Hong Kong: Keeping people safe from pesticides

Pesticides like Diazinon that are restricted or banned in other countries are available in Hong Kong - but government has ordered that another 27 pesticides be withdrawn from sale over the years.

A spokeswoman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said: "We regularly review the registration status of all registered pesticides to safeguard public safety and the environment."

Among the pesticides which had seen their registration cancelled were DDT, aldrin, dieldrin and most recently sulfuramid, the spokeswoman said.

"Different countries may adopt different levels of control on individual pesticides according to their local situation," she said. "For instance, while the use of Diazinon is restricted in the United States, its use is allowed in a number of countries such as Australia, Canada and Singapore.

"In Hong Kong, the AFCD has imposed restrictions on the formulation and concentration level of Diazinon when approving its registration to ensure public safety."

She added: "The AFCD has been keeping abreast of the latest international trend in the regulation of pesticides to ensure that internationally banned or restricted pesticides are not registered, imported, sold and manufactured locally."

None of the pesticides listed under two major international conventions on pesticide use - the Stockholm Convention and the Rotterdam Convention - was legally available in Hong Kong, she pointed out.

Education also played a key part in the government's approach, the spokeswoman explained. "The AFCD has been providing technical support to farmers and pesticide companies on the proper and safe ways to apply pesticide," she said.

"Educational leaflets on the proper application of pesticide and the importance to follow the instructions on product labels have also been produced."