GE protesters gather at Parliament

About 100 demonstrators gathered at Parliament today to protest the impending lifting of the genetic engineering (GE) moratorium.

The protesters were an eclectic mix - organic farmers, beekeepers and representatives from the Biodynamic Gardening and Farming Association, the Pacific Institute of Resource Management and Wellington Mothers Against Genetic Engineering.

Lower Hutt woman Ann Bell, who has been a beekeeper for 30 years, said concerns about bees transmitting GE-infected pollen compelled her to protest.

"Bees collect pollen and they will collect pollen from GE plants within their area," she said.

"Bees will transmit the GE pollen to other plants and that'll obviously infect the honey as well, and therefore it doesn't have such good value."

The Government and experts believed a buffer zone around GE crops would stop cross-contamination but Ms Bell questioned "whether they've told the bees that".

Green MP Ian Ewen Street said the organics industry had a bright future, if it remained GE-free.

"Export sales and demand are increasing all the time," he said.

"This is exactly the kind of niche, value-added product the Government claims to support."

Today's protest was staged to coincide with MPs debating the New Organisms and Other Matter Bill, which sets in place a regulatory framework to deal with GE applications when the moratorium on the release of GE organisms is lifted on October 29.

Mr Ewen Street said passing the bill and allowing the moratorium to expire would sign the death warrant for an exciting, innovative industry.

But Environment Minister Marian Hobbs said October 29 was simply the date from which people could apply to the Environmental Risk Management Authority to plant GE crops, and that applicants would be subject to a rigorous approval process.

"On October 29, people will not be able to buy a packet of GE seeds and go and plant them in their back garden, or anyone else's fields," she told the protesters.

"Over summer, you will not see fields of GE crops rippling in the breeze on the Manawatu Plains."

Ms Hobbs said people should look to Argentina as an example of GE and organic crops coexisting; Argentina was the second-biggest producer of GE crops and had the second-largest area in the world of certified organic crops.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters told the crowd his party had always taken the position that unless there was absolute proof GE was safe the moratorium should stay in place.

"With the moratorium about to expire, New Zealand First does not believe that there is enough evidence to show that no harm will come to people if GE is used in foodstuffs (and) in some studies overseas, the evidence is to the contrary," he said.

"We must put the safety of New Zealanders first."

Police arrested one man during the protest but he appeared to be protesting more against the police than against GE. He was charged with disorderly behaviour.

- NZPA