Timber Troubles: Irish Imports of Scottish Logs Halted Due to Bark Beetle Threat

DAFM Confirms End of Scottish Log Exports to Ireland Due to Bark Beetle Risk

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has officially put an end to the export of Scottish logs to Ireland due to concerns surrounding the bark beetle. Last August, forestry inspectors from the department discovered larch bark beetles (Ips cembrae) in a pheromone trap located at Passage West Port in Co. Cork. This finding prompted a temporary halt on the export of coniferous logs from the Pest Free Area (PFA) of Scotland to Ireland, pending a comprehensive investigation by Scottish authorities.

This particular region of Scotland has been designated as free from several bark beetle pests since 2005, pests that are also absent from the island of Ireland. This recognition of pest-free status has allowed for the export of coniferous roundwood from the PFA to Ireland, provided that a phytosanitary certificate confirms the timber’s origin in this area. In recent months, DAFM has maintained close communication with counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

However, last week, Scottish Forestry informed the department that they are unable to guarantee the absence of Ips cembrae bark beetles in the Scottish PFA, thus failing to meet the EU’s phytosanitary import requirements. According to the regulations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), it is the responsibility of National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs) to assess the pest status within their territories and communicate this information to trading partners. Consequently, the communication from Scottish authorities effectively terminates the trade of coniferous roundwood with Ireland.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, emphasized the department’s commitment to plant health and biosecurity in support of the agriculture, horticulture, and forestry sectors. He highlighted that Ireland is free from many bark beetle forest pests prevalent in Europe and Great Britain, stressing the importance of maintaining this pest-free status to safeguard the economic, environmental, and social significance of the forestry sector in Ireland.

Minister of State at DAFM with responsibility for forestry, Michael Healy-Rae, echoed these sentiments by stating that halting the trade in conifers due to the changed status of Ips cembrae in the PFA will mitigate the risk of introducing a harmful forest pest into Ireland. He affirmed that officials will continue extensive surveys for protected zone bark beetle species and other potentially harmful forest pests throughout the country in 2025.

The department has ensured that stakeholders are kept informed about developments regarding the PFA through its Forest Health Stakeholder Group, which convened three times in 2024. This group was established under the Plant Health and Biosecurity Strategy to facilitate communication and collaboration on matters concerning forest health and biosecurity.

Matt Lyons

Matt Lyons

Matt Lyons is the founder of Forestry & Carbon. Matt has over 25 years as a forestry consultant and is invoilved in numerous carbon credit offset projects.

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