LifeSciences and Green Party agree on 800km buffer zone

24 August 2001

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons today welcomed comments from LifeSciences Network Chairman William Rolleston that an effective buffer zone between GE and non-GE crops would be 800 km of sea water.

"The only flaw in Dr Rolleston's logic is his choice of the Chatham Islands to grow GE carrots," said Ms Fitzsimons.

"Chatham Islanders probably want to grow their own carrots, and I'm sure Dr Rolleston would agree that they wouldn't want them contaminated."

Dr Rolleston said on RNZ Rural News on Wednesday "It might be sensible to say that you shouldn't plant kiwifruit, GM kiwifruit, in the middle of the Bay of Plenty if there is a high chance that it's going to cross-pollinate with non-GM kiwifruit. That doesn't mean that you can't plant for example carrots in the Chatham Islands and still sell kiwifruit which are GM-Free because the risk of cross-contamination is zero."

"If Dr Rolleston is looking for a large body of water to use as a buffer zone, I suggest he look no further than the Tasman Sea," said Ms Fitzsimons.

"That's the only way New Zealand will be able to guarantee that our kiwifruits, our carrots and all our other fruits and vegetables are GE-Free."

ENDS

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