Will Australia ban neonicotinoid insecticides despite no evidence of bee declines on the continent?

European farmers are facing a total ban on a common group of pesticides after a report confirms they harm bees, putting pressure on Australia to follow.

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The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), which regulates the use of neonicotinoids … told the ABC in a statement there was no evidence of bee population declines in Australia.

All neonicotinoids registered for use in Australia have been through the APVMA’s robust chemical risk assessment process and are safe and effective — provided products are used as per the label instructions. Australia has strong surveillance measures in place to monitor chemicals used nationally.

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David Severino, a commercial bee keeper from Phillip Island, said he wanted a ban on neonicotinoids in Australia.

“Australia does have healthy bees here because we don’t have other diseases that we have worldwide, however we do know the chemicals are having adverse reactions on our bees,” he said.

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Mr Severino said it was difficult for a small industry like beekeeping to stand up to big chemical companies.

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Associate Professor Carrie Hauxwell from the Queensland University of Technology said if neonicotinoids were banned, other chemicals would simply replace them.

Read full, original post: EU farmers face total ban on bee-harming pesticides putting pressure on Australia to follow