The first clearance of Zone A traps completed on Saturday evening detected no fruit fly after recent Queensland fruit fly finds in Whangarei.

Traps in Zone A are cleared daily and traps in Zone B are cleared and examined every three days.

Queensland fruit fly. Photo: file.

Fruit collected from properties near the fruit fly detection has been examined with no fruit fly detected.

A number of public submissions of suspect flies were examined, with no fruit fly detected.

As previously reported, there are restrictions on the movement of fruit and some vegetables out of a defined Controlled Area around where the single male Queensland fruit fly was found in Whangarei on April 1. The Controlled Area is a circular zone extending 1.5km from the location of the fly find in Parihaka and takes in areas of Parihaka, Riverside and central Whangarei.

Whole fruit and vegetables (except for leafy and root vegetables) cannot be moved out of the Controlled Area, although fruit and vegetables can be carried into the area.

The restrictions are an important precaution while MPI investigates whether any further flies are present. If there are undetected flies, the measures will help prevent their spread out of the area.

The Whangarei Countdown supermarket in Okara Drive and the Pak'nSave Supermarket in Walton St are not inside the Controlled Area and sales of fruit and vegetables continue as usual.

MPI asks that people who have bought fruit and vegetables outside the Controlled Area (for example in these supermarkets or the local farmers market), but need to travel through this area, ensure that the produce is in plastic bags for the journey.

Full information about the Controlled Area and the restrictions, including maps and full instructions is at: http://www.mpi.govt.nz – follow the fruit fly button.

MPI is now running an extensive response trapping network to lure any fruit flies that may be present. Gardens and rubbish bins in the affected area are being inspected for any signs of fruit flies.

The Controlled Area comprises two zones – Zone A extends 200m from the site of the detection and Zone B goes from that 200m boundary out to 1500m.

There are now 109 response traps in Zone A and 188 response traps in Zone B. The fruit fly was found in a surveillance trap that is part of MPI's national surveillance programme. There are 13 of these routine surveillance traps in the Controlled Area.

Traps from Zone A are being checked daily and traps from Zone B are being cleared every three days.

The next results of examinations of the Zone A traps will be available tomorrow morning Monday April 7.

Residents in the Controlled Area have been advised to dispose of all fruit and vegetable waste through in-sink waste disposal units (where they have them) or in bins provided by MPI. There are 205 of these MPI disposal bins in the Controlled Area. MPI is emptying the bins and safely disposing of the material.

MPI has field laboratory facilities in place examining fruit collected from gardens in the Controlled Area and also to identify any suspect insects collected. Again, no further fruit flies have been found.

In response to the recent Queensland fruit fly detections in Whangarei (in both January and this current April find), plus as part of routine adjustments to its operations, MPI has boosted biosecurity activities at key international airports, international mail centre and transitional facilities in Auckland and Whangarei.

Biosecurity quarantine inspectors have increased their questioning and risk assessment of passengers from risk areas (including Australia and French Polynesia) at all international airports. This will lead to an increase in passengers directed for inspection or x-ray screening, detector dogs are being used more, including on cruise ships arriving at Opua, Tauranga and Auckland.

There is also 100 percent dog coverage on high risk mail items at Auckland International Mail Centre the 18 Transitional Facilities in Auckland that currently receive fruit fly host material will be audited to check that they are running to requirements and to raise awareness of fruit fly.