WHO'S DOING WHAT

WHO’S DOING WHAT

PESTICIDES 6

France is sticking to its ban on neonicotinoids.

Sierra Club Canada wants them off the market in Canada.  John Bennett, head Sierra Club, “ My question to the Minister (of Agriculture/Premier Wynne) is why are these pesticides  still on the market since (the producers) have never proved they’re not harmful?”

David Suzuki Org. – as of last winter – was more concerned with the carbon footprint of their manufacturing process and the use of fossil fuels. David Suzuki finally got on the Bee death bandwagon a few months ago.

Health Canada asked manufacturers in 2014 to provide information on the toxicity of the neuro-active insecticide.  None has been provided and the government doesn’t expect any till 2015.

March 26, 2014

Health Canada won’t make any decision this year. “Not on the table this year.” – Sean Upton.

Pest Canada Regulatory Agency is re-evaluating all risks.

This is what Premier Wynn is waiting for?

February 28, 2014

Ontario Bee Health Working Group

Reduce Risk to Honey Bees ahead of Planting 2014

OPTIONS

Option A: Update Best Management Practices

Option B: Invest in Integrated Pest Management  (IPM)

Option C: Promote the availability of non-insecticide treated seeds.

Option D: Encourage Development of New Seed Treatment.

Option E: Centralize and Communicate Bee location data.

Option F: Develop Strategy for Pollinator Friendly Habitats.

Option J: Update Pesticide Training Course.

Option K: Encourage Crop Rotation.

Option L: Require Grower Consultation

REGULATORY APPROACH  Option M. Consider Temporary Ban on Neonicotinoids.

February 28, 2014  Letter to Ontario Minister Wynne from Deb Sikora Ass. Deputy Minister

Excerpt: 3^rd paragraph:

“These Options were not critically evaluated within the Working Group against scientific principles.”

“They are provided with the understanding that further development and systematic evaluation of the merits and implications of a number of Options may be required prior to consideration for implementation.”

“It is recognized that these Options are not equivalent in terms of impact on either bee health or on (the) agricultural sector.”

“… no single Option will address the issue.”

“…(it may take) a suite of Options to mitigate risks.”

Ontario will establish a Pollinator Health Working Group to expand focus to wasps, butterflies and bumble bees.

$1.2 million allocated to research factors affecting Bee Health.

If we look at Option F: Developing strategy for Pollen Friendly Habitat , it has been put forward that areas near the treated fields be planted with a more enticing food/nectar crop or even weeds to distract the bees from the “killer” crops.  This idea flaws that one Italian Study showed – the toxic “drift” the first few days after planting…

“Flowers bordering the fields had residues as high as 124 ppb the day of planting ( corn seed with Gaucho – the European Brand name for Imidacloprid) and 9ppb three days later.”

Key features of the 2013 Action Plan of Bayer CropScience and Syngenta in Europe - #1 “Significantly scale up the creation of pollen rich flowering field margins across the EU to provide essential habitat and nutrition for Bees.”

The “Plan” was in response to the “theoretical” risk to Bees from neonicotinoid pesticides.

If we look at the five key features of the Syngenta/Bayer CropScience proposal we can easily fit them right into the 2014 Ontario Bee Health Proposals – F,L, J, D, and B. Why re-invent the wheel ?

Friday March 21, 2014 The Chronicle-Journal page A-5

The Canadian Press and the Chronicle-Journal

“Bee Report Rejected”

Ontario Beekeepers Association president, Dan Davidson said, “ This report does not reflect the magnitude of the threat to bee health in Ontario.”

“The Association says it believes that until Ontario suspends the use of neonicotinoids on field crops, any voluntary Options around Best Practices will be ineffective.”

GLORY BEE

Monday December 1, 2014 The Chronicle Journal page 1

Brian Meadows, Northwest Bureau reports:

“The Ontario Bee Association President , Tibor Szabo said: “Today (Tuesday November 25, 2014) the government has shown bold leadership, unique in North America, in moving decisively and measurabily to significantly limit the use of these toxic chemicals.”

Ie. “ Working toward an 80 percent reduction in the number of acres planted with neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seed by 2017.”

The government will establish a comprehensive Pollinator Health Action Plan.

This was an announcement of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for the Province of Ontario.

Claims of Bee deaths due to the application of neonicotinoids have been confirmed by Health Canada.

A strange statement shows later in the article: Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Jeff Leal, said in a news release , “ Our agricultural industry depends on safe, healthy land to be productive. That is why Ontario Farmers have taken significant action to reduce pesticide use, reducing overall usage by some 45 % in the last three decades.”

If the Agro Info total I Posted previously were for 2010 as indicated is the 45% REDUCTION total what must have been going on the land in the 1980’s?

Health Canada is re-evaluating:

Imidacloprid

Clotheanidin

And Thiamethoxam

In partnership  with U.S. regulators.

POLLINATOR HEALTH PROPOSAL FOR ENHANCING POLLINATOR HEALTH AND REDUCING THE USE OF NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDES IN ONTARIO

Is found at omafra.gov.on.ca.