Many many mangos ….. It’s common for airport-based biosecurity officers to seize mangos from international passengers, but not 5kg’s worth!

That’s what happened in late May at Christchurch Airport when a woman arriving from Singapore presented officers with a large box full of the exotic fruit. As the traveller had no official import documents, the ripe mangos (ideal for fruit flies) were seized. After being checked for larvae and other signs of fruit fly, the fruit was disposed of as quarantine waste.

Fruit flies are the kiwifruit industry’s most unwanted biosecurity threat, and any incursion could severely impact where we sell our fruit. Read more about exotic fruit flies and the potential financial impact of an incursion on the KVH website here.