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In 1989, a sudden invasion of medflies (Mediterranean fruit flies) descended on California and began devastating crops. Scientists were puzzled and said that the sudden appearance of the insects "defies logic", and some speculated "biological terrorists" were responsible.〔Johnson, John. "(Invasion by Medfly Defies Logic, Scientists Say Infestation: Experts discover peculiar patterns in the spread of the stubborn fruit fly )", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 30, 1989, accessed February 21, 2012.〕 Analysis suggested there is no doubt that an outside hand played a role in the dense infestation.〔Howard, Russell D. et al. ''Homeland Security and Terrorism: Readings and Interpretations'', ((Google Books )), McGraw-Hill Professional, 2006, p. 49, (ISBN 0071452826).〕〔''Los Angeles Times'', "(Peculiar Things Happening in Southern California Medfly Infestation )", ''Orlando Sentinel'', January 6, 1990, accessed February 21, 2012.〕〔Pratt, Robert J. "(Invasive Species - A Threat to the Homeland? )", USAWC Strategy Research Project, ''U.S. Army War College'', April 7, 2003, accessed February 21, 2012.〕 A person or group calling itself "The Breeders" took responsibility for the attack, as financial retaliation for the environmental damage caused by the state's Malathion aerial spraying; the group's members were never identified. Subsequently, three months after "The Breeders" announced the medfly release, the state ended its decade-long Malathion program and sought alternate ways to handle destructive insects. ==Background== California is the world's fifth largest supplier of food and agriculture commodities. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, "California agriculture is nearly a $36.6 billion dollar industry that generates $100 billion in related economic activity." The state’s agricultural sales first exceeded $30 billion in 2004, Since 1975, California had seen small annual infestations of the medfly, typically ascribing their appearance to the casual shipping of fruit, and visits, between relatives and friends in California and Hawaii.〔Carey, James R. "(The Incipient Mediterranean Fruit Fly Population in California: Implications for Invasion Biology )", ''Ecology'', Vol. 77, Issue 6, September 1996, pp. 1690-97, accessed February 21, 2012.〕 Medflies breed rapidly and eat fruit with a voracious appetite.〔Root-Bernstein, Robert S. "(Infectious Terrorism )", ''The Atlantic'', May 1991, accessed February 19, 2012.〕 Notably, they represent a risk to 22 crops in California, including apples, apricots, avocados, bell peppers, cherries, dates, figs, grapes, grapefruit, kiwis, limes, mandarin oranges, nectarines, olives, oranges, peaches, pears, persimmons, plums, prunes and tomatoes.〔Siebert, Jerome B. and Cooper, Todd. "(f medfly infestation triggered a trade ban: Embargo on California produce would cause revenue, job loss )", ''California Agriculture'', 49(4):7-12, , July–August 1995, accessed February 21, 2012.〕 Medfly infestations are not without precedent, both in California and elsewhere in North America. Between 1975 and 1993 the state of California spent more than $170 million on medfly eradication programs meant to contain 12 different infestations.〔Wheeler, Mark. "(Fly Wars )", ''Discovery Magazine'', February 1993, accessed February 19, 2012.〕 In 1996 the state began utilizing sterile medflies in its eradication program and between 1996 and 2007 the state experienced five infestations.〔Lagos, Marisa. "(Medfly sightings in Solano County spur quick action to kill pest )", ''San Francisco Chronicle'', September 14, 2007, accessed February 19, 2012.〕 A major 1981 medfly infestation cost California $40 million by itself.〔 The 1981 infestation turned into a political crisis and led to the beginning of the state's aerial spraying program in July of that year.〔Anderson, Ian. "Medfly fighters win their battle the hard way", ((Google Books link )), ''New Scientist'', Vol. 95, No. 1324, p. 815, ISSN 0262-4079.〕〔Brazil, Eric. "(The political stakes in the Medfly infestation )", ''California Journal'', April 1981, pp. 137-39.〕 Medflies were found in traps as late as 2007 in Solano County, California.〔 The first medflies in Florida turned up in 1929 and they have been a constant threat to the citrus crop there ever since.〔Badie, Rick. "(Medfly Scare Yet Another Challenge For Citrus Industry, Very Much Alive In Lake )", ''Orlando Sentinel'', July 13, 1997, accessed February 19, 2012.〕 Medfly sightings occurred in Florida in 1997 and 2010.〔〔Nolin, Robert. "(Medflies found in Boca Raton )", ''Sun-Sentinel'', June 15, 2010, accessed February 19, 2012.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「1989 California medfly attack」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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