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June 17, 2003
Source:
ABC News via
Life Sciences
Network
There's been another delay in
making a decision to commercially release GM canola.
The Gene Technology Regulator, Dr Sue Meek, says she's stopped
the clock for a month on Bayer's application to grow genetically
modified canola, to review new information raised in public
submissions.
Bayer's, Susie O'Neill says the company is disappointed by the
delay, but wasn't planning to commercially release GM canola
this year anyway.
She says trials of the Invigor canola will continue, and any
commercial release will be phased in slowly from next year. "We
plan for a responsible, slow and careful introduction of Invigor
over the next few years. The states are all at different stages
in terms of commercialisation and/or moratorium on plantings so
there's different potential start dates in different states."
Meanwhile the forecasts for conventional canola production are
tumbling again.
The biggest canola producer, New South Wales, is now expecting
only a quarter of its record planting of three years ago, with
some 210,000 hectares now in the ground.
Don McCaffery from New South Wales Agriculture says the other
challenge is a lack of rain. "The main canola producing areas,
from Parkes through to Cowra, down to Wagga, are severely
lacking rainfall. They're still in drought and are basically
there is limited, or no sub-soil moisture under most of those
crops even though much of it has been sown."
OGTR news release
13 June 2003
Update on genetically modified
(GM) canola
In early April 2003 the Risk Assessment and Risk Management
Plan for the Bayer GM canola commercial release application
(DIR21) was released for public comment. The period of
consultation closed on Monday 26 May.
The application 'clock' has now been stopped on the Bayer GM
canola application (DIR21) to enable the thorough examination of
all relevant procedural issues. It is anticipated that the clock
will be stopped for approximately one month.
Meanwhile, the application 'clock' is still stopped on the
Monsanto GM canola commercial release application (DIR20) until
further advice on evaluation of herbicide use is received. When
this independent advice is provided, the Gene Technology
Regulator will be able to release the Risk Assessment and Risk
Management Plan for DIR20 for public consultation.
Announcements have been made recently by the New South Wales,
Victorian and Western Australian Governments on the introduction
of moratoria for GM crops in their respective States. The
purpose of these moratoria is to allow more time for marketing
and trade implications (which are outside the scope of the Gene
Technology Regulator's evaluations) to be assessed. The details
of the moratoria are being finalised and South Australia is also
considering its position. All of these States have advised that
commercial scale GM canola releases will not be allowed to take
place in their States this year, even if approved on human
health and safety and environmental grounds by the Gene
Technology Regulator. However, these States have agreed to
limited field trials, previously approved by the Regulator,
continuing under strictly controlled conditions in 2003. |
