Fruit Fly

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:13): Supplementary.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Pangallo, your final supplementary. I need to move on.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: No problem. Is the minister aware that in California there are regular drops of sterile fruit flies, which are done to protect their fruit industry, so that happens regardless of any international protocols?

The PRESIDENT: Minister, you can choose to answer, but I never heard 'California' in any part of your original answer. The Hon. Mr Pangallo sit down. The minister is on her feet and it looks like she is prepared to provide an answer, and then we will move on.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:14): I am happy to answer that in relation to sterile insect technology release. International protocols are for particular market access; for example, the protocols from Korea might be different from the protocols from Vietnam or elsewhere in the world. My expectation, although it is speculation at this time, is that the markets for the California produce are operating under different protocols with different markets within the global economic community.