes an Oriental Fruit Fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) Quarantine in Santa Clara County, California

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2021-31
November 1, 2021

 

Subject:       APHIS Establishes an Oriental Fruit Fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) Quarantine in Santa Clara County, California

To:               State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

 Effective September 30, 2021, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) established an Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis or OFF) quarantine in the San Jose area of Santa Clara County, California. This action is in response to the confirmed detections of six adult male OFF from the San Jose area by CDFA between September 13 and September 24, all from traps in various types of fruit trees in residential areas. By October 4, CDFA confirmed the seventh male OFF in the vicinity of the earlier finds, which expanded the quarantine further.

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement or entry into foreign trade of regulated articles from the area to prevent the spread of OFF to non-infested areas of the United States. In cooperation with CDFA, APHIS is establishing a new quarantine area, which, with the October 4 expansion, encompasses approximately 115 square miles of Santa Clara County. There are only eight acres of commercial agriculture in the quarantine area. The commodities include eggplants, peppers, squash, and tomatoes. APHIS is working with CDFA and the Santa Clara County Agricultural Commission to respond to these detections following program survey and treatment protocols.

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

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

 For additional information on the Oriental fruit fly quarantine area, please contact Fruit Fly National Policy Manager, Richard Johnson, at (301) 851-2109 or richard.n.johnson@usda.gov.

 

/s/

Dr. Osama El-Lissy
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine