Équiterre and David Suzuki Foundation applaud federal action to phase out neonicotinoid pesticide, criticize five-year timeline
Health Canada announced yesterday a proposal to phase out imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid pesticide widely used in agriculture in Canada, within three to five years. The proposal was based on new findings that imidacloprid poses unacceptable risks to aquatic insects, such as midges and mayflies, which are important food sources for fish, birds and other animals.
Given the risks acknowledged in the proposal and high concentrations of the chemical found in waterways in Canada, Équiterre and the David Suzuki Foundation find that the proposed timeline is unacceptable. “Other jurisdictions have acted decisively, like France’s ban on all neonicotinoids that will come into effect in 2018,” said Nadine Bachand, project manager at Équiterre.
Research demonstrates that integrated pest management and other best practices are currently available to eliminate the need for those pesticides to manage pests on crops. “Neonicotinoids are used prophylactically in corn and soy crops, through seed coating, irrespective of whether the farmer actually has a pest problem in their field. We need to move quickly to Integrated Pest Management approaches, which are widely accepted in Europe,” added Faisal Moola, Director General for the David Suzuki Foundation in Toronto.
Moreover, while several uses will be covered by this measure, the use in and around home and buildings or for treatment of pets (flea, ticks and lice) are not covered, an omission condemned by the groups.
Health Canada also announced a special review of two other types of neonicotinoids, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, to assess risks to aquatic species. Typically, special reviews initiated by the PMRA take on average two years to be completed. The groups therefore recommend that these special reviews be completed as a matter of priority and be concluded expeditiously.
The Task Force on Systemic Pesticides (TFSP), a group of 50 international researchers, has examined over 1,100 peer reviewed scientific articles and found that neonicotinoids are persistent and pervasive throughout the environment and pose an unacceptable risk to biodiversity, including species that are beneficial to farmers—like earthworms and pollinators.
Contrary to the TFSP review, Health Canada concluded that imidacloprid posed no unmanageable risk to bees and native pollinators in January 2016, and the pollinators’ preliminary risk assessment for thiametoxam and chlotianidin should be released by the end of 2017. However, special review with a focus restricted to pollinators or aquatic insects could neglect potential human health impacts.
