Health Canada scientists have been studying water monitoring data, from across the country, and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency may not ban all agricultural uses of neonics, a spokesperson for CropLife Canada says.
“I’m optimistic we will retain some uses,” said Maria Trainer, CropLife managing director, science and regulatory affairs, chemistry, who spoke Feb. 14 at Crop Connect 2019, an agricultural conference in Winnipeg.
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Last summer Health Canada proposed to ban all outdoor uses of thiamethoxam and clothianidin, insecticides used on canola, corn, soybeans, wheat and horticultural crops in Canada. The department recommended a three or five year phase-out because the insecticides were accumulating in water bodies and putting aquatic insects, like midges and mayflies, at risk.
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The PMRA was planning to announce its final decision on imidacloprid in December, but that’s been pushed back to December 2019.
The delay is a positive sign, said Trainer, who spoke to a packed room of more than 200 growers, agronomists and ag industry reps at Crop Connect 2019.
“If they were going to pull the plug on imidacloprid, my gut says they would’ve published the final decision … in December.”
The delay suggests that PMRA scientists are evaluating water monitoring data, from wetlands, creeks, rivers and other water bodies near agricultural land.
Read full, original article: Health Canada may be softening neonic stance: CropLife
