27th February 2013
Moorland owners are heralding a temporary triumph following furore over an EU ban on the only effective bracken control herbicide.
The ruling that came into force on January 1 has been given a short UK reprieve, following intensive campaigning by The Bracken Control Group, backed by the Moorland Association.
Following new advice from the government’s Advisory Committee on Pesticides, Asulam can be purchased and stored from May 20 and vital spraying of Asulam can go-ahead from July 1 until the end of the bracken growing season.
The decision, rubber stamped by Defra, allows a further use-up period ending on October 31.
Moorland Association chairman, Robert Benson, said members were delighted to have a season’s breathing space.
He added: “It gives us time to further galvanise efforts to safeguard Asulam’s long-term use in protecting vast tracts of precious moorland from massive bracken infestation.
“Without this safe, selective, government-approved herbicide, bracken would change the face of Britain’s countryside, devastating wildlife and destroying grouse moor management. Around £100 million a year would be lost to the rural economy.
“Three quarters of the world’s heather moorland is found in the UK and without Asulam, 50 per cent would already be gone.”
Simon Thorp, Bracken Control Group co-ordinator explained the long-term future for Asulam was still in the balance.
He said: “On the one hand this is a victory, on the other we must wait to see if Brussels will re-register the herbicide and that will not happen until 2016 at the earliest.
“We will have to re-apply for an emergency authorisation again next year and it will be illegal to store Asulam during 2013 before and after the agreed dates. The battle over bracken has only temporarily been won.
Designed to protect the food chain from applications on spinach, the country’s moorland owners said the ban would devastate Britain’s rural economy.
They argued the breeding of Britain’s unique wild red grouse would be badly hit, along with the grouse shooting industry, worth £67.7 million in England and 23.3 million in Scotland.
Over 2,500 jobs would be put at risk, threatening the designated habitat of 46 other important moorland-dependent bird species.
Dr Alastair Leake, Director of Policy with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust said:
“This decision is beneficial on so many fronts – human health, biodiversity, agriculture, leisure, historic environment etc.
Not least because the environment created by bracken beds has been shown to favour Sheep Tick Ixodes ricinus activity with up to 70% of all tick activity in heath and dry moorland areas associated with bracken dominated habitats.
All the stakeholders have supported the continued use of Asulam and we fully commend the Chemicals Regulation Directorate and Defra for granting emergency authorization.
Bracken can completely re-establish its dominance within about 3 years and if treatment is not continued any money and resource applied to control that bracken would have been completely wasted and the control programme would need to start again from the beginning.”
Anyone requiring further information can check www.brackencontrol.co.uk
At a glance – Conditions of Use for Asulam 2013
- An Emergency Authorisation has been granted for Asulam products for use on bracken only.
- Prior to May 20 and after September 16, Asulam may not be advertised, marketed or sold. Only advice on management and planning can be given to inform people.
- Bracken spraying may commence from July 1st until the end of the bracken control season.
- Aerial spraying licences can be applied from now on, but they will only be issued from May 20.
- From September 16th to 31st October existing stocks of Asulam may be used-up by land managers, stored and transferred. No further product may be sold or bought beyond September 16th.
- After October 31st it will be illegal to use or store Asulam products. Before this date, any stocks must be applied to the land, returned to the distributor or destroyed.
- An Emergency Authorisation will be applied for next year’s spraying season. There is no chance that storage will subsequently granted for excess stock of Asulam in readiness for next year.
