permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@intrex.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] save the bees ban the pesticides
Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 12:53:11 -0400
From: jcummins <jcummins@UWO.CA>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

Germany has imposed a moratorium on the use of certain neonicotinoid and
carbamate seed treatment insecticides.  This action was taken because of
a direct effect of the pesticides on the honey bee in the face of a
decline in the pollinator. The response of regulators was rational but
one that will likely bring tears to the eyes of Bayer. Interestingly,
the synergism between pesticide and fungal parasite or virus has not yet
been taken into account.
Federal consumer protection and food safety agency
Director of the Press Office:
Press Office • Mauerstraße 39-42 • 10117 Berlin Jochen Heimberg (ViSdP)
Phone: 030 18444-00200 • Fax: 030 18444 00209
E-mail: Pressestelle@BVL.Bund.de • www.BVL.Bund.de

PRESS
BVL orders the suspension of the approval for seed treatment products

The Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety yesterday,
May 15th 2008, due to the fact that recent calculations within the
approval procedure have provided new insights, ordered the suspension of
of the  approval with immediate enforcement pursuant to Section 80
Paragraph 2, sentence 1 No. 4 VwGO for the following seed treatment
products:

-- Antarc, BVL registration number 4674-00
-- Chinook, BVL registration number 4672-00
-- Cruiser 350 FS, BVL registration number 4914-00
-- Cruiser OSR, BVL registration number 4922-00
-- Elado, BVL registration number 5849-00
-- Faibel, BVL registration number 4704-00
-- Mesurol liquid, BVL registration number 3599-00
-- Poncho, BVL registration number 5272-00

This decision was made after a thorough examination of the current facts
in light of the damage to honey bees in the south-western regions of
Germany. For the BVL it was necessary to examine whether a relationship
exists between the reported poisoning of bees and the planting of seeds
treated with plant protection products.

This examination revealed, that the distribution of insecticide-treated
seed with pneumatic drilling equipment constructed in a certain way
resulted in a higher exposure of bees, then the approval process
originally assumed.

New risk assessments, initiated because of the damage to bees and which
take this increased exposure into account, make it appear likely, that
it can not be ruled out, that the impact of this exposure will lead to
unacceptable effects on bees. In this context, the safety of the user in
the seeding process will be reviewed as well.

Because of these new findings, in order to avoid further damage to the
bees and to definitively clarify the relationship and possible further
impact on the environment we order for precautionary reasons until
further notice a suspension of registration.

Also the regional agencies responsible for advising on the use of plant
protection products have been informed immediately to inform the users
accordingly.

Background information on the suspension of authorisation

With the suspension of the licences no imports, no marketing and no
continued application of the plant protection products is permitted.

The same applies to Section 16e para 2 PflSchG also for plant protection
products for which a transport certificate with reference to any of the
above approvals was granted.