Day 058 - 30 Nov 94 - Page 23
1 (Short Adjournment)
2
3 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes?
4
5 MR. MORRIS: Just one question about page 8: "In Sweden, the
6 use of herbicides has been banned since 1983". What was
7 the concern, why was it banned?
8 A. The use of, the unnecessary use of herbicides,
9 obviously, would be something one did not wish to encourage
10 and I think this has been a general pattern everywhere.
11 There is nothing unusual. In that country it was practical
12 to do so because of the conditions in forest management.
13
14 Q. Up to that time, why were they banned completely in Sweden
15 in 1983, or I put it to you that they were banned because
16 they were causing environmental and ecological damage?
17 A. I think it has been generally accepted that the over
18 use of chemical treatment of any kind, whether it is
19 agriculture land or forestry land, is to be avoided. In
20 the case of Sweden it was practical to ban it.
21
22 Q. In Sweden they took the view it was not over use, it was
23 any use that was to be discouraged -- illegal, in fact.
24 A. It was both a sensible thing to do and a practical
25 thing to do, to ban it.
26
27 Q. Was there a particular concern about the run off into
28 streams on the water table from herbicides in Sweden?
29 A. I think that one of the real effects of any chemical
30 treatment is not so much in the area treated as in the
31 water courses that are close to the area treated, and to
32 that extent your statement is right.
33
34 Q. If we go over to page 9, the UK: "The estimated total
35 usage of herbicides", this is the bottom two paragraphs --
36 these herbicides, is this for new planting?
37 A. Herbicides can be used for new planting or for the
38 areas that have been previously felled. On the whole, the
39 herbicides are used to remove vegetation which is really
40 better cleared for the purpose of growing the trees,
41 whereas when you are restocking the ground conditions very
42 seldom have such heavy vegetation to require herbicides.
43
44 Q. So, in establishing a plantation, that is when the
45 herbicides are most effective or most used?
46 A. Yes. I think I indicate here that herbicides are
47 applied to approximately one per cent of the wooded area of
48 Britain each year, and the net treated areas are
49 approximately 0.5 per cent.
50
51 Q. But if you look at your figures, the 22,000 hectares of
52 herbicides is 66 per cent of the total area of planting.
53
54 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think what Mr. Morris is asking is how much
55 of the 22,000 hectares is on areas of new planting, and
56 then we can roughly see the percentage of area of new
57 planting which is treated with herbicide.
58 A. Basically, the 11,750 hectares of net treated area
59 annually is likely to be the new planted area where the
60 removal of existing vegetation is significant.
