In December 2019, Canadian Parks & Trees Protection filed a complaint against the PMRA that questioned their decision of allowing the use of harmful pesticide for another two years. The pesticide Thiamethoxam, is a type of neonicotinoid pesticide, which intensively affected pollinators. Hence, it was important to come in and stop the PMRA from making such decisions.
The PMRA publicized the effects of Thiamethoxam on pollinators in April 2019. In their results, they concluded that there was a need to enforce important measures that would help protect all pollinators. The measures included stopping various uses of Thiamethoxam, updating its labels, and changing the time it’s supposed to be sprayed.
Even though the PMRA stipulated all these measures, they still added two years of use before implementing them. This decision was not under the Pest Control Products Act, so the PMRA decided to refer to the lengthy two-year delay as a “phase-out”.
Why Canadian Park & Trees Protection got involved
The fact that Thiamethoxam pesticide harmed important pollinators was the main reason why Canadian Parks & Trees Protection had to sue the PMRA. However, the court gave the PMRA more time to polish their paperwork before they could prohibit the use of Thiamethoxam pesticides. This was so disappointing to us and its clients.
As of now, Canadian Park & Trees Protection urges the PMRA to consider the risk of this pesticide on bees and other pollinators. If pollinators get exterminated now, then the future of humanity will be at risk as individuals fight to survive.