Filenews 14 June 2022 - by Angelos Nikolaou
The Ministry of Agriculture is diversifying its policy regarding the disposal and use of rodenticides, in order to reduce the risks to the natural environment and biodiversity from its use for the protection of agricultural crops. According to information from "F", in a recent meeting held in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture, the Director General, the Director of the Department of Agriculture and other ministry officials, a special internal study was presented on the use of rodenticides in Cyprus, with specific references in this situation, existing practices and proposed solutions. The study showed that, in many cases, rodenticide use is uncontrolled, which poses serious risks to the environment and biodiversity. Based on EU Regulation No. 528/2012 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1380, the application of rodenticide is not intended for plant protection, but only for purposes of protection of human health and well-being of the rural world, always based on existing instructions for use. As part of its new policy and after discussion and exchange of views based on the results of the internal study, it was decided to launch a planned information campaign in the rural world. The aim of the campaign is to inform our farmers that: (a) rodenticide is specific use and governed by strict rules of use, (b) uncontrolled and incorrect use of rodenticide leads to the destruction of biodiversity and the environment in general, and the impact may be affect humans in the long run, and (c) there are alternative ways to manage rodents, such as nesting for human birds. It was also decided to evaluate the current cost of production and application of the rodenticide, as well as an estimate of the cost of user training. Then, the estimated cost of purchasing services from a company with professional training in the use of rodenticides will be compared with the current cost of the procedures / actions performed by the Department of Agriculture. In the estimation to take into account the production cost of the rodenticide by the Department of Agriculture in relation to its production cost by an external contractor. Mice at the Local Authorities At the meeting, it was decided to send a letter again to those communities and municipalities that did not respond to the Department of Agriculture in October 2021, requesting the submission of data regarding the number of stations and points where rodenticide quantities are placed, in order to determine the amount of preparation that will be given to them next year. Given the fact that only about 20% of the municipalities / communities sent data and based on the responses they provided, it is obvious that the problem of disposing of the formulation to untrained professionals is real, as some communities have stated that they do not have stations, but they have it in residents. Those municipalities and communities that do not respond to the new letter, will not receive rodenticide in 2022, due to violation of the rules of use of the preparation. Given that there is a serious violation of the rules of use of the rodenticide by the Hunting Associations, it was decided to re-evaluate the availability of the bait to the Thera Service, as well as the way of monitoring its use. Promoting the use of sheet metal Other important measures decided: (a) The use of sheet metal as a measure of protection is considered a good substitute solution to avoid the use of rodenticides. The implementation of the measure will be re-evaluated and will be included as a subsidy measure by the Rural Development Program. (b) Implementation of the legal regime for the sale of rodenticides to individuals. The manner of control of traders who supply rodenticides to individuals will be evaluated (to whom and in what quantity it is sold, a way of legal control of traders in the context of the implementation of the relevant legislation by the Department of Agriculture. (c) Marking of the packaging. The possibility of marking the packaging will be studied, ie the bags must be numbered before the rodenticide is packed in them and the separation / charging will be done during the receipt phase, for better control purposes in case of violation of the instructions for use. The current situation in Cyprus In Cyprus, apart from the bait crews licensed by a professionally trained user from the Department of Agriculture and following a specific plan and instructions for use, the placement of this rodenticide or even other more toxic rodenticides in no case follows the instructions for use, resulting in damage to nature, biodiversity and the environment in general is incalculable. Indicatively, the following rodenticide misuse practices are listed: 1. Installation by non-professional trained users and without the supervision of the competent Authority, with the result that in many cases not only the instructions for use / installation are not followed but also the required safety measures of the user. 2. Placement of baits by municipalities, communities and other organized groups in the countryside, away from residential areas that are not breeding grounds or where the presence of a large number of rodents has not yet been confirmed. 3. Placement by hunting associations, with the ultimate goal of protecting prey and habitats in environmentally sensitive areas such as gorges, water layers, forests, etc., without supervision and without following the instructions for use. 4. Use of the preparation as a plant protection and not as a biocidal, by farmers inside or around crops. 5. Placement in containers in which the safety and non-release of the bait in nature is not guaranteed, e.g. plastic containers of all types. 6. Installation without using any bait stations. 7. Placing large quantities in places where use is not needed or is not justified. 8. Do not remove baits that have not been consumed after a certain time, as should be done according to the instructions for use. 9. Sale of large quantities and uncontrolled use of biocidal rodenticides with various other forms of packaging from free trade to the general public as there are no restrictions and strict controls on the market by non-professional trained users. 10. Lack of information about the end of the rodenticide after its administration in municipalities, communities, Hunting Federation, etc. In many cases it is given for use to untrained professionals to maintain good relations with each other.
