Dozens of people who came over to SA to enjoy the AFL Gather Round have copped more than $100,000 in fines for travelling into South Australia with illegal produce.
Over 300KG of fruit was seized by bio security officials following a blitz over the AFL gather round weekend. Each of the 249 people caught crossing the border with banned fruit, vegies and plants were issued expiations of $409.
The interstate travellers were accused of ignoring multiple warning signs to put illegal produce in a quaratine bin.
The measure aims to reduce more fruit fly outbreaks in the state and protect SA’s $1.45B horticulture industry.
As it stands the Riverland has a number of fruit fly outbreaks, with staff on the ground in over 30 outbreak zones.
File photo by alleksana, via pexels.com, supplied
