Note: This Topic Has Not Yet Been Approved by the ICPM but Will Be Submitted to CPM-1

Spec-CC-2006/09

Note: This topic has not yet been approved by the ICPM but will be submitted to CPM-1 for consideration and possible inclusion in the IPPC standard setting work programme. In anticipation of this approval, this specification is sent out for country consultation in order to obtain country input so that work can begin in 2006.

Draft Specification

Title:Area-wide fruit fly suppression and eradication procedures.

Reason for the standard/support document:One of the tasks of the Technical Panel (TP) on pest free areas and systems approaches for fruit flies is to develop International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) on fruit fly pest free areas (FF-PFA), fruit fly areas of low pest prevalence (FF-ALPP), fruit fly free places of production (FFF-POP), fruit fly free production sites (FFF-PS) and fruit fly systems approaches (FF-SA). Fruit fly suppression and eradication is a critical element in the establishment, verification and maintenance of fruit fly free areas and low prevalence areas and its associated pest free places of production and pest free production sites. Thus a guideline containing fruit fly suppression and eradication procedures is required as a support document for these ISPMs.

Scope and purpose:This standard will provide specific guidance on the technical procedures required to effectively suppress and eradicate fruit fly populations.

Tasks:The expert working group (EWG) should:

1.Consider existing relevant ISPMs and ensure consistency with other ISPMs and draft ISPMs, in particular the draft ISPM on FF-PFA, and ISPMs under development, in particular FF-ALPP and FF-SA.

2.Consult all relevant technical and scientific literature and suppression and eradication procedures manuals available in the main operational programmes worldwide.

3.Draft a comprehensive suppression and eradication procedures guideline that includes the following aspects:

a) suppression and eradication objectives.

b) suppression and eradication applications.

c) materials and equipment available for suppression and eradication including biocontrol agents (parasites, predators sterile insects), baits, insecticides, pheromones, sprayers, vehicles, aircraft, etc.

d) description of area-wide suppression and eradication procedures including the following control methods:

- biological control including parasites, predators and sterile insect technique

- chemical control including ground and aerial insecticide-bait sprays, bait stations and male annihilation technique using pheromones

- mechanical control including orchard sanitation, elimination of host plants, fruit stripping, rough pruning before fructification period

- cultural control including use of perimeter trap-crops, tolerant varieties, replacement of host plants by non-host plants and specific harvest periods

- regulatory control including quarantine check points, movement of target fruit fly hosts into low prevalence and free areas and official documentation.

e) description of procedures for suppression of populations which have exceeded the set level of fruit fly low prevalence and eradication of outbreaks in fruit fly free areas (i.e. corrective action plan).

f) quality control of materials used for suppression and eradication and of operational procedures.

g) target fruit fly species addressed.

h) documentation, record keeping and data management including harmonized data collection sheets.

i) verification procedures

Provision of resources:Funding is provided by the regular programme of the IPPC Secretariat (FAO) except where expert participation is voluntarily funded by the expert’s government.

Steward:Odilson Ribeiro e Silva (Brazil).

Collaborator:To be determined.

Expertise:A group of 5-6 experts in fruit fly suppression and eradication techniques with experience in a number of fruit fly species of economic importance in several regions and having familiarity with ICPM standard setting procedures and relevant ISPMs.

Participants:To be determined.

Approval:Pending approval by CPM in 2006. Specification approved by the Standards Committee (via e-mail) in January 2006 for country consultation.

References:IPPC 1997; WTO-SPS Agreement; ISPMs No. 1, No. 3, No. 4, No. 8, No. 9, No. 10, No. 14, relevant draft ISPMS (FF-PFA) and ISPMs under development (FF-ALPP and FF-SA), FAO and IAEA Guideline on Packing, Shipping and Release of Sterile Flies, relevant scientific literature.