Costa Rica prohibits professional, industrial use of insecticide ‘Fipronil’

Since November 11, the insecticide, Fipronil, has been prohibited in Costa Rica for professional or industrial use, as stipulated in Executive Decree No. 43767-S-MEAE published in the Official Gazette (La Gaceta).

The executive decree stipulates the ″Prohibition of registration, importation, manufacture, formulation, storage, distribution, transportation, repayment, repayment, manipulation, mixing, marketing and active use of the active ingredient of Fipronil technical degree for formulations in professional or industrial use.″

The decree establishes a non-extendable period of six months, counted from the publication in the Official Gazette, so inventories in the domestic market can be exhausted. ″After this period, the Ministry of Health will cancel all these records,″ the text added.

However, the prohibition of its professional or industrial use will be related to the application of the product by companies in physical facilities, not related to the environment, such as agricultural practices, said Henry Picado (Spokesman for the Ecologist Federation).

Fipronil is prohibited in over 30 countries, including in the European Union, as it is considered highly dangerous.