Bees- Neonicotinoids and Submissions to EPA
By Vera van der Voorden
The NZ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering the introduction of the pesticide ‘Celcius’, containing the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam, for use on kiwifruit, pipfruit and potato crops and is inviting input from the public under application APP202892 – Celsius. The submission period closes Friday 23 Sept.
Neonicotinoid pesticides are known to have detrimental effect on beneficial pollinators. This one in particular is extra nasty as it is claimed by opponent science that it produces the extra side effect of making bees sterile. That is extra to the effects of disorientation, starvation and systemic poisoning. Neonicotinoids are also now found to be extending into aquatic water systems. This product which is water soluble for spraying, states “May cause target organ damage from repeated oral exposure at high doses, is Toxic to aquatic organisms, is harmful to terrestrial vertebrates and very toxic to terrestrial invertebrates, Highly toxic to bees and warns for acute fish toxicity.
Who wants this stuff on our food? Please make a submission to the EPA stating your opposition to its release. You can go on the EPA website, look up the application nr APP202892 and its supporting documents and make an online submission. There’s lots of info you can find by googling to support your submission. Here’s the link to the application http://www.epa.govt.nz/search-databases/Pages/applications-details.aspx?appID=APP202892
Thanks, Vera