Forest house owners need ban on timber with bark amid concern for ‘catastrophe’

A bunch of forest house owners has issued a powerful warning of the potential for a “nationwide catastrophe” ought to a “harmful” beetle enter the nation.

The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle, Ips Typographus, which has brought on widespread harm to forests throughout Europe, has to this point not been discovered on the island of Eire.

Nevertheless, the Irish Forest Homeowners (IFO) group has stated that if this pest ought to be allowed to achieve entry by means of the importation of timber with bark on it, it could be a “nationwide catastrophe” and would make the ash dieback emergency look easy.

Governments have issued recommendation stating that these sorts of beetles usually tunnel into the bark of dwelling timber to put its eggs.

The larvae then feed and develop, forming galleries that weaken, and in some instances kill, the host tree.

In a press release, the IFO stated: “As issues stand, we import substantial portions of logs with bark on for processing by Irish sawmills.

“A lot of this timber comes from Scotland. Lately, the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle was found in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland and consequently there’s an elevated danger related to the importation of these logs.”

Scottish Forestry has stated, nonetheless, that its surveillance programme to examine for pests and illnesses in Scotland’s forests is proving successful.

This single discovering of an Ips typographus beetle was positioned on a lure in a Fife woodland. Tree well being consultants imagine it’s probably to have are available on the again of products being shipped at Grangemouth.

Forest house owners name for ban

The IFO stated it needs to spotlight the continued dangers concerned within the importation of logs that haven’t been debarked onto this island.

“We ask the Minister for Agriculture to take pressing motion to take care of this rising danger to guard the way forward for the forest business in Eire,” the group said.

“Particularly, we advise they liaise with their counterpart in Northern Eire to undertake an all-Island strategy to defend our Protected Zone Standing in opposition to this and different bark beetle pests.

“Except the division can completely assure that the inspections at ports all through the island of Eire are enough to forestall the vital of the bark beetle, a ban on the importation of timber that’s not bark-free have to be issued.”

IFO stated that every one foresters, forest house owners and different stakeholders are requested to be vigilant for uncommon ill-health in timber or proof of bark beetle and report any considerations to the division.