20
Jan 2016
Too little but not too late to fix Canada’s broken pesticide regulation!
Ottawa – Friends of the Earth Canada welcomes the end of conditional registrations of pesticides announced by the Minister of Health but says that discontinuing the practice won’t fix an industry-biased and scientifically out of date system. In a new report issued for public response, Health Canada says it will cease issuing conditional registration of pesticides. It further states that Health Canada plays an important role in protecting the health and safety of Canadians and is committed to transparency and openness to further strengthen trust in our regulatory decisions.
“Canada needs a systematic approach to assessing pesticides that is open, transparent and independent of industry,” said John Bennett, Senior Policy Advisor, Friends of the Earth Canada. “This announcement should be the first of many on what Health Canada will do to fix the way pesticides are assessed and to reassure Canadians they have the scientific capacity needed to conduct independent assessments.”
As many as 55 bee-killing neonicotinoids products were given conditional registrations and allowed on the market. Many pesticide companies were allowed to ignore conditions placed on their products for over a decade.
The catastrophic death of millions of honey bees in spring planting 2013 brought this negligence to light. Only then did Pest Management Regulatory Agency begin to press the pesticide manufacturers to address the imposed conditions.
For more information, contact John Bennett, Senior Policy Advisor 613 291 6888
