Harmful forestry pest foundin Canadian timber imports

By Donal Magner

Minister highlights the importance of protecting Ireland's forests

Minister Mary Wallace highlighted the importance of keeping Ireland's forests free of harmful forest pest damage last week after her officials intercepted two imported consignments of timber from Canada.

These were found to be infested with the pine wood nematode, one of the most serious threats to Europe's forests.

She said that this forestry pest threatens Ireland's relative pest free status. "Ireland's forests are recognised as being among the healthiest in Europe and we need to protect the national forest estate against the introduction of exotic pests and diseases.

In this regard my officials in the Forest Service operate import controls under the EU Plant Health Directive.''

She said that all necessary steps were taken to deal with the interceptions.

The non-compliant imported Canadian timber was appropriately treated under the supervision of the Department's forestry inspectors and the European Commission and EU Member States have been notified. Contact was also made with the forest authorities in Canada outlining the seriousness of this issue.

The prevention of the nematode from infecting Irish forests is extremely important. It was inadvertently introduced into Portugal in 1999 possibly in infested wood packaging material.

It is now causing serious damage to Portugal's forests and millions of trees have since been felled and removed with the aim of containing and eradicating the pest.

Special EU legislative control measures are in place under Commission Decision 2006/133/EC.

The Minister said that the "implementation of strict forest plant health regulations and Ireland's island status have protected us from many diseases and pests that are present in other parts of Europe and around the world.''

Apart from the ongoing inspection of timber and wood packaging material imports, the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food carries out surveys and monitors the health status of the national forest estate.

The Minister highlighted the importance of early detection of exotic pests and diseases and urged forest owners to report any unusual signs or symptoms of pest or disease attack or other forest damage to the Forest Service.

Unwelcome travellers

Quarantine bark beetle species and wood boring insects were detected recently in Dublin Port. The pest that caused the alarm bells to ring was the the pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) which was identified following laboratory analysis of representative wood samples.

Difficult to detect, the pine wood nematode is a microscopic eelworm which can cause a very serious disease in the forest known as pine wilt disease. The nematode's life cycle is linked to the life cycle of a large wood boring long horn beetle species, Monochamus. When the larva of this beetle pupates and emerges as an adult from the tree/timber, it can carry thousands of nematodes on its body parts. While feeding and egg laying on healthy trees it can transmit the nematode.

The nematode can then build up in millions in the tree, causing what is essentially a blockage in the plumbing of the tree. This causes the wilt and subsequent death of the tree.