Seven Decisions with one trap

We were the first to rejoice: The Ministry of Agricultural Development Press Release on 2/5/06 appeared decisive, irreversible, final. With a few clear cut words – and a number of chemical preparations. “Marchalina, your day is over” celebrated a likable journalist in good faith in a reputable daily newspaper.

At Philodassiki, we too were enthusiastic, and rushed to include the amazing text in our web page, to publicize the Press Release that mentioned all the chemicals whose use was permitted for combating the insect in Attica, with lesser or greater effectiveness. Our phones were ringing off the hook, calls from people asking how the decision would be implemented, seeking details and clarifications.

There was however one small detail, one point that wasn’t clear. The 02/05/2006 Press Release mentioned that:

“The General Secretary of the Ministry Mr. Kostas Skiadas for the first time signed the relevant decisions to fight the insect Marchalina hellenica in the urban areas of Attica, providing a solution for the major problem that has arisen in the area over the last few years”.

Amongst the celebrations and the hoorays for this unexpected victory, nobody thought to read carefully through the individual decisions that had been signed by the General Secretary. Initially they were not available, but suddenly, miraculously, the decisions, all seven of them, appeared on the Ministry of Agricultural Development web page.

Each decision is to the point, designating the prerequisites for use of each individual insecticide. When each can be used and in what manner.

However, paragraph 3.6, discreetly abstract, hides the trap: The title “Limitations - Prohibitions” hides the essence of the Ministry’s environmental … policy. Simply written but of decisive importance, it states irreversibly that:

“-Its use is forbidden in forest ecosystems

 - Its use is forbidden on pine trees with honeydew excretions and whenever bee activity is visible.”

And further down the text clarifies – for those who might not have understood – that the use of the preparations is permitted for public areas of individual Municipalities and Communities and for private areas, homes and plots of land under the liability of the interested parties.

This message couldn’t be simpler and easier to understand. Those who drew up this decision were led by the following rationale. They figured out that all the fuss about the spread of Marchalina hellenica had arisen from the “bother” it caused in urban and suburban areas. The honeydew and cotton candy produced by M.h. in pine trees was killing off larger or smaller specimens of pine trees on land plots and drying out entire parks, which were the prides of their Municipalities. This was the problem that had to be dealt with. The Ministry’s purpose was not to eradicate the insect from Greece. The Ministry’s purpose was, however indirectly but honestly stated by the person behind the recent Ministerial Decisions, was to deal with the problem of the M.h. insect in pine trees in the urban and suburban areas of Attica alone! In fact we could correct the title: The purpose of the Ministry is to deal with the Mayors and Public Opinion in the suburban and urban regions of Attica, particularly in a year when municipal elections will be held.

In this manner the Ministry sought to fool the municipalities and their constituents. Whoever wants insecticide for their garden, but only if there is no bee activity in the said garden, or there is no honeydew on the trees (which is not feasible, as all the trees that are affected have honeydew droppings) can go out and purchase the necessary chemicals, without impediment, even though it may be already too late, and it might be a hoax.

But what about our forests? What about the pine woods in the plains? The National Parks? The Samaria Gorge? Mount Parnitha? The National Park of Sounion? Chalkidiki? The Aesthetic Forest of Kaisariani? All those forests that unknowns have infected this insect, M.h., have trees dripping honeydew and around this – naturally – bees are active. All these forests formed a sensitive and balanced ecosystem, up to the point they were destroyed by human intervention, propelled by greed for illegal profits and lobbying pressure.

The Ministry does not appear to have any mercy to spare for these forests, only indifference. Honouring its designation as the Ministry of Agricultural Development it willingly sacrifices these forests, with the result that future generations will not enjoy their benefits, and uses them as private plantations, so that their pine trees can give up whatever juices they can spare and then some more, only to be abandoned as useless and unfertile land. And let the next desertification begin!