PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 4:15 PM by Luigi

FIRST KAVA BAN LIFTED

Press statement 115-03 from the Forum Secretariat

The ban on Pacific kava products has been lifted by the Welsh National
Assembly, allowing kava imports into Wales for the first time since they
were restricted in 2002.

"This is great news," said the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands
Forum Secretariat, Mr Noel Levi, CBE. Mr Levi said he hoped more countries
would follow the decision by Wales to lift the restrictions on kava sales.

Pacific Island countries have been trying to recover a multi-million dollar
kava trade with Europe and North America, after sales collapsed in 2001 due
to adverse publicity about health concerns.

The restrictions on the sale of food supplements and herbal medicines
containing kava and kava derivatives were introduced in November 2001 by
European Country Regulatory Authorities. This followed a claim originating
from Germany that up to 30 people had suffered liver damage as a direct
result of consuming kava-based products.

The Pacific kava industry countered that Pacific Islanders have safely used
kava for hundreds of years, without the ill effects reported in the export
markets.

A subsequent study initiated by the Forum Secretariat and funded by the
Centre for the Development of Enterprise found no scientific basis for the
ban, or the restrictions and the market recalls by regulators in Europe.

A meeting of Pacific and European Stakeholders in Brussels in August 2003
adopted strategies that would help get back kava on the European market.

The decision by Wales comes as a relief to the Pacific Island kava industry,
which is working on trying to overturn the kava bans and restrictions in
other export markets.

Forum Secretariat, Suva
28 November 2003



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DIVA-GIS	Sunday, November 30, 2003 Posted 4:15 PM by Luigi FIRST KAVA BAN LIFTED Press statement 115-03 from the Forum Secretariat The ban on Pacific kava products has been lifted by the Welsh National Assembly, allowing kava imports into Wales for the first time since they were restricted in 2002. "This is great news," said the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Mr Noel Levi, CBE. Mr Levi said he hoped more countries would follow the decision by Wales to lift the restrictions on kava sales. Pacific Island countries have been trying to recover a multi-million dollar kava trade with Europe and North America, after sales collapsed in 2001 due to adverse publicity about health concerns. The restrictions on the sale of food supplements and herbal medicines containing kava and kava derivatives were introduced in November 2001 by European Country Regulatory Authorities. This followed a claim originating from Germany that up to 30 people had suffered liver damage as a direct result of consuming kava-based products. The Pacific kava industry countered that Pacific Islanders have safely used kava for hundreds of years, without the ill effects reported in the export markets. A subsequent study initiated by the Forum Secretariat and funded by the Centre for the Development of Enterprise found no scientific basis for the ban, or the restrictions and the market recalls by regulators in Europe. A meeting of Pacific and European Stakeholders in Brussels in August 2003 adopted strategies that would help get back kava on the European market. The decision by Wales comes as a relief to the Pacific Island kava industry, which is working on trying to overturn the kava bans and restrictions in other export markets. Forum Secretariat, Suva 28 November 2003 * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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