Government must stop US company's Illegal planting
Government must stop US company's Illegal plantings
genetically polluting New Zealand
Plans by US timber companies to plant GE redwoods on New Zealand soil are illegal, and threaten the future of New Zealand's timber industry. The plans reported by Associated Press last weekend contravene ERMA regulations on GE releases, and are a warning signal that New Zealand is vulnerable to experimentation by overseas companies.
The plans also add to concerns that trade agreements will make it harder for New Zealand to oppose companies wanting to experiment in this way. There is a serious risk that companies could force in experiments or threaten to take a case before the WTO, just as the US has mooted in support of its demands that the EU lift their moratorium on GM food.
"This signals a serious threat to our sovereignty" said Jon Carapiet of GE Free NZ in Food and Environment. "It is also a threat to our integrity and our clean green image. They seem to see New Zealand is an easy-touch." The impact of GM organisms on soil and the wider environment are becoming clearer and independent scientist warn the long-term implications are extremely serious. "The impact is both in terms of the environment and our strategic marketing," says Mr Carapiet. GE-Free NZ in food and environment want immediate action from the government stop this and any similar projects from proceeding. " This proposal is currently illegal and must be stopped. The threat to New Zealand will be even greater if the government drops the moratorium on applications for GE release in October," says Mr Carapiet
ENDS
BACKGROUND
STRAWBERRY VALLEY --
A timber company, reported to be 'fed up' with environmental
battles, has decided to produce genetically engineered
redwoods and ship them to New Zealand where they'll be grown
for lumber.
Soper-Wheeler Co. has contracted with a
Humboldt County tree nursery to grow
and ship about
150,000 seedlings to the company's 10,000-acre plantation
on
New Zealand's South Island. The trees, shipped in
sterilized Petri dishes,
will be planted in August.
Six
months ago, Soper-Wheeler planted the first 50,000 young
redwoods at the
site, the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat
reported Saturday.
The company's plantings will continue
during the next 35 years, with the
first trees harvested
and sent to U.S. mills at the end of that
cycle,
according to Jim Rydelius, a veteran North Coast
forester managing the
project.
Rydelius said because of
climate conditions and genetically improved
strains, the
New Zealand trees a! re expected to be "significantly
larger"
than North Coast redwoods of the same
age.
Soper-Wheeler owns 103,000 acres of timberlands,
including a 10,000-acre
swath of Mendocino County
redwoods.
Mendocino Redwood is among a growing list of
state timber companies who are
looking to New Zealand for
possible future investments in redwood and
Douglas fir
production.