Sunday midnight deadline to comment on Ontario bee plan

AWARE News Network

You have until Sunday January 25 at 11:59 pm to comment on the Ontario government’s consultation on plans to protect pollinators by limiting neonicotinoid use. Here’s the information about the government’s proposals.

See below a sample letter suggested by the Ontario Beekeepers Association which is seeking the extension of restrictions to all food crops and the inclusion of foliar sprays to the regulations. Also below, links to other groups looking for stronger protection for pollinators.

This is a link to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture position on the issue.  It is at odds with the OBA position, citing the need for more work on Integrated Pest Management approaches for corn and soybeans (which aim to lower chemical inputs) and asserts that there’s no evidence to support the effectiveness of lower levels of treated seed acreage.

OBA sample letter:

Dear Premier Wynne:

I am concerned about the threat that the overuse of neonicotinoids poses to our environment, our food security, the health of bees and the viability of our industry.

I believe that the proposed regulatory framework to control these pesticides is a significant and positive step forward. Ontario’s decision to apply a regulatory framework under the Pesticide Act to this commitment ensures that regulations will be enforceable under the law.

The proposed regulatory process recognizes the limited value of these chemicals, but provides flexibility for those few cases that could benefit from it. The preemptive use of neonicotinoid pesticides on over four million acres of corn and soy has made it nearly impossible for pollinators to avoid the acute and chronic effects of neonicotinoid pesticides.

The legislation, if applied properly, could result in significant decreases in the use of these toxins and open up safe lands for beekeepers to place their hives.

However, while limiting corn and soy is a reasonable starting point, we do not understand the rational for excluding sweet corn and winter wheat.

We request a comprehensive approach extending restrictions to all field crops. Further, proposed reductions in neonicotinoid use will not result in the same beneficial effect on pollinator health if they are limited to seed treatments and replaced with foliar sprays. We urge the inclusion of foliar sprays in the legislation.

Thank you for your leadership in protecting Ontario’s pollinators.

Yours,

Send to pollinatorhealth@ontario.ca and copy to the premier at this link. 

Other groups pushing for more protection for pollinators:

Ontario Nature https://ontarionature.thankyou4caring.org/pages/bee-the-voice-for-pollinator-protection

Sierra Club Foundation https://secure.sierraclub.ca/node/1557#jump

Environmental Defence http://action.environmentaldefence.ca/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=12270