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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BY THE DEPUTY OF ST. MARY
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 1st FEBRUARY 2011
Question
Given the importance of the good work done by honeybees and other bees, can the Minister outline his overall policy on insecticides and their effect on bees?
Given that beekeepers in Europe have called for a ban on the insecticides imidacloprid, fipronil, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin, can the Minister inform members whether these chemicals have been banned from sale and/or from use in Jersey?
When chemicals in general, and these in particular, have been banned from sale, what steps does the department take to destroy any stocks held around the Island?
Similarly, if a chemical has been banned from use, how is this enforced and what penalties would arise in a case of illegal use of such banned substances?
Do the same rules with regard to the professional use of agricultural chemicals apply to allotment and garden users?
Answer
Given that beekeepers in Europe have called for a ban on the insecticides imidacloprid, fipronil, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin, can the Minister inform members whether these chemicals have been banned from sale and/or from use in Jersey?
Answer
All these insecticides can be sold and used in both the UK and Jersey, as these pesticides are still approved for use by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate, with the exception of Fipronil following the expiry of its UK approval in 2009.
Question
When chemicals in general and these in particular, have been banned from sale, what steps does the department take to destroy any stocks held around the Island?
Answer
The Agricultural Inspectorate, through pesticide records obtained through regular audits, can identify where a chemical is stored on a commercial holding. If a product is found which has been banned from sale, it may still be permitted to be used under the use up period', normally between 3 and 12 months. Once this has expired, any product remaining will be shipped back to the UK in accordance with the Waste Management (Jersey) Law 2005.
Question
Similarly, if a chemical has been banned from use, how is this enforced and what penalties would arise in a case of illegal use of such banned substances?
Answer
The Agricultural Inspectorate undertake regular audits of commercial pesticide stores, and monitor revocation notices and suppliers and growers are advised as to when a pesticide product is due to be banned (its revocation date). Once this date has expired, it is illegal to use the product. Anyone found to have applied a pesticide after this date will be in contravention of the Pesticides (Jersey) Law 1991 and shall be liable to a maximum penalty not exceeding £500 for failure to comply with any order under the Law.
Question
Do the same rules with regard to the professional use of agricultural chemicals apply to allotment and garden users?
Answer
Allotment and garden users cannot purchase or use professional agricultural chemicals unless they hold the appropriate City & Guilds NPTC pesticide qualification.
Notes
Insecticides
Imidacloprid is a commonly used soil product in Europe, but restricted to containerised and indoor ornamental bedding material ( garden centres, herbaceous border plantings, and amenity turf including golf courses, plus fodder and sugar beet – some is used in Jersey.
Fipronil – UK approval expired in 2009 – not used in Jersey.
Thiamethoxam is approved for use in top fruit and potatoes, unlikely to be applied in commercial orchards in Jersey, as these are for cider apple production only so damage to skin finish of fruit by insects is not important.
Clothianidin is a seed treatment used on crops such as maize, durum wheat, triticale, winter oats, barley and rye.
Honeybees
The environmental concern regarding the use of these insecticides (neonicotinoids) is their potential role in Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) where worker bees from a hive or colony abruptly disappear. As yet there is no evidence for CCD in Jersey. Varroa and American Foul Brood (AFB) are far more important threats to Jersey honeybees, as is the low level of husbandry identified during inspections by the National Bee Unit inspectors.