Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
problem received national and international attention due to the large amounts
of money involved; California exports
>
US$1 billion of fruits and vegetables to
other countries and
≈
US$1 billion of produce is sold domestically and in neigh-
boring countries. Estimates of damage to California's economy due to direct
damage to agriculture and to related jobs are enormous (
Abate 1993, CDFA
2002, USDA 2002
). “If California fruits were quarantined from all foreign mar-
kets because of Medfly infestation, the state would suffer a loss of 35,000 jobs
and experience reductions in output of $3.6 billion
…
. The worst case would be
if all other states also embargo California fruits. This could result in
>
132,000
jobs lost, US$13.4 billion lost in economic activity and
>
$3.6 billion in lost
income to California families” (CDFA 2002).
Because southern California is a gateway to Latin America and Hawaii, where
Medfly is endemic, there is a constant risk of Medfly introductions. Medflies could
be transported by the millions of international travelers, commercial fruit smug-
glers, and mailed packages. For example, more than a million passengers enter the
Los Angeles airport annually from Hawaii, where Medfly is endemic; if only one
visitor in a thousand illegally transported infested fruit from Hawaii, there could
be 1000 opportunities annually to create an infestation in California (CDFA 2002).
The first Medfly infestation in California was detected in Los Angeles in 1975;
sterile Medfly releases and ground applications of malathion and bait were car-
ried out and the infestation soon was declared eradicated. In 1980, a total of
180 Medflies were found and eradicated. Few Medflies were found between
1982 and 1987 in California. However, the questions really began in the late
1980s because 43 were found in Los Angeles County in 1987. Eradication efforts
resulted in aerial sprays followed by the release of one million sterile Medflies
per square mile per week. In 1988, 54 Medflies were found in two locations
in Los Angeles County, which was treated with an aerial spray and releases of
1 million sterile Medflies per square mile per week. In 1989 and 1990, a total
of 304 Medflies were found, which resulted in an eradication program that
included 21 treatments in four counties covering 536 square miles. One wild
Medfly was found in 1991 and trapping located an additional 24 flies; eradica-
tion efforts included trapping, ground application of malathion and bait and
sterile Medfly releases over a 26-square mile area using 30 million sterile flies
per week between October 1991 and August 1992. During 1992 and 1993, 202
wild Medflies were found in the Los Angeles basin and eradication efforts used
trapping, ground applications of malathion and bait, and sterile releases. In
1993, 400 flies were found, leading to eradication efforts that included eight
aerial applications of malathion and bait plus mass trapping. During 1994, a
