RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SPS/W/52
4April 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-1237)
Original: Spanish Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
STATEMENT MADE BYCHILE ATTHE MEETING OF20-21 MARCH 1996
Chile: Declaration asaCountry FreeofFruit Fly
On13December 1995, Chile declared thatitwasacountry freeoffruitfly,fulfilling the
requirements forinternational recognition assuch.
InChile there isnofruitflyofthegenera Anastrepha, Bactrocera, Dacus andToxotrypana ,
andMediterranean fly,Ceratitis capitata (Wied.), wasfound inanisolated enclave inthefarnorth
ofthecountry (Arica-Azapa); theremainder ofChilean territory wasrecognized aspest-free inthis
regard.
Tomaintain andimprove thisfavourable phytosanitary situation, in1980theAgriculture and
Livestock Service (SAG) oftheChilean Ministry ofAgriculture devised the"Fruit FlySuppression
andEradication Project". Thechief objective oftheproject hasbeentokeepoutflieswhich affect
fruitofworldwide economic importance and,inaddition, toeradicate anyentry inthefreearea. In
thecaseofMediterranean fly,aprogramme tosuppress anderadicate thespecies wascarried outin
Arica, Region I.
Inkeeping withthefindings oftheSAG'songoing assessment inthese matters, theareafrom
theprovince ofIquique, Region I,tothesouth ofChile wasrecognized aspest-free, andthishashad
direct effects oninternational trade inChilean fresh fruit.
Now, oncompletion oftheprocess fordeclaring thatMediterranean flyhasbeeneradicated
from theprovince ofArica, thiszoneisincorporated intheinsect-free areaandChile hasbecome a
country freeofthismajor agricultural pest.
Mediterranean flywasfirstdetected inSouth America in1901. Itwasdetected forthefirst
timeinChile in1963, intheprovinces ofArica andIquique, Region I,andsincethattimetheMinistry
ofAgriculture hasworked steadily tocombat anderadicate it.
Duringthe32-yearunceasingcampaignagainstit,(1963-1995)Mediterraneanflyhasaccidentally
entered various districts between Region IandtheMetropolitan Region andinallinstances hasbeen
eradicated.
Inthisregard, itisimportant tohighlight some historical phases:
• 1963-1970. Verification oftheentry andestablishment oftheinsect invarious areas
ofRegions I,II,III,IVandVandtheMetropolitan Region, anditwaseradicated
inallcases, withtheexception ofdistricts inRegion I.
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• 1980. Formulation andimplementation oftheAgriculture andLivestock Service 's
"Fruit FlySuppression andEradication Project".
• 1980-1995. With theproject 'scoverage, action wastaken inplaces inwhich entry
oroccurrence oftheinsect wasdetected, withtwomain working plans:
(a) Eradication when theinsect entered oroccurred inthefreearea;
(b) suppression anderadication intheprovince ofArica, theonlyenclave where
theoccurrence wasfound.
• 1987-1995. TheSAGevaluated andapplied theSterile Insect Technique (SIT) asthe
tooltosuppress anderadicate thepestintheprovince ofArica. Sterile material was
firstimportedandthentheSterileInsectProductionCentrewasbuiltintheLlutaValley,
inRegion I.
• 1995. Mediterranean flywaseradicated intheprovince ofArica and,consequently,
Chile officially declares thatitisfreeofthispest.
AlltheSAG action tocombat Mediterranean flyhasledtothesuppression anderadication
oftheinsect intheprovince ofArica, sothatChile canbeinternationally recognized asapest-free
country inthisregard.
Inthisconnection, there areworldwide standards fordeclaring Mediterranean flyeradication
inaparticular area,andtheytakeaccount ofclimatic, phenological andbiological aspects oftheinsect,
aswellasthetheoretical duration ofdevelopment cycles.
Itshould benoted that,since May1995, thepesthasnotbeendetected atthemetamorphosis
stage intheprovince ofArica and,byearly December, thethree development cycles required for
recognition ofentire eradication from theareawere completed.