23 October 2020
Download
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
Online version
This Biosecurity Advice notifies stakeholders of the release of the Draft report for the review of biosecurity import requirements for fresh apple fruit from the Pacific Northwest states of the United States of America (PNW-USA).
This draft report proposes that the importation of commercially-produced fresh apple fruit to Australia from all areas of the PNW-USA be permitted, subject to a range of biosecurity requirements.
The draft report is being issued for an extended 90 calendar day public consultation period from the standard 60 days, due to the Christmas/New Year holiday period.
Stakeholders are invited to have their say on the draft report by 21 January 2021. The department will consider all stakeholder comments received during the consultation period in preparing a final report.
The department announced the commencement of this risk analysis on 1 November 2018, via Biosecurity Advice 2018-29, advising it would be progressed as a review of biosecurity import requirements.
The draft report identifies 24 pests associated with apples that require risk management measures to reduce the biosecurity risk to an acceptable level. These pests are:
- fruit fly: apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella)
- gall midge: apple leafcurling midge (Dasineura mali)
- mite: flat scarlet mite (Cenopalpus pulcher)
- thrips: eastern flower thrips (Frankliniella tritici) and western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis)
- mealybugs: apple mealybug (Phenacoccus aceris) and grape mealybug (Pseudococcus maritimus)
- leafroller moths: European leafroller (Archips rosana), fruit tree leafroller (Archips argyrospila), large fruit tree tortrix (Archips podana), oblique-banded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana), orange tortrix (Argyrotaenia franciscana) and Pandemis leafroller (Pandemis pyrusana)
- fruit moths: cherry fruitworm (Grapholita packardi), lesser appleworm (Grapholita prunivora) and codling moth (Cydia pomonella)
- bacterium: fire blight (Erwinia amylovora)
- fungi: apple blotch (Phyllosticta arbutifolia), European canker (Neonectria ditissima), Gymnosporangium rusts (Gymnosporangium clavipes, G. juniperi-virginianae and G. libocedri), speck rot (Phacidiopycnis washingtonensis) and Sphaeropsis rot (Sphaeropsis pyriputrescens).
Western flower thrips is identified as a regulated article because it is capable of harbouring and spreading emerging orthotospoviruses that are quarantine pests for Australia. Western flower thrips and codling moth have been identified as pests of regional biosecurity concern for the Northern Territory and Western Australia, respectively.
The draft report proposes risk management measures, combined with an operational system, to ensure biosecurity standards are met.
The proposed risk management measures will reduce the risks posed by the 24 identified quarantine pests, so as to achieve the appropriate level of protection for Australia. These measures are:
- Pre-export visual inspection and, if found, remedial action for mites, mealybugs and thrips.
- In-field controls, pre-export inspection with examination of cut fruit samples suspected to be infested and, if found, remedial action or an appropriate pre-export phytosanitary treatment (such as methyl bromide fumigation) approved by the department for leafroller moths.
- Area freedom (including pest free areas, pest free places of production or production sites) or an appropriate pre-export phytosanitary treatment approved by the department for apple maggot.
- Area freedom (including pest free areas, pest free places of production or production sites) or in-field controls, pre-export inspection, examination of cut fruit samples suspected to be infested and, if found, remedial action or an appropriate pre-export methyl bromide fumigation treatment for fruit moths.
- In-field controls and pre-export visual inspection and, if found, remedial action for apple leafcurling midge.
- In-field controls, fruit maturity testing, packing house sanitation and visual inspection for fire blight.
- In-field controls, packing house sanitation and visual inspection for European canker.
- Orchard control, surveillance and pre-export visual inspection for Gymnosporangium rusts.
- Systems approach and visual inspection (post-cold storage) for fungal pathogens such as Sphaeropsis rot, speck rot and apple blotch.
The draft report and information about the risk analysis process are available on the department’s website. Printed copies of the report are available on request.
The department invites stakeholders interested in receiving information and updates on biosecurity risk analyses to subscribe via the department’s online subscription service. By subscribing to Biosecurity Risk Analysis Plant, you will receive Biosecurity Advices and other notifications relating to plant biosecurity policy, including this risk analysis.
Dr Chris Parker
First Assistant Secretary
Biosecurity Plant Division
Telephone: 1800 900 090 (option 1, option 1)
Email Imports