Government report slams pesticide poisoning
26 November 1998
Government report slams pesticide poisoning
By FWi staff
THE deliberate and illegal misuse of pesticides to poison animals was roundly condemned today by a new Government report.
The report, which details various incidents of poisoning, was prepared by the environmental panel of the Governments advisory committee on pesticides.
Although the number of incidents from the approved use of pesticides is falling, the panel reported a slight increase in the number of cases of pesticide misuse.
Only six out of 607 reported poisoning incidents last year stemmed from approved pesticide use, compared with 12 in 1996.
Deliberate abuse incidents fell to 125 last year from 137 in 1996.
But the panel reported 23 cases of poisoning from pesticide misuse compared with 20 in 1996.
Such incidents include poisoning due to poor storage, spillage and inappropriate disposal methods.
Junior agriculture minister Jeff Rooker said anyone who was found illegally using pesticides to poison animals would be prosecuted.
“We will not hesitate to take action against this sort of behaviour,” he said.
The report comes just weeks after Beaufort huntsman Ian Farquhar was fined £6000 for destroying a colony of 10,000 crayfish.
Captain Ian Farquhar admitted responsibility for causing “devastating pollution” after using the pesticide to treat 160 hounds for mange and then washing it into a river.
The report also details the case of one farmer who was successfully prosecuted following the deaths of three red kites from mevinphos poisoning in 1996.
The farmer was fined a total of £13,500 after being found guilty of killing one of the birds, and possessing traps and a poisoning kit.