New Zealand EPA calls for information on two neonicotinoids

Following New Zealand EPA recent announcement that grounds exist to reassess all neonicotinoid use in New Zealand, EPA is calling for information on two neonicotinoids, thiacloprid and acetamiprid.

Neonicotinoids are a group of insecticides that have been the subject of ongoing debate regarding their effects on bee populations internationally. Grounds, the formal step that opens the reassessment pathway, were announced on 27 January 2020. A reassessment is a formal review of the rules controlling a substance that is already in use in New Zealand.

Thiacloprid and acetamiprid are used in New Zealand as leaf sprays, home garden insecticides and timber treatments.

EPA is seeking information on the types of products that use thiacloprid and acetamiprid, the ways in which they’re being used, the prevalence of those uses, their positive or adverse effects, and specific mitigation measures that are being used to protect our environment and human health.

“All of the information will help us decide whether to reassess neonicotinoids, and if we do, specifically what aspects of their use will be reviewed. What we receive will be added to what we gathered in 2018, when we called for information on the other three neonicotinoids approved for use in New Zealand – imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam,” says Acting General Manager Hazardous Substances and New Organisms, Doug Jones.

The recent decision that grounds exist to reassess neonicotinoids aligns with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority's (APVMA) announcement that it plans to conduct a chemical review of neonicotinoid use in Australia.

“We are looking to work with our Australian counterparts to review the technical information on understanding environmental risk, given the broad similarities in products used in Australia and New Zealand,” says Doug Jones.

Submissions close at 5pm on 12 July 2020.