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NEWS ALERT - Chalara Disease Found in Young Ash Trees in Ireland for First Time
- 15 October 2012
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has today confirmed a finding of the disease (Chalara fraxinea) at a site in County Leitrim. The disease is known as ash dieback and it is a first finding for Ireland. The disease causes significant damage and has spread rapidly in continental Europe where it is now widespread in several countries.
As a result, the Department is carrying out a number of measures. Firstly, at this planting site Department officials are working with the owner involved to destroy the material and remove the risk of the disease spreading. The Department is investigating a number of other sites planted with imported ash trees from the same consignment which originated from continental Europe.
Secondly, DAFM is introducing emergency measures under the Plant Health Directive. These new measures being introduced by the Department under Statutory Instrument will require that any ash plants imported into the country would come from an area known to be free of the disease. This would be regulated under the EU Plant Passport system.
The Department is calling on the forest nursery trade and contractors to introduce a voluntary moratorium on imported stock from continental Europe with immediate effect.
Department officials have already been in contact with the forest nursery trade, hurley manufacturers, forest organisations and forestry contractors and will continue active consultation with these groups in order to brief them on the disease and the measures being taken.
Officials at the Department have recently met with their counterparts in Northern Ireland in order to co-ordinate an all island approach to tackling the disease. Department officials are also working closely with the relevant authorities in Great Britain.
Forest owners and members of the public are asked to be vigilant for the disease and report any sites where there are concerns about unusual ill health in ash to Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine by email forestprotection@agriculture.gov.ie or by phoning 01 6072651.
Symptoms to look for in ash include necrotic lesions on stems and branches leading to foliage wilt, dieback of branches and death of the top of the crown.
Source: MerrionStreet.ie - Chalara Disease Found in Young Ash Trees in Ireland for First Time
