Taskforce recommends threats to plant health be taken as seriously as animal disease
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| Prof. Chris Gilligan |
As
the fungus responsible for ash dieback continues to devastate ash tree
populations throughout the UK and other threats to the countryside continue to
emerge, experts convened by Defra are advocating for stronger measures to
protect the UK’s trees and plants.
The
independent Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce, chaired by
Professor Chris Gilligan, was established late last year to address the current
and emerging threats to the UK’s trees and plants. Working with an advisory
group made up of various stakeholder organisations, to include industry, Defra,
and the Forestry Commission as well as Border Force, the taskforce is proposing
a number of initiatives aimed at minimising the risk of plant pests and
diseases.
Professor
Chris Gilligan, chair of the taskforce and Professor of Mathematical Biology
and Head of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Cambridge,
said: “The UK needs to be better prepared for threats to plant health. In the
last few years alone, several previously unknown pests and pathogens have
emerged, posing significant risks to the UK’s crops as well as trees in
woodlands, commercial forests and in urban environments.
“By
increasing our understanding of what pests and diseases are the biggest threats
and how best to mitigate their impact, we can minimise potentially devastating
outbreaks.”
The
task force scientists believe that the threats have increased because of
globalisation in trade and travel and the subsequent escalation in volume and
diversity of plants and plant products entering the UK, all of which
potentially harbour plant pests and pathogens. Once established, pests and
pathogens can wreak havoc on biodiversity, timber and crop production, the
landscape and, in certain circumstances, human health. (In addition to Chalara,
recent examples include horse chestnut leaf mining moth, oak processionary
moth, bleeding canker of horse chestnut and Dothistroma needle blight on
pines.)
Although
the remit was to focus on trees and related woody species, the taskforce noted
that many of the principles addressed in recommendations for tree health are
applicable to pests and diseases that affect other plants (including
agricultural, horticultural and biomass crops, indigenous vegetation and
ornamental plants).
Taskforce recommendations
Currently,
there are numerous risk assessments for individual pests and pathogens at both
the national and European level. The taskforce recommends a single national
Risk Register for plant health. This new UK Plant Health Risk Register would
serve to identify and prioritise pests and pathogens that pose a threat to the
UK and to identify what actions must be taken should the threat
materialise.
The
taskforce is also advocating an individual at a senior level who is responsible
for overseeing the UK Plant Health Risk Register and providing leadership for
managing those risks. The Chief Plant Health Officer would work in a similar
fashion as the Chief Veterinary Officer, who oversees animal-related
emergencies.
The
appointee would also be responsible for developing and implementing procedures
for preparedness and contingency planning to predict, monitor and control the
spread of pests and pathogens. There was also a recommendation that current
governance and legislation needed to be reviewed, simplified and strengthened.
Because
of globalisation, more and more people and goods are travelling greater
distances at an increasingly greater rate. As a result, there is a significant
increase in the risk of introducing non-native pests and pathogens. In order to
minimise the risks of introduction at the border, the taskforce has made
several recommendations regarding the import of trees and other plants. They
propose that no plant material for personal use be imported from outside the
EU.
The
import of live plants, foliage, branches and other plant parts has seen a 71
per cent increase since 1999, dramatically increasing the risk a pathogen or
pest might be introduced. Therefore they also propose the Plant Passport
scheme, which currently only applies to some plants associated with pests and
pathogens, be strengthened and also applied to seeds as a means of ensuring
traceability (showing all ports of calls within the EU and last port before
entry to the EU).
Additional
recommendations include improving the use of epidemiological intelligence from
EU/other regions and work to improve the EU regulations concerned with tree
health and plant biosecurity, developing a modern, user-friendly, system to
provide quick and intelligent access to information about tree health and plant
biosecurity, and addressing key skills shortages.
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