GM canola spill risks export markets

The WA Greens spokesperson on GMOs, Hon Lynn MacLaren MLC, is calling for the reinstatement of the genetically modified (GM) canola moratorium after 15 tonnes of GM canola spilt from a truck on the Albany Highway near Williams, just 500 metres from a non-GM canola farm.

Hon Lynn MacLaren said “This incident is yet another demonstration that Agriculture Minister Terry Redman’s GM canola experiment has failed. Our markets don’t want it and are now being jeopardised by GM contamination.”

“Janette Liddelow, whose farm is just 500 metres away from the spill, is one of a group of growers in the area who market non-GM canola directly to Japan. She is concerned about losing these contracts if any GM contamination occurs,” added Ms MacLaren.

“A dozen farmers from the Williams area last year requested that Terry Redman make the area a GM-free zone to preserve their market premiums but the Minister refused. They also requested Sensitive Site status this year but were again turned down,” said Ms MacLaren.

“The farmers in this area are likely to have no legal recourse if their crops are contaminated by GM canola from the spill, unless they can prove negligence on the part of the freight carrier. GM canola should never have been introduced in WA without mechanisms in place to protect farmers such as these from economic losses due to GM canola contamination,” added Ms MacLaren.

“The incident follows the Government’s admission in June that none of the genetically modified (GM) canola grown in Western Australia last year has been sold.[1] Why are we jeopardising farmers livelihoods for a product that our key markets have made clear they don’t want?” said Ms MacLaren.

“Ninety-five per cent of WA’s canola went to Europe last year – a market with no tolerance for GM canola. Now that GM canola has been introduced in the state, farmers are quite rightly worried that it is only a matter of time before our non-GM shipments get contaminated and start being rejected,” concluded Ms MacLaren.