Halt GE Cows Until ERMA Reviewed

Auckland, 27 July 2002: Greenpeace today called for a halt to AgResearch’s GE cow application in response to the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday that ERMA11 Environmental Risk Management Authority should be reviewed.

“If the Government believes ERMA should be reviewed, how can they allow ERMA to make a decision on the most controversial GE application that New Zealand has ever seen?” asked Steve Abel, Genetic Engineering Campaigner.

“GE cow decision should be immediately halted until the review of ERMA is complete and the Bioethics Council, recommended by the Royal Commission, is established.”

“ERMA is a rubber-stamp authority that has approved all GE field trial applications to date. ERMA should assess laboratory experiments only and keep GE in the lab where it belongs,” Abel concluded.

ERMA received over 800 applications opposing the AgResearch application and admitted their own inability to assess “ethical concerns”.

Contact:
Steve Abel, Genetic Engineering Campaigner 021 565 175
Vanessa Atkinson 025 927 301
Vanessa Atkinson
Communications Assistant
Greenpeace New Zealand
Mobile: +64 (0)25 927 301
Ph: +64 (0)9 6306 317 Ext: 325
Fax: +64 (0)9 630 7121

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