Government plans new laws regarding pesticides
(CNS): Local farmers and gardeners are being urged by government to re-think the use of pesticides and wherever possible consider alternative strategies to protect their flowers and vegetables from pests Speaking about the benefits but also the significant problems of overuse of pesticides on World Pesticide Awareness Day, Kurt Tibbetts, the planning minister with responsibility for agriculture, said pesticides don’t need to be a first choice and that “a little damage to your plants and imperfections in your garden or vegetables” is not necessarily a bad thing. He said that his ministry was now preparing comprehensive legislation to regulate all aspects of pesticide importation, distribution, use, transport, storage and disposal in the Cayman Islands.
“As citizens and likely users of pesticides I urge you to become more aware and educated of the benefits and risks of pesticides, follow the simple rules, protect yourself and help safeguard the health of our people and environment,” the minister said in his message to mark the annual day earmarked to raise awareness about pesticide use.
“Don’t think of pesticides as your first and only choice. Consider other alternative options and strategies for controlling pest before resorting to pesticides. There will always be pests, zero-tolerance is not the answer, a little damage to your plants and imperfections in your garden or vegetable plot can be tolerated,” Tibbetts said.
See full message below.
Category: Science and Nature
Will the new law be enforced or ignored by the authorities?
It will probably be ignored or, as many laws here, it will be enforced only "selectively".
Agree, to an extent… For example, if your lime trees or other yellow-flowering fruits/vegetables are under attack from white flies, there is a very effective and non-pesticide solution: Paint a 1-foot X 1-foot board (plywood, masonite) bright yellow, shoot it with a light coat of spray-glue or clear grease and suspend it from a string so it can turn in the wind. White flies are attracted to the yellow spectrum, will land on the board and get stuck there. This works, and works far better than spraying your fruits and vegetables with insecticide.
Paraquat needs to be banned outright. Too many animals have died horrible deaths because of it. I believe it's banned in the USA and EU, why are we still selling it?
Well if you are a full pledged farmer and whether its decided on if you will have a successful crop to feed your family or not, are social services going to be extended to me? The dish liquid and cooking oil therapy does not work and if it did, I would not have to purchase expensive pesticides.
on another note, paraquat is not a pesticide it's a plant killer. A lot of people don't like this agent but the truth is for what it was made for, it does make my job a bit easier meaning i can till my grounds a lot quicker than utilizing round up. Do you know dogs can be poison in other ways and the other ways takes much longer which makes the suffering for the animals longer?
i agree there should be some control on who purchases of the products but banning pesticides and weed killers all together just makes no sense especially when your lively hood depends on it.
whilst you are it, please also pass the conservation law so there's some land left for future generations to come.
Finally lets hope we can get Paraquat banned completely!!!!
Err, Paraquat is a herbicide, none the less its sale should be at least restricted to licenced applicators as in other developed countries. Currently there are to many agrochemicals freely a available to end users who have little or no training in their proper use. This new policy is a good start in the protection of people and the environment.
Yes Paraquat is a Herbicide but is registered as a "Restricted Pesticide" in most countries and banned in many more!
Herbicide sounds nice but it is deadly poison to many animals.
and then enforce the actual ban!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Given we're still awaiting the passing of the long-awaited Environment Law, why don't just just incorporate this into the same Bill and have the lot passed as one law – rather than a whole heaps of laws? And I also sincerely hope this law will not be kicked aside and left to rot for as long as we have been waiting for the Environment Law.
Would be nice if Government posted the full results of the last public consultation period on the National Conservation Law. Better yet, it's such a distant memory that Government should recirculate the Bill to refresh everyone's memory and to be sure that the public really understands the implications of the proposed Law. Do the right thing PPM !
Hope this includes a BAN on paraquat!
Very well said! We are 3rd world using this dangerous toxic poison that can kill anyone or anything.
Get rid of Paraquat. Ban it outright.