LONDON, November 6, 2007 The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has declared
Middlesex County to be a regulated area under The County of Middlesex Emerald
Ash Borer Infested Places Declaration and Order, 2007. In order to slow the
artificial spread of the emerald ash borer (EAB), the Ministerial Order restricts the
movement of the following from Middlesex County: ash (Fraxinus
species) nursery stock, trees, logs, wood, rough lumber and other wood packaging
materials, bark, wood chips or bark chips, and firewood of all tree species. While EAB
poses no risk to human health, it is an invasive species which poses a threat to our
forests and forest industries.
The federal Ministerial Order, which goes into effect immediately, prohibits the
movement of any materials from ash trees (Fraxinus
species) and firewood of all tree species from Middlesex County without written permission
from the CFIA. The restrictions are intended to prevent the artificial spread of the
emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) to areas of Canada
where this quarantine pest is not believed to be present. Anyone who violates these orders
may be subject to a fine and/or prosecution.
The three Ministerial Orders regulating the movement of ash and firewood in the
adjacent counties of Essex and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Elgin and Lambton will
remain in effect.
The emerald ash borer is a highly destructive insect pest of ash trees, first
discovered in Canada and the United States (U.S.) in 2002 that originates from eastern
Asia. It has killed millions of ash trees in the Windsor, Ontario - Detroit, Michigan
area, and poses a major economic and environmental threat to urban and forested areas of
Canada and the U.S. The insect was first detected in the City of London in the fall of
2006 and evidence suggests that the infestation is the result of the movement of infested
materials and not the natural spread of the beetle.
In addition, the CFIA has issued Notices of Quarantine to property owners in the city
of London, western Lambton County and in Dutton-Dunwich and West Elgin Townships in Elgin
County to prevent the movement of certain regulated materials from areas known to be
infested with EAB. The Agency is asking the public to help by not removing any firewood
from EAB regulated areas.
The CFIA continues to promote scientific research to enhance EAB detection and control.
The CFIA also consults with other government agencies including Natural Resources Canada -
Canadian Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Ontario Ministries of
Natural Resources and Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to develop strategies to control
the EAB and prevent its spread to other areas of Canada. Consultative and advisory
committees have been formed to provide science-based advice to the CFIA on this issue.
Additional information on
emerald ash borer is available on the CFIA web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.
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For information:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
National Media Relations: 613-228-6682
Main Page - Emerald Ash Borer
