The Royal Society of New Zealand was disappointed by the destruction of the pine trees being studied by Scion in Rotorua. This was a well regulated and authorised research project abiding by the rules established through the democratic process to ensure public safety and acceptance.
The President of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Dr Garth Carnaby, commented:
“What happened to this authorised experiment was just an illegal act. Such vandalism is an expensive squandering of New Zealand’s limited research funding, and essentially a police matter.
“By attacking this research project, the perpetrators have destroyed evidence that would inform public debate about GM technologies.”
The Society believes that New Zealand’s use and regulation of GM technologies should be based on evidence and rule of law.
We have produced an information paper presenting current evidence about the benefits and risks of genetically modified plants: Emerging Issues – GM Forages
