ENVIRONMENT - LOOKING GLASS NEWS | |
Genetic Contamination Spreads in "GM" Free Australia |
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from Fairfax Digital
Entered into the database on Tuesday, August 09th, 2005 @ 13:42:32 MST |
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Environmentalists say Australia is facing “the most serious genetic contamination
event” in its history, after the West Australian government confirmed low
levels of genetically modified canola had been found in non-GM canola. A spokeswoman for WA Agriculture Minister Kim Chance said that tests had shown
positive results of GM material but samples had been sent overseas for further
testing and until more detailed results were confirmed no further details could
be released. The latest test results come after GM material was found during routine testing
by the Australian Barley Board in June of an export consignment of Victorian
canola seeds bound for Japan. About 0.01 per cent of the consignment contained
the GM material. It is believed the modification found in Victoria, known as Topas 19/2 and
developed by Bayer CropScience, was also found in the WA sample tested. Following Monday’s announcement, Greenpeace
Australia campaigner Jeremy Tager said state governments must now take immediate
action to protect Australia’s GM free status. “This is the most serious genetic contamination event that Australia
has ever faced and the response from state governments in the coming days will
determine their commitment to upholding Australia’s (GM) free status,”
Mr Tager said. “The WA and Victorian governments have instituted rigorous testing. “They are taking this issue extremely seriously but the lack of any response
from the NSW and South Australian governments is disturbing. “States that have not conducted testing, or taken steps to determine
if Topas is a problem in their agricultural areas, are putting Australian farmers
and our (GM) free status at risk.” WA’s Agriculture Minister Kim Chance said he would like to see legislation
put in place at a national level to govern liability for GM contamination. Although he believed WA’s GM-free status was not under threat, he was
keeping a close watch on the situation. Hew said while tests had given a positive result, there could be a number of
reasons for that. “It’s certainly a matter for concern, but it is an interim test,
and the nature of those interim tests is that false positives are possible,”
Mr Chance told ABC radio. “So really until we get the final information from that trial, which
won’t be until early-September, it’s really speculative to say that
we actually have that problem. “I know that the Network of
Concerned Farmers have argued very strongly for strict liability laws of
that kind, and I think it’s something that we need to be thinking about
very seriously.” Julie Newman, from the Network of
Concerned Farmers, said if the contamination was confirmed, the problem
must be isolated and removed because GM-free status was too valuable to lose. |