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RMD-23-01: Expansion of the geographic boundaries of the areas of Canada regulated for European cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cerasi)

Effective date: June 1, 2023

Preface

As described by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) includes three stages: initiation, pest risk assessment and pest risk management.

Initiating the PRA process involves identifying pests and pathways of concern and defining the PRA area. Pest risk assessment provides the scientific basis for the overall management of risk. Pest risk management is the process of identifying, evaluating and selecting potential mitigation measures which may be applied to reduce the identified pest risk to acceptable levels.

This Risk Management Document (RMD) includes a summary of the findings of a pest risk assessment and records the pest risk management process for the identified issue. It is consistent with the principles, terminology and guidelines provided in the IPPC standards for pest risk analysis available at the International Plant Protection Convention website.

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Executive summary

Rhagoletis cerasi (Linnaeus), European cherry fruit fly is considered a primary pest of cherry production in Europe, and is a regulated pest in Canada and the United States (U.S.). The first sighting of R. cerasi in North America was in the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada in 2015. After confirming its presence by official survey in 2016, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulated the entire province of Ontario to prevent the spread of the pest and has continued to conduct surveillance on an annual basis.

During the summer of 2022, the CFIA confirmed the presence of R. cerasi at 2 sites in Montréal, Quebec. In both cases, adult flies were associated with either unmanaged Lonicera spp. or Prunus spp. plants growing in urban parks. This finding marked the first report of the pest in Canada outside of the regulated area. To prevent further spread to additional provinces, the regulated area of Canada must be expanded to include the province of Quebec, or a portion thereof.

To date, R. cerasi has not been reported as a pest of concern to commercial cherry production in areas of North America where it is present (Ontario and New York State, U.S.). However, continued regulation of the pest is warranted to prevent further spread to at-risk areas of Canada.

This document presents 2 risk management options that were considered, and the CFIA's final decision for the expansion of the regulated area for R. cerasi. These options were proposed for consultation from March 9 to April 7, 2023. All respondents were in favour of expanding the regulated area to include the province of Quebec.

Purpose

The purpose of this RMD is to communicate CFIA's decision to include the province of Quebec to the area of Canada that is regulated to prevent human-assisted spread of R. cerasi. This action is being taken in response to detections of the pest at 2 sites in Montréal, Quebec during the summer of 2022.

Scope

This risk management document includes:

Definitions, abbreviations and acronyms

Definitions of terms used in this document can be found in the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures 5: Glossary of phytosanitary terms or the Plant health glossary of terms.

Background

Rhagoletis cerasi is a regulated pest for Canada and the U.S. In July 2015, R. cerasi was observed in Canada by an amateur entomologist who photographed the pest in an urban park in Mississauga, Ontario, and later notified the CFIA.Footnote 5Footnote 10 The CFIA responded by conducting a survey for the pest and confirmed its presence in association with wild honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) on June 27, 2016. Since 2016, the CFIA has conducted surveillance in collaboration with research centres and provincial governments while continuing to monitor community science reporting websites. In late June 2022, a community scientist reported the presence of R. cerasi in an urban park in Montréal, Quebec. The CFIA later confirmed the pest's presence in association with a Lonicera sp. plant growing in the park. As part of the CFIA's planned survey for 2022, adult flies were trapped in another urban park in Montréal in association with a Lonicera sp. and a Prunus sp. plant. In total, adult flies were detected in association with 3 separate plants, located at 2 sites, on the Island of Montréal. These findings represent the first confirmed detections of R. cerasi in the province of Quebec. To date, the pest has been detected as far west as Brantford, Ontario, and as far east as Montréal, Quebec, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1: CFIA-confirmed detections of Rhagoletis cerasi from 2016 to 2022, including positive sites in Ontario and Quebec

Rhagoletis cerasi was first detected in the U.S. in 2017 at several locations in northwestern New York State. Continued surveillance in New York State confirmed that the pest is present in the counties along the southern shore of Lake Ontario.Footnote 14Footnote 15 Rhagoletis cerasi has not been detected in North America outside of the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada and the State of New York in the U.S.Footnote 4.

Plant protection directive D-17-03: Phytosanitary requirements to prevent the introduction and spread of Rhagoletis cerasi (European cherry fruit fly) describes the phytosanitary requirements applied within Canada, and to the importation of cherries from the U.S.

In response to Canada's detection of R. cerasi in 2016, the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) prohibited the importation of fresh cherry and fresh haskap fruit from the province of Ontario through the publication of Federal Order DA-2017-15. This prohibition remains in effect, and USDA-APHIS confirmed that it will be extended to apply to fresh cherry and fresh haskap fruit produced in the province of Quebec.

Pest risk assessment information

Biology

Rhagoletis cerasi has a univoltine lifecycle (develops one generation per year), with a long winter diapause during the pupal stage.Footnote 8 Adults typically emerge from the soil in the spring, usually appearing from May to July and begin to lay eggs about ten days after emergence.Footnote 7Footnote 12 The average adult lifespan is 2 weeks, yet it can be extended by cooler weather and increased relative humidity. Eggs are laid below the skin of host fruit and usually only one egg is deposited into each fruit. Larvae develop inside the fruit where they feed for up to 6 weeks.Footnote 3 As the larvae develop, they damage surrounding pulp and pollute fruit with frass, making them unacceptable for fresh consumption. Mature larvae exit the fruit through emergence holes and drop to the ground to burrow into the soil, generally at a depth of around 1–13 cm.Footnote 9 Once in the soil, they will pupate within a few days.Footnote 3Footnote 7 Pupae overwinter in the soil, mainly underneath or near the host plant, and require temperatures of 7°C or lower (ideally below 5°C) to develop successfully.Footnote 8Footnote 9Footnote 12

Rhagoletis cerasi can be distinguished from most other species of Rhagoletis by characteristic wing patterns and a distinctive colour on the scutellum, which is entirely yellow.Footnote 16 Refer to the Plant pest card for R. cerasi (PDF - 961 kb) for photos of an adult fly and larval feeding damage on cherry fruit.

Hosts

In Europe, the principle host plants of R. cerasi are cherry (Prunus avium), sour cherry (P. cerasus), black cherry (Prunus serotina), mahaleb cherry (Prunus mahaleb) and honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum, L. tartarica and L. alpigena).Footnote 5 In Canada, detections of the pest have been reported in association with honeysuckle (Lonicera spp., including L. bella, L. morrowii, and L. tartarica) and unmanaged cherry (Prunus spp.) plants.Footnote 6 In addition to the host plants named above, the U.S. maintains a list of host plants that includes holly barberry (Berberis aquifolium), Berberis heteropoda, common barberry (Berberis vulgaris), common dogwood (Cornus sanguinea), Lonicera spp., common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) and coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus).Footnote 13

This species only attacks the fruit of its host plants. The larvae are the harmful stage, as they develop inside the fruit and cause damage through larval feeding. Apart from damaging fruit during egg laying, adults cause no harm to the host plants.Footnote 4

Current distribution

The natural geographic range of R. cerasi includes continental Europe, as well as western and central Asia.Footnote 5 Outside of its natural range, R. cerasi has been reported from the province of Ontario, Canada (2016), New York State, U.S. (2017), and the province of Quebec, Canada (2022 – unpublished).Footnote 4Footnote 11

Likelihood of entry to new areas

Fruit of host plants, as well as soil associated with host plants, from areas where the pests occurs are the main pathways of human-assisted spread to new areas.Footnote 5

Natural spread potential

Like most other species of Rhagoletis, R. cerasi is known to stay close to its host plant, typically only travelling short distances. Its dispersal is usually limited by the availability of hosts in the surrounding area. However, flight distances of up to several kilometers have been reported.Footnote 5

Establishment potential

Rhagoletis cerasi can survive in a diverse climatic range from a Mediterranean climate to more temperate climates that include long, cold winters. Canada's climate closely matches that of the natural geographic range of R. cerasi. Paired with the widespread availability of R. cerasi hosts plants (specifically invasive Lonicera spp.), establishment in new areas of Canada is likely. However, the pest has not been reported from the United Kingdom, which may indicate that there is some undocumented limiting climatic factor that could impact the pest's ability to establish in new areas.Footnote 5

Potential economic impact

In western and central Europe, R. cerasi is considered a primary pest of cherry cultivation. Fruit infestation rates of 100% have been reported in unmanaged and solitary trees. However, in commercial production damage rates usually remain below 20%.Footnote 12 Damage to fruit caused by the pest will reduce the value of the fruit or render it unmarketable.Footnote 1

In 2019, the farm gate value of sweet cherries produced in Canada was CAD 89.3 million, while for sour cherries it was CAD 4.6 million. Sour cherries are produced mainly in southern Ontario and are typically used for processing as pie fillings, juices, preserves, and as dried fruit. British Columbia produces mainly sweet cherries that are consumed in a fresh state with a large portion of annual production exported to the U.S. among other countries.Footnote 1

In the province of Quebec, cherries are produced mainly in the Montérégie, Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions. The regions of Estrie, Laurentians and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean are also reported to have commercial production. The majority of Quebec's cherries are sold locally, including several businesses that market their fruit directly to customers.

Another emerging crop that may be affected directly, in terms of damage to fruit, or indirectly in terms of access to export markets, is the fruit of Lonicera caerulea. The fruit of this species is commonly known as haskap, honeyberry or blue honeysuckle. Lonicera caerulea is reported to have a relatively low level of fruit-boring insect infestation, which is attributed to the plant's trait of producing fruit early in the season before many fruit-boring pests emerge in search of a food source.Footnote 6 To date, R. cerasi has not been reported as a pest of L. caerulea, and has not been detected in association with commercial haskap production in Canada.Footnote 6 However, work is underway in Canada to develop new L. caerulea varieties that produce fruit later in the season, thereby potentially increasing the period that R. cerasi may exploit this food source.

Rhagoletis cerasi has not established itself as a pest of commercial cherry production in either Ontario or New York State. This may be explained by the pesticide regimen that is typically applied to cherry fruits to combat other pests, most notably the native species Rhagoletis cingulata, Rhagoletis fausta and the introduced Drosophila suzukii (spotted wing drosophila). Rhagoletis cingulata, R. fausta and Drosophila suzukii are present in the province of Quebec.Footnote 2

Potential trade impacts

Rhagoletis cerasi is regulated as a quarantine pest by the U.S. Following the first detection of R. cerasi in North America, APHIS moved to regulate the importation of fresh fruits of host plants (cherries and haskaps), and established a quarantine area in response to detections of the pest in New York State. The U.S. represents one of Canada's primary export markets for fresh cherry fruit, the majority of which are produced in British Columbia. For fruit to be exempt from U.S. import requirements it must meet the U.S. definition of processed, which includes cooking or freezing. Pitting and refrigeration of fresh cherries does not meet the U.S. definition of processed.

Quebec's cherry crop is primarily consumed domestically limiting the potential export impacts. Haskap fruit in Quebec is typically sold directly to consumers or used for processing into commodities that are likely to be exempt from phytosanitary import requirements.

Potential for management

Existing integrated pest management guidelines for native cherry fruit flies and Drosophila suzukii are likely to provide some level of protection against R. cerasi in commercial cherry production. A number of pesticides are registered for use in Quebec against cherry fruit flies and D. suzukii.Footnote 2 In Europe, the withdrawal of effective insecticides and reductions of maximum residue limits have made the control of R. cerasi more difficult.

Alternatives to chemical treatments employed against the pest in Europe include:(CFIA 2016)Footnote 5

Potential for eradication

Based on the eradication efforts employed following the detection of the pest in New York State, eradicating R. cerasi is not possible. There are no practical means of preventing natural spread of the pest to Quebec from Ontario and New York State.

Pest risk management options for Quebec

Directive D-17-03 describes import and domestic requirements applied to prevent the spread of R. cerasi in Canada. The directive does not apply to exports of commodities that are, or may be, subject to import requirements of the importing country.

The following pest risk management options are presented within the context of plant protection directive D-17-03. These options were proposed during a consultation held between March 9 and April 7, 2023. Terms such as regulated areas, regulated articles and domestic movement requirements are described in the directive.

Option 1 – regulate the entire province of Quebec (recommended)

Under this option, the area of Canada regulated for R. cerasi would be expanded to include the entire province of Quebec (see Figure 2).

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Figure 2: Option 1 – proposed regulated areas for Rhagoletis cerasi, including the entire province of Quebec

Option 2 – regulate only portions of the province of Quebec

Under this option, the area of Canada regulated for R. cerasi would include only a portion of the province of Quebec where R. cerasi has been detected, or is likely to occur, but has not yet been detected (see Figure 3).

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Figure 3. Description follows.
Description for Figure 3

Option 2 – proposed regulated areas for Rhagoletis cerasi, including only a portion of the province of Quebec (the actual regulated area may vary). This map shows the regional county municipalities (municipalités régionales de comté) of Quebec that are included under this option (Argenteuil, Beauharnois-Salaberry, Deux-Montagnes, Gatineau, Laval, Le Haut-Saint-Laurent, Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais, Les Jardins-de-Napierville, Les Moulins, Longueuil, Mirabel, Montréal, Papineau, Roussillon, Thérèse-De Blainville, Vaudreuil-Soulanges).

Risk management decision

Consultation

Comments on this risk management document were solicited from stakeholders from March 9 to April 7, 2023. All comments received were reviewed and taken into consideration. All stakeholders who commented were in favor of option 1 which consist of regulating the entire province of Quebec.

Decision

Based on the risk assessment, and after analyzing all comments received, the CFIA has decided to move forward with option 1. By regulating the entire province of Quebec, cherry fruit can move freely within, and between, the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Further, the costs associated with monitoring and adjusting the boundary of the regulated area will be minimized. Directive D-17-03 has been revised accordingly.

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