A biosecurity operation is under way and extra field teams are today in the suburb of Birkdale, on Auckland’s North Shore, after the find of a single male Oriental fruit fly in a surveillance trap in a suburban backyard.

This is the same species of fruit fly that we responded to in Papatoetoe recently, but it is too early to say whether the two finds are linked. Further DNA analysis of the fly will take place over the coming days.

With this latest detection, activities are moving quickly to look for any other flies and eradicate them. Biosecurity New Zealand are ramping up trapping and inspection, with daily checks in a 200-metre zone from the original find and checks every three days in a second zone out to 1500m.

The capture of a single male does not mean we have a breeding population. However, while checks are underway for other fruit flies, the community is being asked to help prevent any possible spread. As a precautionary measure, legal restrictions will be put in place on the movement of fruit and vegetables out of the area where the fruit fly was found.

Instructions about these controls and the exact area affected will be issued tomorrow (Friday). Response staff will be out tomorrow providing people with information.

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.

There have been 13 incursions of different fruit fly in Auckland and Northland since 1996 and all have been successfully eradicated.

Read more about Oriental fruit flies here – including images. We will provide further updates and information as our response actions continue.