Systems Approaches for Managing the Phytosanitary Risk of Trading in Commodities that are Hosts of Fruit Flies

Abstract

Phytosanitary restrictions on horticultural commodities destined for domestic and foreign markets can present problems when unwanted invasive pest species are present in the exporter’s crop or consignment. Conventional quarantine treatments are under increased scrutiny as they can contribute to ozone depletion (e.g. use of the fumigant methyl bromide) and may reduce the shelf-life of treated commodities (e.g. heat and cold treatments). Thus, alternative strategies are needed to deal with current and new invasive pests to meet the needs of a changing regulatory environment and changing phytosanitary issues. One such approach is called the ‘systems approach’ which considers the entire production to export system when determining and mitigating risk of invasive pests in export consignments. Systems approaches identify biological risk first and then attempts to mitigate that risk using two or more (independent) major components which are themselves made up of elements. In many cases severe quarantine treatments aimed at disinfestation of potentially infested products may not be needed; for example, when quarantine is imposed perhaps due to small populations and/or poor host plant status of the imported crops. At stake are crops that are currently moved interstate as well as internationally from fruit fly free areas that are at risk if the fruit fly free status is lost and quarantines are established. Herein we discuss the general concept of systems approaches, provide information on the regulatory basis for international phytosanitary agreements related to trade involving invasive pests such as fruit flies, and provide examples of systems approaches in use against quarantine fruit flies.