Seven on GM crop charges part of group of up to 70
The Irish Times
Wednesday, March 31, 1999
By Kevin O'Sullivan, Environmental and Food Science
Correspondent, in New Ross
Seven environmentalists charged with sabotaging a genetically
modified crop were part of a group of up 70 people, many of
whom felt uprooting GM sugar beet was necessary to protect
human health and the environment, a court was told yesterday.
In the first case of its kind in the Republic, New Ross District
Court in Co Wexford heard that many of the protesters were
secretly filmed by security men employed by the US
biotechnology company Monsanto in Dublin, before boarding
a bus. They were again filmed as they arrived at a protest
meeting in Duncannon, Co Wexford, and later as they arrived
at a GM beet site nearby.
Mr David Bulbulia defending solicitor said there was no
disputing the environmentalists' role in damaging the GM beet
at Arthurstown, but he contested the charges brought against
them.
Before the court were Mr John Seymour (84), organic farmer
and food writer, of Killowen, New Ross; Mr Gavin Harte
(33), environmentalist, of Grantham Street, Dublin; Caomhín
Woods (33), a freelance journalist, of Maynooth, Co Kildare;
Mr Pauric Cannon (57), secretary of Dublin Food Coop, of
Crumlin, Dublin; Mr David Philip (34), environmentalist, of
Sackville Gardens, Dublin; Ms Adrienne Murphy (30),
environmentalist and Hot Press journalist, of Wilton Place,
Dublin; and Mr Richard Roche (50), publican, of the Quay,
New Ross.
Damage totalling £16,000 was alleged to have been caused on
June 21st last at the farm of Mr Martin Foley of Coleman,
Arthurstown, on a plot leased to Monsanto, which was
carrying out tests under Environmental Protection Agency
licence. The beet was genetically engineered to withstand
Monsanto's herbicide RoundUp.
The seven, with the exception of Mr Woods, faced charges of
damaging "without lawful excuse sugar beet belonging to
Monsanto (Ireland) Limited, intending to damage such
property or being reckless as to whether such property would
be damaged" under the 1991 Criminal Damage Act. All seven
were charged with forcible entry of a sugar beet trial site under
the 1971 Prohibition of Forcible Entry and Occupation Act.
An EPA scientific officer, Dr Tom McLoughlin, said the
cornerstone of regulations on the release of genetically
modified organisms was avoidance of any adverse impact on
the environment or human health.
Among more than 3,500 representations from the public about
five GM crop trials licensed by the EPA last year were
concerns about "unpredictable technology" and risk of
"superweeds"; and the belief that GMO genes would spread to
wild species or cross-pollinate with other plants. But their
experts considered the risk of gene flow to a species related to
the GM beet to be very low.
Asked about concerns regarding the EPA's reliance on
Monsanto data, he said this was the way it was done in EU
member-states and elsewhere.
Monsanto's Irish business manager, Dr Patrick O'Reilly, told
Supt Tom Sanderson, prosecuting, the purpose of the beet trial
was to examine weed control by applying RoundUp and the
safety of using the herbicide on the beet itself.
Dr O'Reilly accepted there was concern among opponents of
gene technology about "horizontal gene flow", but crossing of
species barriers occurred in nature. The vast majority of
science and scientific opinion favoured the technology, while
concerns were being driven by emotion rather than fact, he
said.
Mr Henry O'Donnell of Probe Security Network said certain
suspects had been monitored in advance of the sabotage. He
denied that a video had been used for identification rather than
detection purposes.
Sgt Bart Slattery told the court he was on duty on the site with
seven other gardaí on June 21st but they were powerless to
prevent what happened.
Mr Quentin Gargan of Genetic Concern said the arrival of GM
soya raised his concerns about gene technology. Initially, he
was worried about its impact on his health-food business but
he was increasingly worried by the way GM foods were being
introduced.
The hearing, before Judge Donnchadh Ó Búachalla, continues
today.
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