SAG declares quarantine for Mediterranean fruit fly in Iquique

The Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) of the Tarapacá Region nullified exempt resolution No. 878/2026 and established quarantine regulations for the control and eradication of the Mediterranean fruit fly [Ceratitis capitata (W.)] in the commune of Iquique. The measure, adopted through exempt resolution No. 1,385 of July 27, 2026, was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile No. 44,540 on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 (official reference CVE 2860044).

The decision is based on Decree Law No. 3,557 of 1980 on Agricultural Protection and exempt resolution No. 3,513 of 1995, which declared Chile a country free of this pest. On May 25, 2026, SAG detected a young, un-inseminated fertile female in the locality of Caleta Los Verdes, and on July 18, a mature male 2.25 km away, which activated the phytosanitary emergency plan.

Regulated Area and Scope

As of July 19, 2026, a polygon of 37 vertices defined by UTM coordinates (datum WGS 84, zone 19) was declared a regulated area, covering a radius of 7.2 km around the detections. Host plant products produced, packed, or inspected up to July 18, 2026, are not subject to the quarantine measures.

Mandatory Phytosanitary Measures

SAG ordered the execution of the following actions within the regulated area:

• Collection and destruction by incineration or burial of fallen fruits.
• Stripping of fruits from host plants and their destruction.
• Pruning of trees to facilitate spraying or phytosanitary control.
• Soil removal under the tree canopy and application of soil insecticide.
• Immobilization of host fruits, except by express authorization following quarantine treatment.
• Application of insecticide bait on foliage and systemic insecticides on plants with susceptible fruits.
• Establishment of mobile and temporary phytosanitary control points, inside or outside the area.

Obligations of Producers and Exporters

Host fruit orchards within the area must be registered at the Iquique SAG Office, indicating estimated production by species, variety, and destination. Products destined for the national market outside the area must undergo a quarantine treatment in an authorized chamber within the area, supported by a certificate endorsed by a SAG official. Export products must comply with the conditions of the destination markets and those determined by SAG, with transport under secure conditions to maritime, land, or air ports.

Infractions will be sanctioned in accordance with Decree Law No. 3,557 of 1980. The resolution was signed by Sue Vera Cortez, Regional Director of Tarapacá for the SAG, and notified in the Official Gazette and in the newspapers with the widest circulation in the region.

The measure seeks to protect Chile’s phytosanitary status as a country free of the Mediterranean fruit fly, a pest that threatens local fruit and vegetable production and agricultural exports from the area; therefore, compliance is key for producers and exporters in Tarapacá.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,540, Wednesday, September 2, 2026, General Regulations, pgs. 1-4 (official reference: CVE 2860044).