Is it time to ban all plant imports into the UK?

If you've ever travelled to America you'll be aware of the strict import regulations which exists to stop the spread of pests and diseases.

Image: Ash showing symptoms of ash dieback

Certain items brought into the United States from foreign countries are restricted according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations. Prohibited agricultural items can harbor foreign animal and plant pests and diseases that could seriously damage America’s crops, livestock, pets, and the environment – and a large sector of our country’s economy.

As a traveller you may well feel this inconvenience is a little over the top and unnecessary? For heaven's sake, how harmful can an apple really be?

I bet all of Europe is wishing it had not been so lenient now? Lax plant import and export regulations have led to severe health problems amongst indigenous plants.

With the announcement this week by the UK government banning the import and transportation of ash (Fraxinus excelsior) it is now more important than ever that a total ban on the import of all plants comes into force.

It's clear that plant passports are a waste of time and it's clear we cannot control what crosses our borders, in fact, reading the Fera advisory on plant passports, they say there are no checks carried out at border crossing but only a once a year inspection at the place of plant production. Although they do say spot checks can take place at any time.

If there's a breakout of a disease or a pest then it should be contained and dealt with locally.

In my view only plants grown from stock already in the UK should be planted in the UK.

But let's not stop there. The landscape industry must start supporting smaller nurseries within a reasonable distance of operating bases.

Why try to sell a plant that's produced in the extreme south of the UK in the far north of Scotland, for example, when there's every chance the plant may die in its first winter when exposed to much colder weather. It's surely beneficial for plants grown from the outset in a cool climate to be planted in their final resting place under similar conditions?

In respect of ash movements into the UK, legislation prohibits:

all imports of ash plants, trees and seeds into Great Britain except from officially designated pest-free areas (areas declared free of C.fraxinea) until further notice. No such areas have been designated to date;

* all movements of ash plants, trees and seeds within Great Britain until further notice (in the absence of officially designated pest-free areas in Great Britain);

* movement within Great Britain of logs and firewood from sites with confirmed C. fraxinea infection which have been served with a Statutory Plant Health Notice;

The following activities are permitted to continue:

* importation from European Union countries of logs, woodchips and firewood, which pose a very low risk of disease transmission, especially when they are kiln dried. In the unlikely event that this material is found to contain infection, action such as destruction will be ordered;

* movements within Great Britain of sawn ash timber, which poses a very low risk of disease transmission; and

* importation of sawn ash timber from certain countries under existing regulations against the forestry pest emerald ash borer, provided such material originates from a pest-free area for emerald ash borer. These regulations require the material to be accompanied by official phytosanitary (plant health) certificates declaring that the material either originated in areas known to be free of EAB, or that the wood is bark-free (which addresses the Chalara risk as well) before entering Great Britain.

Comments

[Tina & Steve]

Another plant issue, again LJN is wrong.

To qoute LJN "It's clear that plant passports are a waste of time and it's clear we cannot control what crosses our borders, in fact, reading the Fera advisory on plant passports, they say there are no checks carried out at border crossing but only a once a year inspection at the place of plant production. Although they do say spot checks can take place at any time."

In fact and reality, twice a year inspections at Growers for which we as Growers pay for. This has been the case for many years.

Importing plants from China last year, held up by FERA for 10 days at Southampton docks, fact! LJN wrong again?

"In my view only plants grown from stock already in the UK should be planted in the UK", says LJN.

LJN says, "But let's not stop there. The landscape industry must start supporting smaller nurseries within a reasonable distance of operating bases."

So no Buxus topiary in the UK, since 90%+ is imported from Holland and Belgium into the UK.

So no 30 litre+ plants in the UK, according to LJN, since these are imported from France, Holland, Spain & Italy.

This small minded "English" approach, whilst based in France, will never wash with UK Growers.

[Philip Voice]

Thanks for your comment Tina.

I guess we'll have to wait and see how this all pans out for the future.

[Ofer]

I had a customer from US Asking me to send him an olive tree from Israel- He was willing to pay any price for it - but I just could not get the right paper work for it...

As a student , one of my friends was to make sure no plants coming in to israel, you may laugh but if you had a sandwich with cucumber -it had to taken from you ....