So…Is Bio Control Actually Going to Happen??
A follow up to the Public Consultation ref. Potential Release of Aphalara itadori as a control measure for Japanese Knotweed - was held at The Innovation Centre in Reading on the 9th December.
The conference was attended by members from the Environment Agency, DEFRA (Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs), FERA (Food and Environment Research Agency), the Plant Health service, some interested parties such as British Waterways, the Cornwall Knotweed forum and the National Trust as well as myself and two other Japanese Knotweed consultants.
The presentations were from Dick Shaw (CABI) and Steve Ashby with a follow up by Sarah Hugo from FERA. Full details of the presentations will be available at a Seminar being held by Japanese Knotweed Solutions in March 2009 – for details on how to book a place, please contact Suzanne Hardy at our Manchester office on 0161 723 2000.
Having no experience of ‘Public Consultations’ I have been amazed to find that nobody that I have spoken to has even heard of the Psyllid aphid – and nobody has been aware that there even has been a ‘consultation’!
Apparently this is not unusual – what an apathetic bunch of people us UK citizens are!
So….Christmas Quiz!
Q. Of a population of 70 million….guess how many responded to the Public Consultation??
Answers please on the response section of the Blog – anyone getting the correct answer will win a bottle of champagne.
Mike C
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:53 am
1000 people.
January 12th, 2010 at 11:29 am
I was aware of the potential bio control. The last i heard they were finalising lab tests for preferences this bug may feed upon. It will not completely rid us of JK it will inhibit its growth and therefore spread. I would expect pest control organisations, interested individuals within L.Authorities and other public bodies, NGO’s wildlife organisations, researchers, industry, commerce, agriculture,horticulture etc.Though 99.99999% of the population would not be aware of it at all. So to respond to a questionnaire is taking it another step, thereby reducing responses even further. Having phoned Defra today, they said about 76 responses. Typical!!