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Bee safety & prohibition of neonicotinoid insecticides
Oct. 1, 2013
In early 2012, a honeybee research report from entomologist put neonicotinoid insecticides into a cusp of attention. The research stated that these pesticides were found to be related to the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) of honeybee. CCD is a natural phenomenon discovered over recent times, which is believed to lead disappearance of honeybee all of a sudden, being now already evident in Europe and North America. Lots of crops rely on the bee pollination, which if disappears, would bring a disaster to human food production. Einstein used to give a forecast that if bees disappear, human kind can survive only for 4 years. In face of such a serious consequence, governments of all countries have started to take action without delay to protect bees.
Global Actions for Bee Protection
1999 France banned the use of imidacloprid in sunflower
2003 France added sweet corn to the list of crops subject to ban
2003 Beijing started to build a honeybee protection zone for breeding of endangered honeybee species of Chinese origination
2008 Italy ban clothianidin, imidacloprid, fipronil and chilrfluazuro for application to rapeseed, sunflower and sweet corn
2008 European Parliament approved establishment of honeybee protection zone in Europe
2009 US EPA conducted registration review on 6 neonicotinoid insecticides
2011 New Zealand Green Party requested the country’s Environmental Protection Agency to carry out registration review on neonicotinoid insecticides
2011 Italy prolonged ban period of imidacloprid and fipronil, etc.
2012 Canada started registration review on clothianidin, thiamethoxam and thiacloprid
2012 Brazil announced registration review on thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidinand and fipronil
2012 France prohibited the use of Syngenta’s Cruiser OSR (thiamethoxam + fludioxonil + metalaxyl –M) in rapeseed
2012 France announced prohibition of application of thiamethoxam to the treatment of rapeseed
2012 Brazil announced prohibition of aerial spray of 4 neonicotinoid insecticides
2013 the scientists of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) identified clothianidin, thiamethoxam and thiacloprid as causing damage to honeybee
2013 European Commission decided to restrict the use of clothianidin, thiamethoxam and thiacloprid from December 2013 for a period of 2 years
2013 China started to consider risk evaluation of neonicotinoid insecticides
2013 Brazil held public hearing to discuss the issues of prohibition of neonicotinoid insecticide and protection of honeybee
2013 EU decided to restrict the use of fipronil from 2014
2013 Canada formulates optimized new regulations on neonicotinoid insecticide
2013 US EPA is developing new pesticide labels, restricting the use of neonicotinoid insecticide in honeybee present areas
Counter-Measures of Involved Companies
For beekeepers and environmentalist, prohibition of neonicotinoid insecticide is a good way to protect honeybee and environment; but for neonicotinoid insecticide producers, it is a disaster to such products with good earnings and promising future. They would not wait and die out, instead they want to try all means like via scientific research, publicity campaign, more investment or even legal actions to protect their products.
Other Views on Disappearance of Bees
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Bayer CropScience
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Bayer expressed its belief in the safety of neonicotinoid insecticide which can be effectively used in farming; they started to work already proactively to provide necessary information and will continue constructive discussions with government supervision departments.
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To establish honeybee service center.
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To lodge a suit against EU’s restriction on the use of neonicotinoid insecticide.
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Syngenta
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Syngenta quoted a research result jointly from UK food and environment organizations and the University of Exeter, and refuted the saying that neonicotinoid insecticide being the cause of honeybee’s Colony Collapse Disorder; the research result holds that pesticide is harmful to single bee but not leading to collapse of honeybee groups.
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To raise fund for honeybee research.
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After European Commission reaching understandings with members on prohibition of the 3 kinds of neonicotinoid insecticide, Syngenta and Bayer jointly formulated a bee protection program.
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Syngenta sued European Commission for its restriction of thiamethoxam being used for seed treatment.
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Monsanto
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Monsanto held a Honeybee Health Summit Conference.
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BASF
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Having cooperated with scientists, farmers and beekeepers in a joint study of elements affecting honeybee’s health; series solutions have been proposed for improvement of honeybee’s health.
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Other Views on Disappearance of Bees
The decreased number of bee over recent years caused a panic, neonicotinoid insecticide is said to be reason. However lots of researches into the safety of bee reveal many other complicated reasons for the disappearance of bees. Prohibition of pesticide will not necessarily solve the problem of bee’s disappearance. Researches further indicate that the parasitic mites, virus and bacteria may be the main causes of decrease of bees. Additionally the climate, gene weakening, nutritional deficiency and loss of inhabitation are also causes. A Dutch company made a field survey which shows that excessive manganese may be the reason for the decreased number of bee groups over recent years.
Industry Voices
Just at 2 months before EU’s announced restriction of neonicotinoid insecticides, Agropages conducted a questionnaire, where 101 readers participated in the survey. Regarding the question “Do you support EU’s restriction of neonicotinoid insecticide”? The result shows that 30 people chose “yes”; 64 people chose “no”; and 7 people chose “don’t know”. For the question of “Do you think other countries will follow EU to make such a decision”? The answers of “yes” and “no” are fifty to fifty.
The survey also shows that there are no prevailing views either ways toward the prohibition or restriction of neonicotinoid insecticide, which reflects the situation where the subject has been discussed and debated for protracted long period but without a clear conclusion. Though EU gave a definite answer after lengthy debate and announced the restriction for 2 years now, the use of the product is not thoroughly rejected yet. Over the last 2 years, research institutions, transnational companies and government organizations are continuing further scientific researches to work out new explanations; in case of trustworthy proofs being provided, there is still a chance of survival for the neonicotinoid insecticides.
The survey also shows that there are no prevailing views either ways toward the prohibition or restriction of neonicotinoid insecticide, which reflects the situation where the subject has been discussed and debated for protracted long period but without a clear conclusion. Though EU gave a definite answer after lengthy debate and announced the restriction for 2 years now, the use of the product is not thoroughly rejected yet. Over the last 2 years, research institutions, transnational companies and government organizations are continuing further scientific researches to work out new explanations; in case of trustworthy proofs being provided, there is still a chance of survival for the neonicotinoid insecticides.
Source: AgroNews
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