Ministry of Agriculture to Host TWWH Conference

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining will be hosting the 11th Tephritid Workers of the Western Hemisphere (TWWH) conference from June 3 to 7, at Hideaway at Royalton Blue Waters, in Montego Bay, St. James.

Tephritidae are one of two fly families referred to as fruit flies, which are pests that limit fruit and vegetable production and exports.

This will be the first time that a TWWH event will take place in the Caribbean, as the region is considered an important and strategic area in the Western Hemisphere.

Director General of the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS) at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Professor Charles Grant, said the conference is important to the efforts at controlling the pest population.

“Fruit fly control units from various countries in the western hemisphere will be here. The objective is to sensitise populations in the western hemisphere as to the use of the technique for fruit flies and to kick off the fruit fly control programme in Jamaica, to eradicate the fruit fly from our environment,” he said, in a recent interview with JIS News.

Given the transboundary nature of fruit flies and the increasing risks of introduction of non-native invasive species, conferences such as these are critical for sharing best practices.

Strengthening integration and active participation of the Caribbean Community countries to the fruit fly working group of the Western Hemisphere is a desirable strategic objective of the conference.

The Working Group on Fruit Flies of the Western Hemisphere was formed during the 1980s when it was proposed to work against the Mediterranean fruit fly in Guatemala, Mexico and the United States.

The meeting will be conducted in both English and Spanish, with simultaneous translation services available.

Students and scientists interested in attending can register through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining’s website at moa.gov.jm.