New plant health stakeholder network meets for first time
The new Plant Health and Biosecurity Stakeholder Network held its first meeting yesterday (Monday, March 25), with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon welcoming the development.
The network is a consultative body which, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, has been established to provide insight on matters of plant health policy and operations to the EU-mandated national plant protection organisation (NPPO).
In Ireland's case, the NPPO is the department itself.
The aim to the NPPO, and the new consultative network, is to minimise the threat to plants from the potential introduction and establishment of plant pests and disease, and helping to protect agriculture, horticulture and forestry, the department said.
The consultative body has four key objectives:
- Ensuring all stakeholders are informed on policy and operational developments;
- Providing a forum for stakeholders on plant health matters with a view to protecting Ireland's plant health status;
- Encouraging "open communication and engagement" on these matters;
- Building collaborative relationships across all stakeholders in the policy area.
Commenting on the inaugural meeting of the network, Minister Heydon said: "I very much welcome the establishment of the Plant Health and Biosecurity Stakeholder Network.
"The network facilitates direct engagement between my department - in its role as the National Plant Protection Organisation - and plant health stakeholders from the industry and from interest groups," the minister added.
"Promoting and safeguarding plant health is a key strategic principle of the Plant Health and Biosecurity Strategy 2020-2025, and is aligned with our regulatory plant health responsibilities at national, EU and international level," he said.
"I would like to thank my officials and all the stakeholders for their participation. The Network provides a forum for discussion, opinion and action on plant health issues and challenges. I look forward to continued engagement and collaboration on plant health and biosecurity.”
During the inaugural meeting yesterday, stakeholders were updated on certain policy and operational developments, including a specific challenge in maintaining Ireland’s Protected Zone (PZ) status for the bacterial pest Erwinia amylovora (fireblight).
Ireland no longer meets EU PZ requirements for fireblight, and intends to apply to the European Commission to revoke its PZ status for fireblight.
Should the commission remove Ireland’s PZ status for fireblight, it will be treated as a 'Union regulated non-quarantine pest', requiring controls on plants for planting in nurseries only.
In that case, the surveillance for fireblight in the wider environment will cease. The department will implement “pest free area” arrangements for those businesses who wish to trade host plants into other protected zones.
Irish Hardy Nursery Stock Association (IHNSA) chair Val Farrell described the establishment of the stakeholder network as a "positive step".
“We will continue to engage and collaborate on plant health and biosecurity through this newly established stakeholder group. The nursery sector faces many ongoing challenges, and by working collectively we can protect our industry,” he said.
Farrell said that it will "provide a network for engagement" with DAFM and other stakeholders within the industry.
