WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/920 
28 April 2009 
 (09-1988) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
DECLARATION OF THE ENTIRE TERRITORY OF BELIZE AS FREE FROM  
THE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY ( CERATITIS CAPITATA) 
 
Communication from Belize
 
 
 
 The following communication, received on 20 April 2009, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Belize . 
 
_______________ 
 
 1. On 28 April 2007, Belize declared its territo ry as free of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly 
(Ceratitis capitata ) Wiedemann in Statutory Instrument No . 44 of 2007, in accordance with ISPM 
(International Standard for Phytosanitary M easures) No. 4 of 1995 (Requirements for the 
establishment of Pest Free Areas); and ISPM 26 of  2006 (Establishment of pest free areas for fruit 
flies) of the International Plant Protection Convention. 
2. The medfly programme was initiated in Belize in 1977, by the Animal and Plant Health 
Service of the United States Department of Agri culture (USDA/APHIS), primarily as a surveillance 
programme to determine the presence or absence of the Mediterranean fruit fly and implement 
eradication measures in the event of medfly detec tion.  The first medfly was captured in March 1987 
and as a result, the programme was modified to beco me the present comprehensive system.  In 2000, 
the Belize Agricultural health Authority (BAHA), as mandated by the Belize Agricultural Health 
Authority Act (Chapter 211 of the Substantive Laws  of Belize, Revised Edition 2000-2003) came into 
effect and became the implementing agency responsib le for management of all aspects of the medfly 
programme.  On 28 August 2001, Belize was officia lly recognized as a medfly-free country by 
USDA. 
3. The present system, that was adjust ed and modified after the first detection in 1987, has four 
major components that include:  a quarantine system  which serves as the first line of defense;  a 
comprehensive medfly surveillance programme in a medfly eradication action plan;  and an export 
certification programme. 
Quarantine System 
 
4. The quarantine system is governed by the Beliz e Agricultural Health Authority Act.  This 
regulates the import of plants and plant products.  Quarantine inspectors are designated officers of 
BAHA assigned to the prevention of introduction of plant pests.  Their duties include intercepting 
material of quarantine importance through th e inspection of incoming luggage and cargo of 
agriculture products.  There are presently 31 quarant ine inspectors at six official points of entry. G/SPS/GEN/920 
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  Medfly Surveillance Programme 
 
5. A national medfly surveillance programme ba sed on an intensive trapping network is 
maintained throughout the country to ensure early de tections in the event of a medfly introduction.  
The trapping network maintains a 1358 Jackson traps including 120 Phase Four traps distributed 
countrywide; an additional, 20 C&C traps are main tained in higher risk areas.  The programme 
personnel comprise of one coordinato r and five medfly technicians that service designated trapping 
routes every seven days.  The trapping routes ar e designed to cover all rural and urban areas and 
include trapping on foot in hot spot areas and for delimitation surveys.  The programme has 
consistently maintained a yearly trap ping percentage above 90 per cent.  
Medfly Action Plan 
 
6. The medfly action plan sets out the actions that must be taken to ensure that any medfly 
detection is quickly and efficiently controlled to pr event its spread into medfly free areas.  It also 
provides guidance on how to implement eradication m easures.  The programme has trained laboratory 
personnel to determine parameters that will trigger the eradication plan.  The emergency plan is 
managed by a taskforce and executed by BAHA with  the assistance of the relevant stakeholders.  
7. Eradication measures may include chemical gr ound spraying with appropriate insecticides 
and baits, fruit stripping and destruction of all fruits within a 250 meter radius from the detection site, 
intensified trapping or  internal quarantine. 
National Internal Quarantine 
 
8. Whenever a fertile gravid female or multiple fertile male med flies are detected and 
confirmed by laboratory analysis, the Medfly Task Force immediately delimits the area (approximately 81 square miles) to be quarantined and a Statutory Instrument is signed, declaring the 
area under internal quarantine.  Technical personne l from the BAHA are assigned full–time, 24 hours 
per day, and seven days per week to the checkpoints along with assistance from the Police 
Department to prohibit the movement of medfly host material outside of the infested area.  
9. After a period of 90 days (approximately three life cycles) of non-detection, the area is again 
declared medfly free and all quarantine restrictions are lifted. 
Export Certification Programme 
 10. The Belize Certification Programme is intimately related with the surveillance and eradication 
activities.  Medfly host commodities are allowed acc ess to US markets provided that Belize maintains 
its medfly free status.  Whenever a fertile medfly is found, the Task Force evaluates the site and the 
distance of the detection site from the exporting co mmercial groves.  If the distance is more than 
4.5 miles away, the export of these commodities is not affected. 
11. Plant Health Officers from BAHA conduct weekly field and packing facility inspections to 
ensure that acceptable phytosanitary  practices are carried out prior to the issuance of a phytosanitary 
certificate.  Inspection by the Plant Health Officer is required for a minimum of one per cent of a shipment, but in reality more than 20 per cent is actually inspected.  G/SPS/GEN/920 
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  Historical Data 
 
12. Detection data for the last 22 years indicate that  while there have been sporadic interceptions 
of the medfly, this pest has never become establ ished in Belize and the interceptions have been 
limited to the southern region of Belize (see graph below). 
051015202530354045505560657075808590# of flies
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
YearMedfly Detections in Belize 1987-2008
Belize
Stann Creek
Toledo
 
Source:  Belize Agricultural Health Authority and Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries 
 
13. In summary, the historical data clearly dem onstrates that the medfly has never become 
established in Belize and that BAHA has consisten tly been able to control and eradicate all 
interceptions thereby maintaining Belize free of this pest.  This status is recognized by our principal 
trading partners and Belize has the science-based  documentation to support this declaration. 
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