The first discovery in Ireland of a beetle considered dangerous to many trees has highlighted the risks of not treating wood packaging to the international phytosanitary standard ISPM 15.
The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle, said to be the most aggressive in Europe, was found in dunnage within a timber consignment at Kellybegs Port.
The dunnage was subsequently destroyed by officials from the government’s Forest Service, which said phytosanitary documentation and the timber cargo satisfied EU entry requirements.
Irish heat treater CJ Sheeran Ltd said the incident showed the potential danger of misuse or non-application of the ISPM 15 phytosanitary standard, designed to crack down on the spread of forestry pests in packaging.
The company said the standard had been adopted across the EU and in China, New Zealand and most recently the Americas.
CJ Sheeran managing director Mark Sheeran warned Irish exporters faced risks if they did not ensure their packaging met ISPM 15 standards.
He said: “Irish exporting companies cannot afford to have valuable stock sidelined in customs as checks are carried out, or even worse to have containers rejected and shipped back to Ireland.”
He said there were also concerns about recycling of timber pallets.
“Pallets market HT [heat treated] that are repaired must be re-heat treated in their entirety. The accreditation mark of the repaired dunnage or packaging must be applied and all previous ISPM 15 marks removed.”
CJ Sheeran is one of a number of Irish companies certified by the Forest Service and National Standards Authority of Ireland to treat wooden packaging to the ISPM 15 standard.
