The Canary Islands Government has updated its pest control measures against phylloxera, enhancing surveillance and biosecurity in high-risk areas. This adjustment has led to relaxed restrictions on the movement of fresh grapes and plant materials during the harvest season. The changes follow a positive assessment of the pest situation based on a survey campaign conducted throughout 2026, which reported effective management since the discovery of the pest.
This year, the regional government carried out 5,429 inspections across the islands, discovering 16 positive cases in abandoned farms within the so-called zero zone. Crucially, phylloxera remains confined to Tenerife, with no signs of its spread to other islands.
Eduardo García Cabello, the deputy minister for the primary sector, highlighted the successful collaboration with regulatory councils of the Protected Designation of Origin wines and local governments. This partnership has led to adjustments in the pest control regulations to improve response strategies, allowing the circulation of fresh grapes and plant materials in areas unaffected by the pest and within designated safe zones in Tenerife. However, restrictions remain in place in higher-risk areas.
The revised pest control demarcations include a 50-metre infested zone around each outbreak, a 500-metre monitored zone, and a two-kilometre buffer zone. This targeted approach aims to concentrate eradication efforts where they are most needed. Despite these updates, the ministry stresses that the containment strategy’s success largely relies on the cooperation of the wine industry. They have warned that the start of the harvest season brings increased movement of workers, vehicles, and equipment, heightening the risk of inadvertently spreading the pest through soil or plant debris. Information campaigns have been ramped up to urge biosecurity measures in the sector.
