next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects
EARTH ACTION
81 Prince Street Charlottetown PEI C1A 4R3 Tel: 902-621-0719 Email:
slabchuk@isn.net
NEWS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 1998
Federal Government Bans Granular Carbofuran
Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency announced on December 10 that it
was formally cancelling the last granular formulation of carbofuran
registered in Canada. This was Furadan 5G, manufactured by Bayer, and
primarily used on canola. Their decision was based on a review of a field
study carried out in the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan which
demonstrated an unacceptable risk to birds. Growers have been given one
more season to exhaust their stock.
In 1990, the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada pushed for and
obtained a Special Review of carbofuran for wildlife protection. On PEI,
Earth Action is lobbying the Province for a ban on liquid carbofuran.
"We're pleased that the federal government has finally acknowledged the
extreme toxicity of this pesticide and that the annual North American kill
of millions of birds from the granular formulation has come to an end. But
we wonder how much longer the poisoning of birds and small animals from
liquid carbofuran used on potatoes, corn, strawberries and sunflowers will
continue," says Earth Action spokesperson Sharon Labchuk.
Dr. Pierre Mineau, head of the Pesticide Section of the Canadian Wildlife
Service objects to the use of liquid carbofuran, especially on crops like
corn and potatoes. A flyer published by Earth Action quotes Mineau saying,
"Corn and potatoes especially represent a large acreage and available data
clearly demonstrate bird kills on field edges."
Labchuk says she is disappointed that the Province and PEI farm
organizations have not advocated a ban on liquid carbofuran. " A year ago
we gave extensive scientific information to government, the PEI Federation
of Agriculture, the PEI Potato Producers Association and the National
Farmers Union. We've heard nothing from the farm groups and government
doesn't seem in any hurry to end the killings. It seems bird and small
animal deaths are just an unimportant side effect of industrial agriculture."
Earth Action plans to step up its campaign for a ban by targeting tourists
and consumers. "We've gotten nowhere by lobbying government and providing
information to farm groups. It's time to seek the support of people who
care - buyers of PEI potatoes both in Canada and abroad and tourists who
come to PEI to enjoy nature," says Labchuk.
- 30 -
Contact: Sharon Labchuk 621-0719
********************************
To reach Dr. Pierre Mineau, Canadian Wildlife Service
Ph: 819-997-3045
Fax: 819-953-6612
email: pierre.mineau@ec.gc.ca
********************************
Sharon Labchuk
Earth Action
81 Prince Street
Charlottetown, PEI C1A 4R3
Phone: 902-368-7337 / 621-0719
Fax: 902-621-0719
slabchuk@isn.net
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
You received this because you are subscribed to "sust-mar", the
Sustainable Maritimes mailing list. To unsubscribe, send email to
<majordomo@chebucto.ns.ca> with "unsubscribe sust-mar" (without quotes) as
the body of your message. To post a message to sust-mar subscribers, send it to
<sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca> Posts that are off-topic or excessive length
(10K) will be rejected. For help contact <sust-mar-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects