Central American pests intercepted at North Atlantic ports

Central American pests intercepted at North Atlantic ports U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists reported a one-day record of 21 pest interceptions on bananas, pineapples and other fruit originating in Central America and delivered aboard ships to Philadelphia, Wilmington, Del., and Camden, N.J., marine terminals on June 18.
   The three ports are part of CBP’s Philadelphia port district.
      The inspections resulted in the fumigation or re-export of 150,000 cases of fruit from several countries. CBP officers found mites, weed seeds, beetles, ants and other pests in the perishable shipments. It was the largest one-day detection of pests in the maritime cargo environment in memory, the agency said Tuesday.