In a swift response to the Mediterranean fruit fly incursion detected near Punta Cana in December 2023, the Dominican Republic has successfully eradicated the pest using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). This method, environmentally friendly, involves the mass-rearing and sterilization of male pests, which are then released to mate with wild females, leading to no offspring and a declining pest population. The outbreak was contained to an area of less than 50 km², a marked improvement from the 2015 outbreak that spanned over 2000 km².
The Ministry of Agriculture, with support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA), activated an emergency response protocol. This included weekly releases of 3 million sterile flies for 26 weeks, field surveillance, and control measures such as insecticide-bait sprays and bait stations. The eradication was officially declared on 27 September 2024, with no quarantine restrictions imposed by importing countries.
"The success of this project in the Dominican Republic shows how close international cooperation can protect farmers from insect pests that can have a devastating impact on harvests and a country's agricultural production and trade," stated Rui Cardoso Pereira from the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre. The operation also received technical and financial support from the Moscamed Program of Guatemala and Mexico, highlighting the power of international collaboration in agricultural threat management.
This rapid eradication effort reflects the Dominican Republic's increased capacity for pest management since the first Mediterranean fruit fly incursion in 2015, which resulted in significant economic losses and job risks. The country continues to implement SIT and maintain quarantines at entry points, complemented by phytosanitary measures to prevent future outbreaks. Agriculture, a key economic sector in the Dominican Republic, generated US $2.9 billion in exports in 2022, underscoring the importance of effective pest control measures in safeguarding food security and supporting agricultural resilience.
Source: IAEA