Disinfestation with methyl bromide for fruit fly host produce (Tasmania)
After the recent detection of fruit fly larvae in host produce at the Tasmanian border by biosecurity officers, Biosecurity Tasmania has made some amendments to Import Requirement 2 – Disinfestation with Methyl Bromide (IR2).
These amendments were developed in partnership with Agriculture Victoria with the same changes being introduced into the Victorian Interstate Certification Assurance arrangement ICA-04 Fumigation with Methyl Bromide operational protocol.
The amendments will take effect at 12:01am on Tuesday 10 March 2020. The amendments include:
- pre-treatment inspections of ‘high risk’ commodities: mangoes, stone fruit and chillies
- fumigation of high risk commodities in a separate fumigation chamber to any other fruit fly host produce
- administrative requirements to include the recording of fumigation chamber number against fumigated lots on certification.
Biosecurity Tasmania will only accept certification under ICA-04 protocols that align with the amended IR2 (effectively currently limited to Victorian accredited businesses).
Please note that the version of IR2 contained in the Plant Biosecurity Manual Tasmania (Edition 2020) PDF is therefore no longer valid as of 10 March 2020.
A copy of the amendment notice is available here.
Acknowledgement: reproduced from an announcement by Biosecurity Tasmania