Quarantine for foreign trees ...but disease is already here
TREES could soon be quarantined on arrival to Britain to guard against foreign plant diseases, the government warned yesterday.
The move follows two cases in which major threats to home-grown trees were blamed on plants commercially imported from Europe.
To guard against future problems, Environment Secretary Michael Gove says trees and shrubs may be placed in secure areas ‘for observation’ before they can be sold or planted on UK soil.
‘We must seize every opportunity offered by Brexit to strengthen our biosecurity,’ he declared yesterday.
Insects, fungi, bacteria and invasive weeds all present a risk to British trees. Millions of ash trees are already at risk of ash dieback virus which was first found in a consignment of trees sent from a nursery in the Netherlands to one in Buckinghamshire in 2012.
Another continental pest to invade the UK is the oak processionary moth, which is believed to have arrived in London and Berkshire as eggs already laid on semi-mature oaks which were imported from Europe for landscaping projects.
It can strip oak trees almost bare by feeding on their leaves then starting on other species of tree when the oaks are exhausted.
Other diseases raging in Europe include a bacterial pest called Xylella fastidiosa, which is laying waste to olive groves in Italy.
This could infect a variety of UK trees, including oaks, if it reaches these shores. Another pest feared abroad but not yet in Britain is the emerald ash borer, a beetle lethal to ash trees which is found in Asia and north America.
Some horticulture businesses already place plants under quarantine as a biosecurity measure. And the government puts controls on trees and plants at risk from specific diseases – such as prohibitions on imports of ash trees to areas affected by dieback.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) now wants this targeted approach to be broadened out to provide better protection against harmful pests across the country.
Mr Gove said yesterday: ‘The UK has a global reputation for setting the high standards for biosecurity of plants and trees but there is no room for complacency.
‘In ten years’ time I want to be able to say our oaks are thriving, that pests are being kept at bay and that our woodlands and forests are flourishing. Trees benefit our economy, society and wellbeing significantly and this strategy sets out how we will preserve them for generations to come.’
Christine Reid, head of conservation at the Woodland Trust, welcomed the strategy and said: ‘It is an important step in coordinating the UK’s efforts to combat tree pests and diseases. We rely on our beloved trees, yet they are facing too many threats.
‘We need an effective biosecurity strategy, we need to plant more UK-sourced trees, and we need to develop the forestry sector.
‘This strategy outlines the key steps required, and has brought together the sector charged with making this happen.’
Sir Harry Studholme, head of the Forestry Commission added: ‘Publishing this strategy is a critical milestone in our ongoing work to safeguard England’s trees.
‘It provides clear direction on how we can work collaboratively across sectors to combat tree pests and diseases, to protect our beloved forests and woodlands for not only our current generation but for the future.’
‘I want pests kept at bay ’