GM canola - effect on beekeepers

Submitted by Louise Sales on Thu, 22/09/2011 - 15:20

Extract from Hansard
[COUNCIL — Thursday, 22 September 2011]
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Hon Lynn MacLaren; Hon Robyn McSweeney

GENETICALLY MODIFIED CANOLA — EFFECT ON BEEKEEPERS

811. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for Agriculture and Food:

(1) Is the minister aware of the European Court of Justice’s recent ruling that honey containing traces of
genetically modified products, even unintentionally, must always be regarded as food produced from a
genetically modified organism?

(2) What action will the minister take to protect WA beekeepers from the potential loss of valuable export markets to Europe due to the presence of GM canola pollen in their products?

Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1) Yes.

(2) In 2009–10 less than 0.3 per cent of the WA honey crop was exported to Europe, indicating that the
European Union market is not a valuable market for WA.