Biodiversity / Food / Water

March 13, 2005

 

Spread of Genetically Modified Canola Confirmed across Japan

Keywords: Ecosystems / Biodiversity Government University / Research institute 

The presence of imported genetically modified (GM) canola plants growing in the wild has been confirmed across Japan. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries first reported on June 29, 2004 that it had confirmed the presence of imported canola varieties growing in the vicinity of Kashima Port in Ibaraki Prefecture, on the basis of a survey conducted from fiscal 2002 through fiscal 2003.

Following this survey, in 2004 a citizens' group conducted the first nationwide investigation in Japan. Carried out by volunteers, this investigation discovered canola resistant to Roundup, a herbicide manufactured by the U.S. agricultural biotech firm Monsanto Co., growing wild around wharf No.3 at Yokkaichi Port and on a road near an oil mill in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture on July 21 and near Nagoya Port in Aichi Prefecture on August 13. Another major type of imported canola resistant to Basta, a herbicide made by Aventis CropScience in France, was also confirmed growing wild around Kashima Port and other locations..

Nobuyoshi Nakajima, a general researcher at the National Institute for Environmental Studies, an independent administrative institution, gathered seeds of wild growing canola at 45 points along national roads in Ibaraki and Chiba prefectures from early July through early August 2004. Roundup-resistant canola was present among seeds collected at eight points along Route 51.

Nakajima says that vegetation in these areas should be monitored, although it is presently very unlikely that imported canola will affect biodiversity beyond the roadside area because these areas are periodically weeded and in any event hybrid plants generally have low seed productivity.



Posted: 2005/03/13 11:29:23 AM
Japanese version

 

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