Fall
2015
Grains
West
28
activists convinced that neonics pose a
more insidious threat to pollinator health
through a pervasive presence in crops,
soil and water. It’s a view not widely
shared in Alberta, where the beekeeping
profession is thriving and the agriculture
industry is king.
A CACOPHONY OF VOICES
The neonics debate in Canada has
developed a sense of urgency. For
the past five years, Ontario has had
bee losses of more than 30 per cent
each winter. A survey by the Canadian
Association of Professional Apiculturists
reported after this past winter that 38
per cent of Ontario’s hives were dead or
unproductive, down from a record 58
per cent loss after the harsh winter
of 2013.
An “acceptable” winter loss is judged
to be 15 per cent or less. By comparison,
Alberta’s winter losses were 11 per cent
in 2014, down from about 19 per cent the
year before.
In late March this year, the Ontario
government released draft legislation
meant to establish an 80 per cent
reduction in neonics use by 2017. The
regulations came into effect July 1, and
Ontario farmers ordering seed this fall
will be restricted to using neonics on only
50 per cent of their crops, unless they
can demonstrate a need to use more.
After Aug. 31, 2016, growers will need
to attend integrated pest management
courses and submit pest assessment
reports to use any amount of neonics on
their fields. No similar action has been
proposed in Alberta.
The legislation and continuing war
of words has led to tensions between
beekeepers, advocacy groups, the
Ontario government and farmers.
Companies like Bayer and Syngenta, and
farmer groups like the Grain Farmers of
Ontario (GFO), have argued that bee
health is dependent on a multitude of
factors, including weather, pest pressure
and habitat.
“I think the biggest thing is that we
step back and say we’re not comfortable
saying it’s purely neonics that’s killing
A-OK IN ALBERTA:
Stony Plain
beekeeper Lee Townsend manages 3,300
hives. He’s at odds with Ontario beekeepers
who blame neonics for bee losses.
