NGOs are calling on the Australian pesticide regulator, the APVMA, to immediately remove from sale and use a highly toxic agricultural pesticide facing bans in Canada and the USA because it is killing up to 100 million birds a year in North America and also posing a serious risk to people’s health. Carbofuran is a highly toxic carbamate pesticide used in Australia on rice, sugarcane, tobacco, wheat and barley.

STOP PRESS: Kenyan Government bans carbofuran after it was found to be killing wildlife including 76 lions and thousands of birds.

The Australian pesticide regulator, the APVMA, should immediately remove from sale and use a highly toxic agricultural pesticide facing bans in Canada and the USA because it’s killing up to 100 million birds a year in North America and also posing a serious risk to people’s health.

Carbofuran is a highly toxic carbamate pesticide used in Australia on rice, sugarcane, tobacco, wheat and barley.
“A single granule of carbofuran – the size of piece of sand – or a single tainted earthworm can be lethal to many bird species,” says Jo Immig, Coordinator of the National Toxics Network. “There are several products registered in Australia which come in a granular formulation which are broadcast in fields. There’s no way you could stop birds coming in contact with it and we have no idea how many birds it’s killing here.”

“The US Environment Protection Agency  (USEPA) investigation into carbofuran concluded that dietary, worker, and ecological risks were unacceptable for all uses of carbofuran and that all products containing carbofuran caused unreasonable adverse effects on humans and the environment and did not meet safety standards”.
The USEPA also found that the combined human exposure to carbofuran from food and water significantly exceeded the agency’s level of concern for children, and didn’t meet the U.S. food safety standard. As of December this year no food crops in the USA will be allowed to have any residues of carbofuran, which could pose problems for Australian farmers still using the pesticide and exporting food.
“There’s absolutely no place in Australia for this pesticide which is lethal to wildlife and so dangerous for humans. It’s unmanageable and the APVMA should act immediately.” Ms Immig concluded.
Media Release available as pdf

UPDATE: The Kenyan government will ban carbofuran because of its devastating impacts on wildlife.  The official record shows that at least 76 lions were poisoned with carbofuran between 2001 and 2009. This is thought to be just the the tip of the iceberg. There are also reports that thousands of birds have died, including vultures, ducks, geese and egrets.

Environment groups say a Kenyan ban is not going to be enough.  So long as it is still legal to use carbofuran in Africa, Asia,  South America or Australia, this pesticide will continue to kill wildlife, even in Kenya and the USA  where it has also been banned- because wildlife, especially birds migrate.

For more information on the Kenyan ban visit Baraza WildlifeDirect

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