BBKA Statement onneonicotinoids

[gavin]

Statement: Update on neonicotinoids

Friday 21 September 2012

In recent months a number of research papers have been published which suggest that neonicotinoid insecticides can have sub-lethal effects on bees. In addition some interested organisations have called for a ban or suspension on the use of neonicotinoids.

The BBKA’s position has been to press the government and its regulatory agencies to review this research work and if necessary to make changes to the approvals covering the use of neonicotinoids as soon as possible. If it was considered unnecessary to change the approvals then reasons should be given and the reasoning made public. Also if further research work was required then this should be funded and carried out without delay.

On 18 September 2012 Defra posted an update on their website titled ‘Neonicotinoid insecticides and bees’ http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/...ecticides-bees which contains an assessment of the various published papers and their conclusions. This work was carried out alongside that being done by the European Food Standards Agency (EFSA) whose report is due to be completed by the end of 2012.

Defra concluded that:
• The studies were interesting but they either used neonicotinoids at a higher level than is currently permitted, or the studies were not carried out under field conditions. The studies did not show that currently permitted uses of neonicotinoids have serious implications for the health of honeybee populations.
• Regulation needs to be based on all the ‘science’. Existing field studies on neonicotinoids found that there were no significant differences between hives exposed to treated crops and hives exposed to untreated crops.

Next Steps

It is recognised that improvements are necessary in the risk assessment processes for honeybees in particular to assess pesticides with a systemic mode of action and to develop a new risk assessment for bumble bees and solitary bees. The European Food Standards Agency (EFSA) issued on 20 September 2012 a public consultation (http://www.efsa.europa.eu) on the risk assessment of plant protection products on bees (Apis mellifera, Bombus spp. and solitary bees) and interested parties are invited to submit written comments by 25 October 2012. The BBKA will be submitting written comments.

In the UK Defra has also announced research funding (£66,000) on pesticides and honeybees which will have three objectives, namely:
• To assess pesticide residues in apparently healthy UK honeybee colonies in urban and rural environments
• To determine if there is any clear correlation between the presence of pesticides and disease status in
honeybee colonies
• For major pesticide classes detected in the study to assess the half life of the parent pesticides in live bees to assist in the interpretation of residues in live bees

The research is due to be completed by Spring 2013.

These are the government responses that the BBKA has sought and we welcome these initiatives and funding for further research. The BBKA continues to believe that working with, and monitoring, the regulatory bodies is the approach most likely to bring about the outcomes we seek in the interest of bee health.