WHILE COVID-19 has understandably dominated the news for the past year, it's not the only concerning outbreak we've been battling here in SA.
Much like the coronavirus pandemic, I imagine that slowing the spread of fruit fly has been made more challenging by those who are ambivalent about the importance of adhering to important restrictions, or those who fiercely believe that the government has no right to dictate what they can and cannot do in their everyday lives.
As someone who grew up around agriculture and visited Vic reasonably often in my childhood for sport or to see family, I loved going through the checkpoint on the border, feeling proud that my family was doing its bit to help keep fruit fly out of SA.
While fruit fly outbreaks in Adelaide are not uncommon, they usually seem to be dealt with in a pretty short period of time.
But this time things feel very different. There are three separate outbreaks in the Riverland, our state's horticultural heartland, and both Qld fruit fly and Mediterranean fruit fly has been found in Adelaide, with as many as 310 suburbs affected.
Related reading: Fly fight proving fruitful
Further complicating the issue is the repeated discovery of Qfly larvae in interstate fruit at SA supermarkets. If there is a zero tolerance approach for individuals attempting to enter SA with a single bunch of grapes or a juicy peach, then the same zero tolerance approach must apply to those along the supply chain who have seemingly dropped the ball here.
While SA's biosecurity systems are impressive, the discovery of larvae in supermarkets provides an important wake-up call that no system is perfect.
SA is fortunate to be home to a sterile insect technology facility at Port Augusta. Nearly 200 million sterile flies have been released in Adelaide and the Riverland since April last year, according to Primary Industries Minister David Basham.
But, as Mr Basham notes, this technology is not a silver bullet, and the regulations of our export markets must be considered.
While it's pleasing to hear that progress is being made to stop the outbreaks, PIRSA's field staff face a huge task to inform residents, inspect trees and remove fruit.
While it must feel like looking for a needle in a haystack at times, I hope all involved appreciate the importance of their work to protect our valuable and vibrant horticulture sector.
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