Legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables are now in place in the Auckland suburb of Birkdale and nearby areas on the North Shore following the detection of a single male Oriental fruit fly.

The horticulture pest was found in one of Biosecurity New Zealand’s national surveillance traps which are placed in fruit trees in residential back yards. Other traps in the area checked in recent days have showed no signs of other flies and initial investigations have found no other signs to date.

Biosecurity New Zealand staff have been busy in the area today laying more traps and giving out information to households.

Around 100 additional traps which specifically target oriental fruit fly are being placed within a 1500m area of the original find.

You can find a detailed map of the controlled area and a full description of the boundaries and rules in place here.

The controlled area has two zones – A and B. Zone A is a 200m zone. Zone B covers a 1500m area.

No whole fresh fruit and vegetables, except for leafy vegetables and soil free root vegetables, can be moved outside Zone A. This applies to all produce, regardless of whether it was bought or grown.

All fruit and vegetables grown within Zone B cannot be moved out of the controlled area.

These legal controls are an important precaution. Should there be any more flies out there, this will help prevent their spread out of the area. It is likely the restrictions will be in place for at least two weeks.

KVH is working closely with Biosecurity New Zealand and other horticultural Government Industry Agreement (GIA) partners on these actions to minimise the risk to kiwifruit growers.

While it's disappointing to detect another Oriental fruit fly so soon after closing the previous response in Papatoetoe, the latest find highlights the value of trapping and surveillance efforts, which members of the kiwifruit growing community fully support.

• Biosecurity New Zealand website for detailed movement restriction information and fact sheets.

• KVH Oriental fruit fly fact sheet.

• KVH Oriental fruit fly identification guide.