Health Canada: Pollinator Protection and Pesticides

Abstract

Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is responsible for regulating pesticides in Canada, including assessing potential risk to pollinators. Pollinator health is a complex issue that may be affected by multiple factors including pests, diseases, habitat and nutrition, bee management practices, and pesticides. The pesticide risk assessment framework for pollinators has been recently updated and improved in collaboration with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Health Canada is also working with international partners and stakeholders to develop improved measures to reduce pollinator exposure to pesticides through improved labelling, best management practices, and mandatory and voluntary mitigation measures. Many of the measures being developed are related to planting of insecticide treated seed, an area that was highlighted in 2012 and 2013 when Health Canada received a significant number of honey bee mortality reports from corn growing regions of Ontario and Quebec. Exposure to insecticides from dust generated during planting of treated corn seeds was determined to contribute to the majority of these bee mortalities. With the cooperation of multiple partners and stakeholders, including the provinces, registrants, seed distributors, equipment manufacturers, growers, beekeepers, and researchers, technical solutions and best management practices have been developed and implemented to reduce pollinator exposure to pesticides during planting of treated seed. Efforts are continuing to better understand the potential risks to pollinators from all areas of pesticide use and to develop additional measures that will further reduce exposure and risks.