REGULATION OF PLANT PESTS
Introduction
Plant pests are insects, other invertebrates, bacteria, fungi, viruses and other pathogens which affect the health of cultivated or wild plants by feeding on them or causing disease. Plant pests generally pose no risk to humans or animals.
Most plant pests are not regulated by the government. There are, however, two categories of plant pests which are subject to regulation: quarantine pests and regulated non-quarantine pests.
"Quarantine pests" are "pests of potential economic or environmental importance to an area, which are not present there or which, if present, are not widespread, and are being officially controlled". Some pests which are widely established are nevertheless prohibited or only permitted within a certain tolerance on planting material such as certified seed potatoes or fruit plants. These may be referred to as "regulated non-quarantine pests".
Pest Risk Analysis (PRA)
The decision on whether a pest is a potential quarantine pest is taken on the basis of a "Pest Risk Analysis" or PRA. PRAs may range from a simple expert judgement ("tropical insect, no host plants in Europe, no risk") to a detailed scientific review which attempts to put figures on the risks, and the costs and benefits of different ways of managing those risks. Under international trade rules any measures which regulate imports must be justified by a PRA written according to international standards.
In the UK, PRAs are normally produced by Defra's Central Science Laboratory (CSL) or, for forestry pests, CSL and/or Forestry Research.
Future Consultation Procedures on PRAs and Disclosure of Outbreak Sites
In December 2004 the Scottish Executive consulted relevant Scottish business interests including agricultural, horticultural, environmental and consumer groups about the procedures the Executive proposes to use in future when making decisions about action on plant pests, and the disclosure of site information following an outbreak of a plant pest or disease subject to statutory controls. A copy of the consultation document is available for inspection.
Following this consultation procedures have been put in place which will enable Scottish growers and interested individuals and organisations to view, and submit comments on, the main PRAs carried out by CSL that relate to suggestions for changes to the lists of pests in the Plant Health Directive and in response to outbreaks of pests in the UK or elsewhere which may pose a risk to the UK. A document which explains how these procedures will work, and which contains links to the relevant pages of Defra's website, may be viewed here.