NEWS RELEASE

SCOTTISH GENETIX SNOWBALL

Contact: Fife Earth First! 01334 477411 (or 07775 905 686 today only)
Please note e-mail not a corresponding address

Monday 21 September 1998
Photos available

THREE ARRESTED IN POTATO LEAF HEIST

At 5:30 on Sunday afternoon, a number of concerned individuals carried out
a citizens' inspection of a potentially hazardous 'test' site of
Genetically Modified (GM) crop at Coltrannie Farm, near Bankfoot in
Perthshire (1). Three people were arrested and charged with housebreaking
and theft for attempting to take sample plants from a potato crop to send
off to Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Department
for the Environment, Transport, and the Regions (DETR) for GM testing.
'Our sampling is necessary because of confusion over this and other crops.
Despite confirmation from the DETR on Friday that the crop in question was
GMO, the farmer in charge of the crop has today denied this. Following our
arrests, he permitted samples to be taken. Once again, our action has
demonstrated how the law, government ministers, the DETR, and the police
act to uphold the undemocratic interests of transnationals over the
interests of a public clearly against the technology,'said Stokely
Webster, speaking for Scottish GenetiX Snowball. Local residents expressed
consternation at the proximity of GMO.
The site is owned by Plant Breeders International, recently bought out by
Monsanto who issued further injunctions against GenetiX Snowball
campaigners in England on Friday. These injunctions, which were
issued against all 'members' of GenetiX Snowball, not only banned them
from Monsanto 'test' sites, but also Monsanto property, and expressly
forbid said 'members' from putting 'things in the ground'-a reference to
GenetiX Snowball's expressed intention to plant an organic garden on
biotech land (2). Scottish GenetiX Snowball have followed guidance for
GenetiX Snowball actions, and have broken all the conditons of Monsanto's
sweeping injunction (though Scotland lies outside its jurisdiction). Prior
to this action, participants in this Scottish GenetiX Snowball notified
Monsanto, press, and the local police force of its time and location.
Activists assembled peaceably before a small crowd of concerned local
residents and police, distributed leaflets and information, and displayed
banners which proclaimed:'77% OF US GUINEA PIGS SAY NO TO THE GENETIC
XPERIMENT';'DDT,PCBs, Agent Orange, GMOs ... Monsanto: License to
Kill?'They then planted organic plants and seeds, and then sought to
collect samples from the potato plants at which time they were arrested.

'This action highlights how little useful information on genetic
manipulation is actually in the public domain (3). We did this action in
an open and accountable way which contrasts with the behaviour of those
initiating the GM experiment. Transnationals such as Monsanto carry out
their testing in a largely unaccountable unregulated way, and yet they
make claims of strong regulation to justify their actions,' said Matthew
Herbert, speaking for Fife Earth First! who supported the Scottish GenetiX
Snowball action.

This nonviolent action is the sixth in a series of protests at genetic
test sites in Scotland (4). This also follows four GenetiX Snowball
actions elsewhere in the UK. Direct action ensures that the anti-genetics
message cannot be ignored: genetic manipulation is a fundamentally
unnecessary technology forced undemocratically upon the unwilling public.

ENDS

NOTES TO THE EDITOR

(1) 6 site operators were censured by the Health and Safety Execuative for
failure to comply with consent regulations (for example: on distance
between GM crops and neighbouring conventional crops). Monsanto was one of
the breaching companies. See New Scientist 4 April 1998 and Independent 7
April 1998.

There are only two Health and Safety Execuative Inspectors for the whole
country.

Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) has been
criticised for being made up largely of research scientists with
connections to the biotech industry; only one of the 14 strong ACRE
committee members is truly independent.

The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes ((ACNFP) advised
against the introduction of Novartis' Bt Maize, but its introduction was
passed by the European Commission. The EU Parliament (the elected bit)
voted 407 MEPs to 2 to censure this decision, demonstrating that there is
a clear violation of democracy in the introduction of this technology.
Despite GM being contrary to the will of the majority (for instance, 77%
of UK consumers oppose it according to a MORI poll) we still have to eat
it.

(2)'Monsanto Gags GenetiX Campaigners?' Friday 18 September 1998
For a copy call Andrew Wood 0973 953 446

(3) In a very worrying conversation between Stokely Webster (Scottish
GenetiX Snowball) and Dr. Colin Cartwright of the DETR which took place on
Friday the 18th of September, it was revealed that the DETR was itself
unsure of the regulations and Dr. Cartwright conceded that the
ambiguityies and lack of information had tremendous implications for the
ability of those affected directly by GM releases to make informed
democratic protest.

(4) On March 22nd of this year an oilseed rape genetic test site in Fife
was scythed by seven local community members. One week later, Fife
was declared free of genetic sites, when approximately 50 adults and
children pulled the remaining crop from the ground, under the gaze of the
local constabulary! On May 17th another oilseed rape crop, at the Walton
Experimental Farm in Aberdeen, had a huge X scythed across it. On June
13th an oilseed rape test site was decontaminated at Boghall Farm,
Penicuik. Activists struck again, four days later, at the same farm. A
fourth field was marked with an X. A fifth action at Fowlis, near Dundee,
in August has led to controversy. The GM nature of the crop has been
disputed, but it was clearly marked on the public register as a GM test
site.


For further information, contact Fife Earth First! on 01334 477 411.

Other organizations to contact:
Genetic Engineering Network: 0181 374 9516 for general information, and
information specific to test site resistance across the UK.
Friends of the Earth Scotland: 0131 554 9977
Greenpeace: 0171 865 8100
A Seed Europe: +31 20 668 2236