Regulatory threats to seed exchanges and plant movements

[Anthony Darby]

This is the sort of crap I have to deal with. Just received a letter from the "Ministry for Primary Industries" about a "Mail Item Held" saying the following items sent to you.......do not meet the requirements of the Biosecurity Act 1993 and has been held by the... [MPI]"

Item description: "19 sachets of seeds for sowing with unreadable scientific name. whole parcel".

I attach a photo (which you can clearly read the labels) of the very "unreadable" packets sent to me. There was a list (all on the MAF list) enclosed with the seeds. Perhaps if they could actually employ someone who could read it would help!

[fermi de Sousa]

I attach a photo (which you can clearly read the labels) of the very "unreadable" packets sent to me. There was a list (all on the MAF list) enclosed with the seeds. Perhaps if they could actually employ someone who could read it would help!

Strange; they've never had trouble reading Marcus' writing before (as Lesley can attest).
The Aussie "MAF" have now taken to destroying anything they can't identify and telling us after the fact!
cheers
fermi

[Afloden]

Was the person who could not read these blind and needed it in braille?

[Anthony Darby]

Received this from MQS Auckland Airport Mail Centre:

"Hi Anthony

Thank you for the seed names you forwarded.
I have matched them to the biosecurity index and all are permitted entry into NZ. I have released your parcel today, sop[sic] happy gardening.

Regards Susan"

They must have installed new software to their seed packet reader - an ability to read. If they can match a typed list to individual packets the labels must be legible after all!!!

I sent a thank you.

[johnralphcarpenter]

I see that the EU is set to ban Rhododendron ponticum (now Rhododendron x superponticum I believe), making it a criminal offence to own the species or any cultivar derived from it. I wonder what proportion of the plants in Scotland's West Coast gardens will have to be grubbed up and burnt if this goes through.

[Corrado & Rina]

I see that the EU is set to ban Rhododendron ponticum (now Rhododendron x superponticum I believe), making it a criminal offence to own the species or any cultivar derived from it. I wonder what proportion of the plants in Scotland's West Coast gardens will have to be grubbed up and burnt if this goes through.

Let alone three quarters of Yorkshire privately owned woodlands, including the Forestry Commission's. Are they going to set up a special branch of the forces, Rhodocop?

Regards

Corrado

[Hoy]

This is the sort of crap I have to deal with. Just received a letter from the "Ministry for Primary Industries" about a "Mail Item Held" saying the following items sent to you.......do not meet the requirements of the Biosecurity Act 1993 and has been held by the... [MPI]"

Item description: "19 sachets of seeds for sowing with unreadable scientific name. whole parcel".

I attach a photo (which you can clearly read the labels) of the very "unreadable" packets sent to me. There was a list (all on the MAF list) enclosed with the seeds. Perhaps if they could actually employ someone who could read it would help!

Anything can happen with packets of seeds. I lost one shipment last summer as the custom defined the seeds as "food". Although I am allowed to import almost all kind of seeds someone suddenly decided to redefine seeds as food which is restricted. No argument could change that decision.

[johnralphcarpenter]

The latest elsewhere on the Forum is that the EU have dropped these proposals, at least for the time being.

[Maggi Young]

The latest elsewhere on the Forum is that the EU have dropped these proposals, at least for the time being.

 
John is right -  See here : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11232.msg319585#msg319585

[Maggi Young]

Post copied from the December (2014) in the Southern Hemisphere thread - the subject was raised as aresult of the confusion of the so-called Lilium Lancon /Lankon ....  see various posts on the thread  http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=12515.00

Hi Guys, and the best Season's Greetings!

Concur with the previous lily boys but the Bellingham and Bullwood hybrids can throw identical plants.

Which leads me to an area that NO ONE will want to go to BUT the Lilium" Lancon"situation is a prime example of the sort of thing the EU bureaucrats, who want to "protect" consumer interests by regulating description and ensuring the correct product is in the market, would be rubbing their hands over. Right up their alley - thanks drongo marketing morons!! A case of money trumping commonsense. 

Maggi, maybe this issue can placed on/ at the Regulatory Threats to Plant Movements, etc. thread? This is one of the practices which MUST stop if the arguments for commonsense are to be listened to. Seems innocent enough to us but it is a form of dumping which destroys trust and credibility and plays right into the Commissions hands.
Maggi, on second thoughts maybe my comments can be moved there and a reference may from there to here for illustration?
Apologies on breaking the flow but it needs to said somewhere.

Cheers, Marcus
This rave may probably not mean a thing to southerners but maybe a few will be savvy to whats at stake.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Let alone three quarters of Yorkshire privately owned woodlands, including the Forestry Commission's. Are they going to set up a special branch of the forces, Rhodocop?

Regards

Corrado

Love the  Rhodocop joke by the way!

[johnstephen29]

Hi isn't rhododendron ponticum classed as a plant pest or something like that? I know several woods here in Lincolnshire and up in yorkshire that are overun with it.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Certainly is, but the taxonomists tell us to call it Rhododendron x superponticum these days - they reckon it's a hybrid. Shame that one rogue species/hybrid gets a bad press for the whole genus.

[johnstephen29]

Hi Ralph yes it is, rhododendrons are beautiful shrubs when in flower. I can see the need for regulations to stop other nightmare plants getting in eg Japanese knotweed, azolla, but some people like in Anthony's case are a bit over zealous.

[Corrado & Rina]

Love the  Rhodocop joke by the way!

Thanks John Can imagine it bogged down in some Yorkshire wood fighting with the rodhodendron x superponticum (what a fantastic name for a super villain) ....