Canada must stop importing forest pests that kill our trees
One of the most severe and urgent threats to Canadian trees is the accidental importation of insects and tree diseases through international trade. Pests like the emerald ash borer and Asian longhorned beetle kill trees in our forests, parks, and neighborhoods.
When we lose trees, we lose the many benefits they provide, such as filtering air pollution, reducing flooding, cooling neighborhoods, providing wildlife habitat, and storing carbon that otherwise contributes to climate change. Tree removal and replanting is a costly burden that falls on homeowners and local governments. If Asian longhorned beetle establishes in Canada it will have devastating consequences for forestry, maple syrup production, recreation, and it would be life-changing for many Canadians. Dying trees will release large amounts of CO2, exacerbating climate change and undermining Canadian efforts to reduce emissions.
Current efforts to prevent imported forest pests are not working. They continue to enter the country by hiding in wooden packaging material such as crates and pallets, and by infesting live plants that are imported for the nursery trade. To prevent the loss of millions of trees and all that depends on them, we need prompt federal action to clean up the pathways by which these insects and diseases enter the country.
We call on the federal government to strengthen the mandate of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and work with international partners to eliminate cross-border flow of invasive pests and diseases that kill trees. This effort should include input from CFIA and other federal agencies, as well as experts from universities and non-governmental organizations. The Tree-SMART trade initiative of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies could be used as a model; it includes increased penalties for non-compliant shipments, a shift away from wood packaging that can carry pests, and restrictions on live plant imports (https://www.caryinstitute.org/science/tree-smart-trade).
Decisive action now will have large economic and ecological benefits compared to not acting, potentially saving Canadians billions of dollars while safeguarding our environment and quality of life.
