APHIS Expands Two Fruit Fly Quarantines in California

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2024-07
February 28, 2024

Subject:           APHIS Expands Two Fruit Fly Quarantines in California

To:                   State, Territory, and Tribal Agricultural Regulatory Officials

On December 22, 2023, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expanded the Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis; OFF) quarantine in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Furthermore, on December 27, 2023, and January 17, 2024, APHIS and CDFA expanded the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) quarantine in Los Angeles County.

The expansion of the OFF quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection of a male OFF on December 15, from a trap in a residential area of the city of San Bernardino. As a result of this detection, the Redlands area quarantine increased by one square mile to 554 square miles. APHIS and CDFA established the original OFF quarantine on September 27, as described in DA-2023-17, and expanded the quarantine on October 3 and 12, November 3, 9, 17, and 28, and again on December 5. There are approximately 6,500 acres of commercial agricultural production in the quarantine area.

The expansions of the Medfly quarantine are in response to the confirmed detections of seven wild adult flies between December 6 and 18, from traps in fruit trees in residential areas of the city of Los Angeles. As a result of these detections, on December 27, the Leimert Park area quarantine increased by 17 square miles to 158 square miles. On January 10, CDFA confirmed the detection of one female Medfly from a McPhail trap in a residential neighborhood, resulting in a one square mile expansion to 159 square miles, effective January 17. APHIS and CDFA established the original Medfly quarantine on October 18, as described in DA-2023-21, and expanded the quarantine on November 1, 7, and 15, and again on December 5. There is no commercial agriculture in the quarantine area.

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of OFF and Medfly to non-infested areas of the United States, as well as to prevent the entry of these fruit flies into foreign trade. APHIS is working with CDFA and the Agricultural Commissioners of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties to respond to these detections following program guidelines for survey, treatment, and regulatory actions.

The expansion of these quarantine areas is reflected on the APHIS fruit fly website, which contains a description of all current federal fruit fly quarantine areas. APHIS will publish a notice of these changes in the Federal Register.

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

 

/s/
Dr. Mark L Davidson
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine