The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has said that a decision by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to temporarily suspend timber imports from Scotland is “the right call”.
The move followed the discovery of three large larch bark beetles, in one of the department’s pheromone traps at Passage West Port in Cork.
As a result, Scottish authorities have ceased all exports of logs with immediate effect until a full investigation takes place.
The beetle bores into larch trees which in turn can have a damaging effect on the quality and volumes of timber.
The pest, which is native to Europe, is now widely distributed on the continent and in the UK, apart from Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. It has also expanded into some regions of Russia and Ukraine.
Wood, wood products, bark and wood packaging material are considered as the main pathways for spreading the beetle.
Timber
IFA Farm Forestry Committee chair Padraig Stapleton said that suspending timber imports from the pest-free area of Scotland is the correct decision, given the threat posed by the bark beetle.
He said that the IFA has raised this issue for the last two years and had called for the suspension as far back as last January.
“We would have liked to see this in place before now, but the discovery of the bark beetle at Cork Port meant action had to be taken.
“A spruce bark beetle outbreak would cause extensive economic loss to the forest industry, but it would be farmers that would bear the brunt of the economic consequences.
“These would include a reduction in the commercial value of the infested trees, increased management costs as well as replanting costs.
“If the bark beetle is found in the country, we cannot have a repeat of the ash dieback debacle,” he said.
Stapleton said that the Irish forestry industry and forests should not be put at risk for short-term gains.
“The experience from Europe is that overlooking just one spruce bark beetle can lead to widespread infestation,” he said.