Doubts raised over fruit fly strategy
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A Western Australian fruit fly specialist has welcomed the Federal Government's efforts to fight the pest, but is unsure how effective the measures will be.
The Commonwealth has released a draft strategy designed to prevent fruit fly ruining fruit and vegetable crops.
It has also announced an initial $1 million grant to collect and analyse existing information about the insects before developing a management plan to combat them.
Former WA fruit grower and fruit fly specialist Yvonne Fahl says it will require a whole of industry effort to tackle the destructive pest.
"To develop and implement a national strategy will require an effort from everyone, but that alone won't control the fruit fly," she said.
"You can have all the manuals in the world, but unless individual farmers, people with backyard fruit, I mean who's going to enforce that?"
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