New GM contamination case confirmed by government
Source: AAP NewsWire, 26/10/05

Malicious tampering or sloppy practices were behind the latest contamination of West Australian crops with genetically-modified material.
The state government is concerned up to 150,000 hectares of the state's canola crop could be affected.
WA Agriculture Minister Kim Chance said on Tuesday that three lines of commercial seed - Grace, Stubb and Beacon - had tested positive in Victoria, sparking fears WA's crops had also been contaminated.
The seeds, which account for 38 per cent of WA's sowing, had been contaminated with GM material known as Topaz, Chance said.
Although the level of contamination is low enough so it will not prevent the grain from the crops, growing in the Albany area, being exported, the government fears large swathes could be affected.
"It is either a malicious act, or unbelievable sloppy practice, but either way we will be investigating," Chance said.
"It's a very serious issue and one which is going to require investigation as to exactly how the contamination occurred - at what point and how the seed, the GM seed, actually came to be in WA to allow that contamination to occur in the first place."
The latest contamination scare comes after two previous incidents.
In September, trace levels of GM canola were found in two varieties of non-GM canola grown in the federal government's National Variety Trials (NVT), in the Lake Grace and Cranbrook shires in WA's south-west.
In August, tests showed suspected GM contamination of three of 12 canola samples taken between Geraldton and Esperance.

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