GM trees destroyed over EasterFriday 13 Apr 2012 Intruders have dug under electrified security fencing to destroy genetically modified pine trees in a field trial being carried out by Crown Research Institute Scion in Rotorua, New Zealand. Scion chief executive Dr Warren Parker said the blatant act of vandalism during the Easter break was designed to end the company's genetic modification research programme. The field trial site contained 375 radiata pines trees planted last year following approval from ERMA (now the Environmental Protection Authority).Set inside Scion's perimeter fence, the 1-hectare field trial site was secured by a double fence, one of which was electrified and monitored. The offenders cut through the perimeter fence elsewhere on the campus, then dug under the security fencing and attacked the trees by cutting them at root level and pulling them out of the ground. Most of the trees were less than a metre high, and were part of two experiments due to run for two to three years. One was testing herbicide resistance and the other was looking at reproductive development. All risk management safety protocols were immediately implemented when the attack was discovered. The site had been inspected by police and all fences had been repaired. Scion was confident no heritable material left the site. Source: stuff.co.nz |
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