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March 17, 2000
Reuters/PA News
Protests may halt UK GM trials - Minister
LONDON -- Britain's Environment Minister Michael Meacher was cited as
saying on Friday that some of a fresh round of genetically modified (GM)
crop
trials could be suspended if there was opposition from local people.
The stories say that Ministers will give precise locations later on Friday
for the first of more than 60 farm-scale trials of GM maize, beet and
oilseed rape across the country, despite attacks by environmental activists
on several GM sites last year.
Meacher was quoted as telling BBC radio that, "This is a totally
transparent
exercise. We're doing it for very good reasons because there is no other
way
of finding out whether or not GM crops cause damage to the environment
compared to similar non-GM crops."
Asked whether any of trials would be suspended if local people objected,
Meacher was quoted as responding, "That is a possibility. This is
not an
exercise in which we're going through a consultative facade which has
no
effect. I want this to be done in a way which is acceptable to people.
I
know there is a great deal of opposition but I believe it's necessary
to get
the results but I want it to be done in a manner that satisfies public
opinion."
The trials, which are due to start on March 30, will assess the impact
of GM
crops on plants and insects, and decide the viability of growing GM crops
commercially in Britain.
Lianna Stupples, campaigns director for Friends of the Earth, was cited
as
saying the trials were a sham and should not go ahead, adding, "These
trials
are creating an illusion that we're setting about doing some science and
that we've got some control over this. They are a threat to the countryside.
Our own research and indeed the government's research has shown that if
the
pollen escapes from these sites then that's going to be genetic pollution
in
our countryside."
In later coverage, Britain unveiled the first batch of up to 80 new trial
sites of genetically modified (GM) crops despite fierce opposition from
environmental groups and public misgivings about the safety of GM food.
The 30 farm-scale trials of GM maize, beet and oilseed rape -- to be planted
within weeks -- will assess the impact on plants and insects as part of
decisions on the viability of growing the crops commercially.
GM crops will be planted at up to 50 other sites, with the locations to
be
published later this month. The results of the trials will be made available
after they are completed in 2003.
The precise locations of the 30 sites were revealed by the Department
of the
Environment, Transport and the Regions despite attacks by environmental
activists that disrupted several of the nine GM crop trials conducted
last
year.
Greenpeace executive director Lord Peter Melchett, who will appear in
court
next month after being arrested during a protest at a GM test site in
eastern England last year, was cited as declining to say whether similar
actions would take place this year.
Earlier this year, British supermarket Tesco asked farmers not to supply
it
with food from land used to test GM crops.
Dr Roger Turner, chairman of SCIMAC, a cross-industry body representing
farmers, plant breeders, the seed trade and biotechnology companies, was
cited as welcoming the announcement that sufficient sites had been
identified to allow the GM trials to go ahead, adding, "Now we can
get on
with the job of answering the specific questions raised about GM crops
on
the basis of sound scientific evidence, not scaremongering and hysteria."
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