Plans afoot to tighten ISPM 15 procedures

A number of SA shippers and packaging outfits are shirking the rules for the anti-pest treatment of wooden packaging contained in the international ISPM 15 standard, according to Andre Swanepoel of Pest Control Specialists and national chairman of the SA Pest Control Association (Sapca). To help beat this problem, he told FTW, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) has certain plans afoot to enforce more stringent controls. These include the implementation of an improved stamping procedure for wood and wood-packaging material presently being investigated. While the IPPC has reached no finalisation on a replacement fumigant for methyl bromide (MB ), the preferred fumigant in the race appears to be sulphuryl fluoride, Swanepoel added. “The preferred and adopted fumigant will be introduced by 2010,” he said, “with the final phasing-out of MB under the Orlando Protocol to be no later than 2012. “It is also widely anticipated that, due to the logistical problems encountered with heat treatment (HT), it will in all possibility be replaced with irradiation treatment (IT).” Sapca is strongly in favour of these new processes being adopted in this country, and for it to be able to authenticate any accredited service provider. “It appears that many noncompliant companies and individuals have been issued with either an MB or HT stamp,” Swanepoel said, “indicating that they have been approved to apply either heat treatment or methyl bromide.” But, he added, there is at present no approved agency to accredit a claimed HT facility in SA, nor do most of the claimed HT facilities “remotely fulfil the criteria”. Swanepoel also reported that the number of approvals granted to fumigators for MB did not correspond to the accredited applicators in the country. “Racketeer crate and pallet manufacturers who have managed to acquire HT authorisation have resorted to the use of wet, off-sawn timber (not even kiln dried) – which gives them a pricing advantage of up to 35% over their competitors. “The result of this practice has already led to the return of consignments from ports of destination due to mould and algae appearing on the timber, which in turn has led to costly delays and huge losses for consignees.” For clarity on any of the issues raised, the South African Pest Control Association can be contacted.