In the aftermath of the environmental destruction of the mid-1900s caused by the widespread use of synthetic pesticides, such as aldrin and the better-known DDT, many countries reached a consensus that we could no longer afford to continue using such devastating chemicals on our food and ecological systems.
Introduced as a safer, more efficient and an environmentally friendlier option, neonics (neonicotinoids) were developed by Bayer Crop Science and made available in the market in 1980's to lead the charge as the next wave of pesticides for our agriculture industry.
Neonics are a class of systemic insecticides which target the nervous systems of insects with a lethal effectiveness and kills them. Bayer has always claimed that neonics are harmless to vertebrates and are environmentally friendly, as the pesticide itself is coated on the seed, which removes the need to spray toxic chemicals on a field, which would lead to toxic run-off and contamination of water systems.
This, however, is only half the truth. For the last decade, scientists around the world have been studying the environmental impacts of neonics and concluded that neonics are indiscriminately killing one of the most important members of the food web, the pollinators.
Bees, and other pollinating insects, which are extremely vital in the continued production of our food are dying at a rapid rate, and strong evidence points to neonics. This evidence forced Health Canada (HC) to re-evaluate the impact of neonics on pollinators, which led HC to cancel certain uses of the pesticides, while implementing restrictions on other uses. In 2018, the European Union also expanded a ban on the three most common and widely-used neonics.
A recent study published in the journal Science, researchers from University of Saskatchewan found that neonics, specifically imidacloprid, one of the more commonly used types of neonics, undermines the survival of songbird populations.
Researchers found that when White-crowned Sparrows, a wide-spread and relatively abundant migratory songbird, ingest small doses of the chemical, they experience significant weight loss and delays in migration due to disorientation. Chemically treated seeds left on the field at the time of planting could be extremely attractive and deadly source of food for songbirds. Over 90% of corn and 50% of soybeans are treated with neonics in the USA.
Migration is one of the toughest periods for a bird as it has to locate reliable sources of food to fuel its journey and only has a short window of opportunity to do it. A few days late could mean less food at stopover sites, more exposure to predators and fewer opportunities to find mates. Over 70% of farmland birds in North America are declining. Grassland birds are one of the fasted declining groups of birds in Canada, as determined by the State of Canada’s Birds 2019. Neonics appear to be another contributing factor to these declines.
Despite claims made by Bayer, researchers have found that neonics don’t stay within the confines of the seed it was applied to. In fact, only 2-20% of the chemical makes it into the plant, which leaves 80-98% of these neurotoxin chemicals unaccounted for. This could explain why researchers have found traces of neonicotinoids in other parts of the environment, such as surface water systems and untreated farm fields. Other studies have also detected neonicotinoids in a variety of different wildlife species, including rodents, birds of prey, mammals, fish and amphibians, indicating that neonicotinoids are directly or indirectly impacting different levels of the food chain.
Does this story sound familiar? We have seen the wanton destruction at the hands of synthetic chemicals, such as DDT, made corrections, yet we seem headed down the same path again.
DDT was completely banned from use in Canada and the USA in the early 1970s after many naturalists and activists, most notably Rachel Carson, voiced their concern of the unintended damage it was causing to our species and ecosystems. This, combined with strong management, brought back the impacted species from the brink of extinction, to the point that populations of birds of prey such as the Bald Eagle are actually rising in Canada.
Once again, we are at the same crossroads. Do we continue on the same path of using chemicals that indiscriminately destroy our native species, while ignoring the findings from scientists and naturalists? Or do we try to change the way we think and act? Rather than relying so heavily on costly chemical applications that time and time again have unforeseen impacts, could we not use nature to provide these services for free?
As always, the choice is ours.
In early December, I had the privilege of meeting representatives from the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association and the Fédération des Apiculteurs du Québec to hear about their advocacy work with respect to neonicotinoid pesticides. Since first experiencing wide-spread hive die-offs in 2012, beekeepers have been concerned about the excessive and unprecedented losses of colonies from the inappropriate use of neonicotinoid pesticide treated seeds. In response, the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association and the Fédération des Apiculteurs have urged provincial ministers to take action to rapidly and drastically reduce the amount of neonics in the environment. After years of inaction at the federal or provincial levels, the beekeepers associations have taken their fight to court. On February 20, 2018 the Superior Court of Quebec authorized a class action lawsuit on behalf of beekeepers of Quebec against Bayer CropScience Inc., Bayer Inc., Bayer CropScience AG, Syngenta Canada Inc., and Syngenta International AG in connection with neonics. The class action is based on allegations that the Defendants studied, designed, developed, produced, distributed, marketed and/or sold the neonics that would have caused the loss of bee colonies, resulting in financial damage or loss to beekeepers. Beekeepers of Ontario have launched similar action in Ontario court and await a decision certifying the class action. At the same time, David Suzuki Foundation, Ontario Nature, Friends of the Earth Canada, and Wilderness Committee, represented by Ecojustice lawyers, are engaged in a lawsuit arguing that the way Canada currently regulates neonics is unlawful. They are asking the court to rule that the PMRA’s “approve first, study science later” approach is unlawful and that the practice of granting approvals without science cannot continue.
The EU’s ban on neonicotinoid pesticides is set to come into force on December 19, 2018; giving bees and other critters a chance to thrive in the New Year. The EU has adopted a near-total ban on three neonicotinoid pesticides: clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. The use of all three neonics across the EU has been restricted to non-flowering crops since 2013. The new ban would go further, completely prohibiting their use outdoors. The ban is in response to a science review conducted by the European Food Safety Authority – Pesticides Unit, which concluded that the outdoor use of neonics harms bees. Exposure of both honeybees and wild bees (bumblebees and solitary bees) to neonics was assessed via three routes: residues in bee pollen and nectar; dust drift during the sowing/application of the treated seeds; and water consumption. The ban does not extended to all neonics or uses of neonics. Two neonics - sulfoxaflor and thiacloprid - are not covered by the ban. In addition, farmers may still use clothianidin, imiacloprid and thiamethoxam in greenhouses.
It is a step towards protecting bees and birds from the harmful impacts of neonics. It is time for Canada to follow suit!
Call for swift action comes as government’s public consultation on neonics ban wraps Nature Canada joined thirteen conservation, environmental health and advocacy groups, along with the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, to call on the federal government to end the use of neonicotinoid insecticides (neonics) in Canada, without further delay, as Ottawa concluded consultations on the latest neonic risk assessment on Tuesday, November 13. Since 2013, more than 460,000 people in Canada have participated in campaigns to ban neonics, signing petitions and writing letter to the federal government in support of a timely ban. Thank you to all our supporters who contributed by signing our petition! This week, Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency concluded public consultations on proposals to phase out the neonics clothianidin and thiamethoxam in three to five years. In 2016, the PMRA proposed to phase out a third neonic, imidacloprid, in a decision that has yet to be finalized. These reviews concluded the risks from most uses of neonics are unacceptable. While the groups support the federal government’s proposed ban on neonics, they urged the government to accelerate the timeline to protect pollinators, aquatic insects and other beneficial species. An urgent ban is needed to prevent endangerment of the environment. The organizations submitted that the proposed slow-motion phase-out would allow the use of neonics to continue until 2020 or beyond on the basis of a generic PMRA regulatory directive on pesticide cancellations – even though environmental risks have not been shown to be acceptable. This unjustifiable delay would lead to further widespread and preventable ecological damage. The widespread use of neonics has led to pervasive environmental contamination. Scientists point to clear evidence of serious harm to many species and ecosystems. PMRA assessments found clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid in Canadian aquatic environments at levels that are harmful to aquatic insects. Aquatic insects are an important part of the ecosystem, including as a food source for fish, birds, bats, and other animals. Aquatic insects are particularly important for aerial insectivores; species that feed on insects while on the wing. Aerial insectivores are the most rapidly declining group of birds in Canada. The threatened Chimney Swift, Common Nighthawk and Eastern Whip-poor-will stand to benefit as a result of the neonic ban. You can read more about Nature Canada’s efforts to save these important species here. For other coverage of this process, please read the following
[caption id="attachment_37987" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Andrea Lesperance, Student-at-Law.[/caption]
This blog post was written by Andrea Lesperance, a Student-at-Law for Nature Canada.
Health Canada has announced positive but still insufficient action to protect birds, bees and invertebrates from neonicotinoids (neonics) – synthetic nicotine analogues used as insecticides.
On August 15, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada announced Proposed Decisions for Consultation on two neonics: Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam. The Special Reviews of these two neonics were initiated based on concerns that they pose risks to aquatic invertebrates. PMRA was “unable to conclude that the risks to aquatic invertebrates was acceptable” from outdoor agricultural uses of Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam. As a result, PMRA proposed cancellation of all outdoor uses of these two neonics on food and feed crops, including seed treatments.
This cancellation would take place over a phase-out period of 3 to 5 years—which Nature Canada says is too long. Further, Clothianidin poses risk to aquatic invertebrates via use on turf and so this use will also be phased-out. In Canada, neonics are used to control insects on agricultural crops, turf, and ornamental plants. However, neonics are harmful to invertebrates, pollinators and birds. Environmental groups including Nature Canada are calling for an immediate ban on neonics.
Earlier this year, PMRA found that the application of pesticides containing the neonic Imidacloprid adversely affects the survival of bee colonies or solitary bee species. Thus, Health Canada proposed phase-out of uses of the neonic on blooming crops.
While the proposed phase-out of Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam is intended to protect aquatic invertebrates, the decision has positive implications for pollinators and birds! Aquatic insects are an important food source for fish, birds and other animals. For more information on the impacts of neonics on bees, birds and other wildlife, see our blog Save the Bees, the Birds and the Planet from Neonics.
Aquatic insects are particularly important for aerial insectivores; species that feed on insects while on the wing. Aerial insectivores are the most rapidly declining group of birds in Canada. The threatened Chimney Swift, Common Nighthawk and Eastern Whip-poor-will stand to benefit as a result of the neonic ban.
Swallows such as Purple Martins are aerial insectivores which would also benefit from a ban on neonics. Purple Martins are the largest member of the swallow family and they are currently experiencing a decline of about 4.5% per year in Ontario. Learn more about Nature Canada’s Save our Swallows initiative here and here. You can also learn more about Nature Canada’s Purple Martin Project here.
Nature Canada and our supporters welcome Health Canada and PMRA’s decision to cancel neonic use but urge them to take immediate action on this issue rather than implement a 3 to 5 year phase out! In fact, 19, 400 people signed our petition asking Minister of Health Petittpas Taylor to entirely ban neonics without delay. An immediate neonic ban would be in line with actions taken by the European Union, which voted to ban Clothianidin, Imidacloprid and Thiamethoxam by the end of 2018.
One approach for Health Canada to take action on neonics is to refuse their re-registration when the current approval expires. Registrations for all 135 pesticides containing neonics approved for use in Canada are set to expire before 2023. Approximately 30 of these registrations will expire by the end of 2019. In our view, there is no reason why PMRA should re-register these neonics once they expire, considering the planned phase out.
Nature Canada will be submitting comments on the proposed re-evaluation decisions and our neonic petition to Health Canada and PMRA later this month. Stay tuned for updates!
UPDATE, August 29, 2018: This week, Nature Canada, along with the signatures of 20,000 supporters, submitted a petition to ban Neonics and commentary to the Minister of Health and Pest Management Regulatory Agency expressing concern about the long phase out of Neonic. We will also submit our petition and concerns shortly about the slow phase out of Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam.
Want more nature news?Sign up to learn how you can protect the nature you love. |
This blog is written by Nature Canada guest blogger Tina-Louise Rossit.
World Honey Bee day is not just a day to support our love of honey and bee-pollinated foods…it’s to give awareness of today’s bee crisis and what that means for the rest of us. Read on to find out a little more about these amazing critters and why you should bee grateful for them!
A bee and poppy, captured by Sandy Nelson.[/caption]
Pollination is a symbiotic relationship between flowering plants and animals. Flowering plants, scientifically called angiosperms, reproduce sexually, meaning they have male and female parts. The pollen grains contain the sperm, and the pistils contain the ovaries. Once fertilization occurs, seed development occurs, resulting with the fruit. But since plants can’t physically move the pollen themselves, that’s where pollinators come in.
For bees, they travel from flower to flower to collect nectar and simultaneously get pollen attached to their bodies. The bee moves to the next flower and pollen grains drop down. The pollens fall into the pistils and fertilize the eggs thanks to the bee. In return, honey bees use the collected nectar for everything they need to survive. Bee food, honey, and the hive itself, all stem from nectar as the secret ingredient.
This is why pollination is symbiotic because it is crucial to both parties. Although mammals, birds, bats and other insects have pollinating species, evolution is pretty specific sometimes, and some plants can only be pollinated by specific animals. The honey bees pollinate a lot of plants for human foods. One third to be exact. One bite out of three fruits and vegetables we love to eat, needs bees to survive.
Now imagine these honey bees disappear. Here’s a list just to name a few plants that wouldn’t grow so much; apples, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, coffee, cherries, cranberries, almonds, coffee, zucchini, grapes, avocado, and was coffee already mentioned? And if you put honey in your cup of coffee, well that’s a double whammy. Now while we’re still imagining, think about what the earth would look like without a third of its plants. It’s not a lovely sight.
[caption id="attachment_38188" align="alignleft" width="300"]
A bee pollinating flowers, captured by Ilana C Block.[/caption]
Join the Movement!Sign up to learn how you can protect the nature you love. |
Nature Canada is thankful of the support that our Petition to ban the use of Neonics has received. By taking a stand against neonics, we can apply pressure to decision makers, and ensure Canada catches up to other places in protecting our birds and bees from harmful chemicals. The Save the Bees and Save the Birds movements have gained mainstream attention in the past few years, but governments, environmental groups and industry have been discussing the impact of pesticides on humans, plants and wildlife species for decades. Silent Spring, a groundbreaking book by Rachel Carson, was published in 1962 and highlighted the dangers of DDT for humans and wildlife alike. She presented evidence that linked DDT to health problems in humans, and severe declines in bird populations. This ultimately led to the ban of DDT for agricultural uses, and, since then, the many species that were severely impacted by its use, most notably peregrine falcons and bald eagles, have made dramatic recoveries. Now, four decades later, neonics (Neonicotinoids) have taken centre stage due to the harm they are inflicting upon bird and bee populations around the globe.
Support Nature Canada as we urge the government to follow the European Union’s lead and protect all our wildlife species from harmful chemicals!
The Save the Bees and Save the Birds movements have gained mainstream attention in the past few years. But governments, environmental groups and industry have been discussing the impact of pesticides on humans, plants and wildlife species for decades.
These scientists found nine detectable levels of neonicotinoids in the livers of 40 wild turkeys in Southern Ontario. This raises the question about the breadth of the impact that these pesticides have on all wildlife species.
Support Nature Canada as we urge the government to follow the European Union’s lead and protect all our wildlife species from harmful chemicals!
Canada’s wilderness is the world’s envy. It’s our duty to keep our true north strong and green.
Donate
