The discovery of Mediterranean fertile fruit flies in traps on the Palos Verde Peninsula threatens to engulf fruit importers at both Southern California ports in a proposed expanded quarantine area.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, after finding the newly trapped specimens last week, has asked the Office of Administrative Law to allow the agency to expand the current 13-mile fruit fly quarantine to more than 60 miles, which would easily cover the nearby ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Fruit importers using either port would be required to sign compliance agreements with state and federal officials before a shipment could be processed through port terminals.
A permanent infestation of the medflies, which threaten more than 250 kinds of fruits and vegetables, could result in an estimated $1.3 billion to $1.8 billion losses each year.
And while USDA officials were pursuing an expansion of the quarantine area, other agency staff is busy planning an eradication program for the area surrounding the trap locations where the new specimens were found. An organic pesticide will be applied on all trees with an eighth-mile radius from each trap where a specimen was found.
Rancho Palos Verde and Rolling Hills Estates, the location of traps in question, have already been releasing tens of thousands of sterile male medflies in the area to disrupt the insect's breeding cycle.
The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are major West Coast entry points for foreign grown produce and fruit. According to USDA officials, most Chilean-grown fruit imported into the U.S. comes through the two neighboring ports.
Another major import and export location for fruit is the Port of Hueneme, located northwest of Los Angeles in Ventura County. While Hueneme is within a 60-mile radius of Palos Verdes Peninsula, USDA officials were unable to say if the small port would be included in the proposed quarantine expansion. Hueneme is a major export location for Central Valley-grown produce and fruit, as well as a major import location for pineapple and bananas.
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