Dear Premier Wynne and Minister Murray;
As politicians we are often asked to make decisions on complex issues, and we do our best to understand every side of the issue as well as the ramifications our decisions. I’m asking that your government take a long hard look at the impacts of your actions regarding pollinator health and the use of neonics by Ontario farmers.
In reaction to concerns about bee mortality in Ontario, your government proposed a ban on neonics, claiming the seed coating pesticide was the cause of bee deaths in the province. Since those first concerns about bee health were raised, however, there has been mounting evidence to the contrary.
Look, I’ve been in politics for a while now and I understand your motive. You want to cater to environmental activist groups and win votes and donations from getting their support. But I ask you to think through the consequences of your decision, stemming from a dangerous combination of emotion and political calculation instead of relying on the objectivity of clear science.
Long-term reports show the number of honeybee hives in Canada is up over the past 10 years, with more than 100,000 hives currently producing in Ontario, according to OMAFRA’S Apiary Program registry. Honey production in the province increased from 2013 to 2014, showing a healthy, active pollinator population in Ontario.
OMAFRA’s Apiculture survey shows commercial beekeepers estimated their over-winter losses at 58 per cent in 2014, greater than any other year. But the survey also shows the causes of bee mortality include weather, starvation, weak colonies, varroa mites and disease. Let’s not forget, that was a particularly long, harsh winter in Ontario. OMAFRA’s 2014 report on pollinator health states a single honey-bee hive can be exposed to multiple stressors over a season, and there may be vastly different factors responsible for the death of bees in any given colony.
Scientific research completed by the US Agriculture Department (USDA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into the correlation between neonics and pollinator health have shown that neonics, if indeed a contributor, are far down on the list of causes for bee mortality. Research cites the biggest detriments to pollinator health are colony management, viruses, bacteria, poor nutrition, genetics and habitat loss. The biggest culprit was identified as the parasitic mite varroa destructor – not pesticide use.
Three previous studies, done in 2002, 2005 and 2012 by environmental biologist Cynthia Scott-Dupree of the University of Guelph and entomologist Chris Cutler of Dalhousie University, reinforce this point. Their studies found many factors contribute to bee deaths, but neonics in particular had no effect on pollinator health, which echoes recent findings by other research scientists, including the USDA.
Indeed, if neonics was the culprit in bee deaths, then colonies in Western Canada where beekeepers forage their bees in millions of acres of canola fields – where neonics are used more heavily than here in Ontario - would be dying, but there have been no reports of bee deaths in Western Canada.
So, what are the consequences of your decision to ban neonics “just in case” they are the main culprit of bee deaths? Farmers will experience a drop in crop yields, and face increased costs to farming. The fallout could have a major negative impact on the economy, as farmers leave the field and Ontario’s GDP drops by up to $440 million.
Ironically, a ban on neonics will have a significant, negative impact on the environment as farmers move to other pest control measures, including spraying, which puts more of the active pesticide ingredient into the soil; and tillage, which increases greenhouse gas emissions.
This politically motivated decision, that ignores the science and advice of experts in agriculture, will also broaden the rural and urban divide that exists in Ontario.
The experts in my riding – the farmers and the beekeepers – agree. Neonics is not the culprit and is being made a scape goat by activists ideologically opposed to pesticide use. Beekeeper knowledge, experience and management of the hives, as well as parasites and disease, have the biggest impact on pollinator health. Farmers using neonics have already taken measures to ensure they follow best practices, and experienced beekeepers do the same to manage their hives’ health and viability.
Let me offer this constructive suggestion based on what I’ve heard in my riding: suspend the neonics ban and monitor the scientific evidence, to ensure the government is acting on all of the available information and making the best possible decisions for all of Ontario.
I would also suggest Ontario introduce bee mortality insurance, or expand crop insurance to include bees, as a long-term fail-safe for Ontario’s beekeepers. The 2014 and 2015 financial assistance program was a short-term reaction to a single season; Ontario’s producers need a more permanent, reliable program.
Given the emerging evidence, and the impact a ban would have on Ontario’s farming industry, it is imperative that any action taken on this issue be based on the research and scientific evidence.
The consequences of making a mistake are too high to ignore the science.
Sincerely,
Tim Hudak MPP
Niagara West - Glanbrook