The credibility of the government’s Genetically Modified plants farmscale trial programme is in tatters after a series of decontamination actions.
At the time of writing five of the twelve Spring oilseed rape sites and four of the twelve maize sites have been partially destroyed.
In the last 3 weeks a total of 9 farmscale trials have been visited by people taking immediate and pragmatic action against the pollution of the countryside sponsored by the UK government and Aventis Plc.
This constitutes damage and possible invalidation to 18.75% of the total FST evaluations currently being grown.
Chris Pollock, Head of the UK Scientific Steering Committee on Farm Scale Evaluations said repeated attacks on the sites risked undermining the entire project. “Obviously we have concerns that the numbers of trials are low and that any damage to them which affects the ability to collect data will have an effect on the total pool of information,” he told BBC radio. Pollock, who leads the committee that is overseeing the tests, said scientists needed 60 to 75 sites over the three-year trial period to ascertain if GM has any environmental fallout.
The government said that experts have a combined 48 sites that are valid and another two years testing to go.
“We’re not worried. This has all been taken into consideration and we are still within our targets,” a government spokeswoman said.
Since then, further 6 trials were substantially damaged.
This level of activity can no longer be written off as the work of ‘vandals’ and the scale and range of actions represents a massive groundswell of public feeling against the trials and the unwarranted risks that they pose to the British countryside.
Daviot, Scotland, (Spring Oilseed Rape -SOSR) 15% destroyed.
Hutton Magna, Yorkshire, (SOSR), no information has been passed on about the extent of the damage.
Chipping Campden Glouscester, (SOSR), 75% destroyed.
Hemel Hempstead, Herts (SOSR), 50+% destroyed.
Kempley, Glouscester, (SOSR), 50+% destroyed.
Over Compton, Dorset (LL Chardon Maize), 7 arrests, one person detained, 15% destroyed.
Wivenhoe, Essex, (LL Chardon Maize), 11 arrests, 25+% destroyed.
Headley Hall Farm, Yorkshire, (LL Chardon Maize), 60+% destroyed.
IARC Rothamstead, Herts, (LL Chardon Maize), 35+% destroyed.
Click here to find your nearest test site.
For more information:
Genetic Engineering Network (GEN)
PO BOX 9656
London N4 4JY
tel: 020 7 6900626
To subscribe the GEN’s mailing list, write to [email protected] with ‘Subscribe Genetics’ in the subject box, and your list choice:
List 1: up to 5 emails daily
List 2: condensed version, including Genetix update newsletter, action alerts or GE Media.
The archive can be accessed at http://www.gene.ch/info4action.html