Californian viticulture is in deep trouble and steps need to be taken to ensure that the latest cause of concern, the Glassy-winged Sharpshooter and a bacterium it carries, known as Pierce’s Disease, do not arrive on Australian shores. Leading horticulturists have called for a ban on Californian table grapes which are about to be given a green light for importation into Australia. Despite assurances by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) that enough is known about the effects of methyl bromide on a range of pests to be sure it would eliminate the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, viticultural experts are hoping that the Federal Government takes a more cautionary approach. The fledgling Californian region of Temecula has already been wiped out, the US Government has approved a $US36 million aid package for its winegrape industry, US Vice President Al Gore has declared a federal emergency and the disease has already cost the California wine industry tens of millions of dollars. While grave fears are held over the future of the Napa and Sonoma regions, the disease has the potential to devastate Australia warmer river areas, the Riverina, the Riverlands and Sunraysia, which according to those in the know are ‘accidents waiting to happen’.
