PEI pesticides news release

Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 16:55:38
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
From: Sharon Labchuk <slabchuk@isn.net>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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	EARTH ACTION
	81 Prince Street
	Charlottetown, PEI   C1A 4R3
	Phone: 902-621-0719 / 368-7337
	Fax: 902-621-0717 (call first)
	Email: slabchuk@isn.net

NEWS RELEASE 


PEI GOVERNMENT SACRIFICES WILDLIFE TO
 POTATO INDUSTRY



Tuesday, July 25, 1998 -  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Charlottetown -  PEI Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Eric Hammill and
Minister of Fisheries and Environment Kevin MacAdam are protecting
corporate profits and the potato industry at the expense of wildlife says
Earth Action spokesperson Sharon Labchuk.  The environmental group
presented evidence to both ministers that the pesticide carbofuran, sold as
Furadan 480F, kills birds and other small mammals. Earth Action, the PEI
Federation of Wildlife and the PEI Humane Society want the pesticide banned
on PEI but government says more studies are needed.

" Hammill and MacAdam are stalling and birds are dying. They do what the
chemical and potato industries tell them to do," says Labchuk.  "We gave
government a pile of information documenting the terrible effects this
pesticide has on birds, other wildlife and pets.  Most of our information
comes from Dr. Pierre Mineau with the Canadian Wildlife Service of
Environment Canada.  He's been working for years trying to get carbofuran
banned and has been successful for many of its uses.  However, the liquid
formulation is still allowed for use on potatoes and he says there is clear
evidence of bird kills on potato field edges. Even the manufacture's label
says "Keep out of areas inhabited by fish, birds and wildlife, as this
product is highly toxic to such animals." These creatures die horribly
painful deaths when they're exposed through inhalation of spray drift,
preening feathers, drinking or eating contaminated food or contact with
sprayed surfaces."

Labchuk says carbofuran is a high use pesticide on PEI according to the
government's annual pesticides sales report but  it's use is completely
unnecessary. " There would be no economic impact on any grower if this
poison was banned. An Agriculture Canada document says that if liquid
carbofuran was banned growers would still have many options for insect
control.  What are the economic and environmental impacts of dead birds,
dead mice, dead frogs and a  tarnished image in the tourism market?  It
makes no sense to keep using this outdated dangerous pesticide," says Labchuk.
-more-


	2

A ban on carbofuran is also supported by the US Fish and Wildlife Service,
the World Wildlife Fund and the American Ornithologists' Union, one of the
world's largest associations of ornithologists. "How can the PEI government
justify spending taxpayers dollars on more studies when this pesticide has
already been studied to death by the world's leading experts?  It's clear
who's calling the shots here - the chemical and potato industries," says
Labchuk. " We receive many calls from the public with concerns about
declining wildlife populations and massive fish kills.  A new report
commissioned by the British government documents an alarming crash in bird
populations in Britain over the past 25 years and implicates pesticides as
one of the major causes. Between land clearing and pesticide use PEI
wildlife, without a doubt, is in trouble. And we need to spend more money
on studies?  Let's spend what little money we do have on solutions."

- 30 -

For more information:

Sharon Labchuk   621-0719




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