Removal of Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata) Quarantine Area in the Los Angeles area of Los Angeles County, California

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2014-48

October 28, 2014

 

Subject: Removal of Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis capitata) Quarantine Area in the Los Angeles area of Los Angeles County, California

 

To: State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

 

Effective August 28, 2014, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has removed the quarantine area for Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) in Los Angeles, California. As a result, there are no additional medfly quarantines in California.

 

To prevent the spread of medfly to noninfested areas of the United States, APHIS initiated a quarantine (DA-2014-24 dated March 12, 2014) that restricts the interstate movement of regulated articles from the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. APHIS, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Los Angeles County Agriculture Commissioner’s office used various control actions (high density trapping, fruit removal, control measures, regulatory quarantine measures, and foliar bait sprays near the detection sites) to eradicate the transient medfly population. Eradication concluded after three life cycles passed without finding additional medflies in this area. Accordingly, APHIS removed the interstate medfly quarantine in Los Angeles on August 28, 2014.

 

Information about the removal of this quarantine area and a description of all the current federal fruit fly quarantine areas may be found at:

 

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

 

For additional information on APHIS Fruit Fly Programs, you may call APHIS Exotic Fruit Fly Policy Manager John Stewart at 919-855-7426.

 

 

/s/

Osama El-Lissy

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine