Rapport Année : 2008

Pest risk assessment made by France on Nacoleia octasema considered by France as harmful in French overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion - Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Plant Health

David Makowski

Résumé

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Plant Health was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on 30 pest risk assessments made by France on organisms which are considered by France as harmful in four French overseas departments, i.e. French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion. In particular, the Panel was asked whether these organisms can be considered as harmful organisms for the endangered area of the above departments, in the meaning of the definition mentioned in Article 2.1.(e) of Directive 2000/29/EC and thus potentially eligible for addition to the list of harmful organisms in Directive 2000/29/EC. This document presents the opinion of the Panel on Plant Health on the simplified[2] pest risk assessment conducted by France on Nacoleia octasema with French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion considered as endangered area. Nacoleia octasema Meyrick, the banana scab moth, (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is primarily a pest of bananas and plantains (Musa spp.). In addition, it has been reported to attack, as minor hosts, Heliconia spp., Nypa fruticans (the Nypa palm), Pandanus spp. and maize. The larvae feed on the skin of the banana fruit creating black scars that may greatly reduce their market value. In some parts of its range, primarily the East Indies, it does not feed on bananas. Since no intraspecific taxonomic characteristics have been identified, it is suggested that this is due to races with different host ranges. Serious economic damage has been recorded in Queensland and Fiji. Its distribution is restricted to Australasia, south-east Asia and the Pacific islands. The Panel examined in detail the risk assessment provided, and considered the accuracy and quality of the information provided and methods applied for pest risk assessment purposes. The review was based on the principles of the International Standard on Phytosanitary Measures ISPM No. 11[3]: Pest risk analysis for quarantine pests including analysis of environmental risks and living modified organisms (2004) by the International Plant Protection Convention (FAO, 2007b). The pest risk assessment is short and based very strongly on the CABI Crop Protection Compendium datasheet (2001) but it does provide sufficient evidence to support the conclusions reached. The Panel agrees with the pest risk assessment which states that entry is very unlikely since the pupa is the only stage that could be transported. Any pupae in the fruit bunches are likely to be washed off and plant debris from the base of infested banana trees is very unlikely to occur with young plants. Even if the current ban on banana imports is lifted, the pest will have a very low probability of surviving the specific conditions of transport and trade with countries where the pest occurs. Imports are very unlikely since these countries are so far from the French overseas departments and home-produced fruit is readily available. Passengers are also very unlikely to carry banana fruit that might contain N. octasema the long distances from countries where the pest occurs into the French overseas departments. The Panel agrees that the potential for establishment is very high due to the similarities in climate between the pest’s current area of distribution and the French overseas departments and the abundance of suitable hosts in the PRA area[4]. The Panel agrees with the high risk rating of impacts for Guadeloupe and Martinique because of the potential loss of export markets. However, the impacts in French Guiana and Réunion, that do not have export markets, are likely to be minor. In summary, therefore, N. octasema poses a risk of high impact to Guadeloupe and Martinique and low impact to French Guiana and Réunion but the probability of the impacts occurring is very low. It is very difficult to come to a firm conclusion in situations of very low probability and high impact but the Panel agreed that, on balance, an analysis of risk management options would be appropriate because it could be used to determine whether the very unlikely risk of entry could be reduced to negligible with simple measures. The Panel therefore concludes that N. octasema does have the characteristics of a quarantine pest[5] for Guadeloupe and Martinique and that the analysis of risk management options is appropriate for these two French overseas departments. Using the terminology in Directive 2000/29/EC, this means that the Panel concludes that this species is a harmful organism for Guadeloupe and Martinique and is therefore potentially eligible for listing in Directive 2000/29/EC.

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Dates et versions

hal-01173712 , version 1 (07-07-2015)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-01173712 , version 1
  • PRODINRA : 30492

Citer

R. Baker, D. Caffier, J.W. Choiseul, P. de Clercq, E. Dormannsne-Simon, et al.. Pest risk assessment made by France on Nacoleia octasema considered by France as harmful in French overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion - Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Plant Health. [0] European Commission. 2008, 15 p. ⟨hal-01173712⟩
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