The Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, Pippa Hackett, has warned today (Wednesday, May 8) that plant pests “know no borders” and that trade can facilitate the introduction of plant pests.
But the minister, who has special responsibility for horticulture at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) also stressed that international trade is a “key part of our economy” and everyone has a role to play in protecting plant health.
The United Nations has designated May 12 as ‘International Day of Plant Health’ to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment and boost economic development.
Plant health
DAFM today hosted a conference in Dublin which focused on Ireland’s approach to plant health and biosecurity, while facilitating trade opportunities.
During the conference the audience heard from a range of expert speakers on DAFM’s approach to risk anticipation, risk management and surveillance, risk awareness and communication and safe trade.
Minister Hackett said: “International Day of Plant Health is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of plant health, and of the actions we can and do take to keep our plants healthy and ensure food security and safe trade for sustainable economies, livelihoods and natural environments.”
She also added that it was “increasingly important” that Ireland continued to scan the horizon for the potential threats of pests and disease and that it had contingency plans in place.
“In the last year, we have had various pest outbreaks in Ireland. These outbreaks have been managed under our General Plant Health Contingency Plan which we published last year following stakeholder consultation.
“These contingency plans are important as they set out the procedures to be followed and the measures to be taken in the event of an outbreak of a regulated pest, which could have the potential to cause significant economic, environmental and social impact.
“There are structures and arrangements in place globally, regionally and nationally to support the protection of plant health,” the minister said.
Following the DAFM event conference participants got the opportunity to your the border control post at Dublin Port to see first-hand the department’s plant health inspection facilities.
Bark beetle
The threat posed by invasive species and current biosecurity measures that are in place in Ireland have been under the spotlight because of the potential threat posed to Irish forestry from the spruce bark beetle.
The spruce bark beetle, which has been detected across the UK, tunnels into the bark of living trees to lay eggs and the larvae then feed on the living woody material. This forms cavities which can weaken the tree and eventually kill it.
In response to a parliamentary questions raised by Sinn Féin TD, Martin Browne, last week the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine stressed that biosecurity measures are in place in Ireland for the importation of plants and plant products “in order to help prevent the entry of harmful pests”.
Minister Charlie McConalogue added: “The specifics of the import requirements are set out in the Plant Health Regulation EU 2016/2031 and Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/2072.
“This legislative framework is established upon scientific knowledge and available information about known pests and their pathway for potential movement from country to country”.