Media release no.
Agriculture Western Australia is helping to weigh up the costs and benefits of eradicating or suppressing Mediterranean fruit fly in Australia. The independent Benefit Cost Analysis is being co-ordinated by international expert Dr John Mumford, based at London's Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. Dr Mumford has conducted benefit cost analyses of large scale Medfly eradication programs in the Middle East and Africa. Dr Mumford said a decision to aim for complete eradication using the sterile fly technique involved a long term commitment and would be likely to take at least 10 years to achieve eradication. He said building the infrastructure, maintaining the supply of sterile flies and monitoring the progress of the eradication called for a major investment.