Minister Hackett welcomes pause in Scottish log exports following larch beetle finding
- Published on: 30 August 2024
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
Minister of State with responsibility for land use and biodiversity at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett, has welcomed the cessation of the export of conifer logs from the Pest Free Area of Scotland into Ireland on a precautionary basis, following the finding of larch bark beetles at a port in Cork. The Department found three Ips cembrae beetles (commonly known as the large larch bark beetle) in one of its pheromone traps in Passage West Port in Cork.
Following confirmed findings by the Irish Forestry Inspectors, Scottish authorities have ceased all exports of logs with immediate effect until a full investigation takes place. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Forest Health Stakeholder Engagement Group met earlier this week where stakeholders were informed by the Department of the finding of three Ips cembrae beetles in Passage West Port, and stakeholders will continue to be kept informed of all relevant developments.
The Minister said:
“I welcome my Department’s close co-operation with Scottish and Northern Ireland counterparts on this and other forest health matters. Ireland is free of many of the bark beetles that are found in Europe and in Great Britain. It is very important for the future of the forestry sector in Ireland that we do everything we can to keep the island free of these beetles.”
The Minister continued:
”My department has a clear plant health and biosecurity strategy and has built up a strong multi-disciplinary plant health team. These findings demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of our surveillance work at ports.”
The Department continue to survey extensively throughout the country for all Protected Zone species and to date has no findings of any Protected Zone bark beetles.
The Department will continue to work with its counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland in connection with this investigation, and will assess any possible future actions and keep the industry informed of developments.
For more information on Ips cembrae see The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Plant Pest Factsheet.