April 17, 2000
The Environmental Risk Management Authority has welcomed the announcement of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Genetic Modification.
Acting Chief Executive, Donald Hannah, said that the Authority would cooperate fully with the Royal Commission and would provide information if asked. However, at this stage it did not expect to take a major role in the Inquiry.
Dr Hannah said the Royal Commission of Inquiry will fill an important role in providing a public forum for discussion about GE in New Zealand and its potential impacts.
We know from the range of submissions that we have received on applications to date that there is a high level of public interest in genetic modification. The Royal Commission will provide an opportunity to explore the many wide ranging issues that have arisen during the process.?
Under the HSNO Act, the Authority publicly notifies a range of applications, calls for submissions and where appropriate holds a public hearing on the application. All GM applications to date have involved research in containment.
The Authority has noticed that some submissions tend to raise issues that might be more relevant for a release application such as wider effects on New Zealand?s agriculture or trade. Some people have also used the public hearing process to explore generic issues that are not related to the specific application at hand,? said Dr. Hannah.
There is only limited scope for the Authority to deal with such issues in its decision making. Under the Act, it is obliged to consider applications on a case by case basis. And for field tests, the focus has to be on managing the risks to an acceptable level, using strict controls for the containment of GM plant or animal material.
A table is attached, which summarises all applications made to the Authority since it began work in July 1998, plus those carried over from an earlier voluntary regime before HSNO commenced.
Dr Hannah said the Moratorium will have a limited effect on the work of the Authority.
No GM release applications have ever been received, since ERMA began its work in July 1998. All applications to date have been either for development work (research in contained laboratories) or field tests, under containment.
Strictly speaking, without an amendment to the HSNO Act, any field test application could still be made. However, we expect that researchers will work within the constraints of the voluntary moratorium. This means we will still get some types of field test applications, but only those that meet the criteria set by the Government,? he said.
I would like to stress that all our other work under the HSNO Act will continue as before.
We also have an important role to manage risks from non GMO new organisms coming into New Zealand. For example, next month we have hearings into proposed releases for biocontrol agents, parasitic wasps to control pests in the horticulture sector.
We also have wider functions such as monitoring enforcement procedures under the Act; providing policy advice to the Minister for the Environment, including international policy; and promoting public awareness.
The Authority will also start work on managing the introduction of hazardous substances to New Zealand, once that part of the Act formally commences. It is hoped that this will take effect in the middle of this year.
Applications made to date under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 as at 5 April 2000
|
Type of Application |
No of Applications Received |
No of Applications Decided |
|
Import or Develop GMO in Containment. Many of these approvals relate to GM mice for medical research but also include import of GM sugarbeet seeds, GM maize seeds and microorganisms. A large number of these applications are ?stalled? awaiting further information from the applicant |
18 |
13 |
|
Field Test GMO in Containment. There have been two approvals for field trials of genetically modified animals (PPL = sheep and AgResearch = cattle). There have been several plant approvals covering GM sugarbeet, potatoes, petunias and maize; and one fermentation approval. |
15 |
9 |
|
Release GMO. |
0 |
0 |
|
Import New Organism Into Containment. Six applications have been approved mostly for the testing of biocontrol agents, but also a display butterfly house. |
13 |
7 |
|
Release New Organism (not GM) Three applications have been received for the release of insects as biocontrol agents. |
4 |
0 |
|
Section 26 Determination. Two applications for Narcisis which have been determined not to be ?new organisms?. |
5 |
3 |
|
Grounds for Reassessment. Both requests initiated by the Chief Executive. Focused on controls on transferred approvals for a transgenic salmon development and three field trials of genetically modified canola. |
2 |
2 |
|
Reassessment A reassessment for a GM salmon development is being processed |
1 |
1 |
|
Totals |
59 |
35 |
Other existing research (field tests) ongoing and approved before ERMA started in July 1998 (from New Zealand Gazette, 30 July 1998, Issue 10)
|
Type of Research |
Organisation |
Timing |
|
GM Sheep |
PPL |
Completion October 2001 |
|
GM Canola |
Zeneca Seeds |
Post-harvest monitoring, July 2001 or one year after no further canola seedlings appear in the trial site |
|
GM Canola |
Crop and Food |
Post-harvest monitoring, April/May 2001 or one year after no further canola seedlings appear in the trial site |
|
GM Pinus radiata |
Forest Research Institute |
Completion, January 2003 |
|
GM Sheep |
Lincoln University |
Completion, March 2001 |
|
GM peas |
Crop and Food |
Post-harvest monitoring March 2001 |
|
GM Tamarilloes |
Hort Research |
Completion, January 2001 |
|
GM Canola |
Zeneca Seeds |
Post-harvest monitoring, May 2002 |
For further information contact:
| Dr. Donald Hannah Acting CEO Tel: +64 4 473 8426 |
Karen Cronin Communications Manager Tel: +64 4 918 4826 |