To stop the decline of insects, spreading times for crop phytosanitary products will be limited. A measure deemed insufficient by apicultural unions and environmental defense associations.
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For several months, the government “pollinators” plan was made public on Sunday, November 21st. Promised in the wake of the partial reel of neonicotinoid insecticides on sugar beet cultures, in the summer of 2020, it was necessary to illustrate the commitment of the ministries of the ecological transition and agriculture in favor of domestic bees and pollinators . He finally federates against him the apicultural unions and the defense associations of the environment, who deem it inoperative.
The plan presented is accompanied by the publication of a new “bee” decree, framing the use of pesticides in order to protect domestic and wild bees. The decree, which replaces a text from 2003, was the subject of a public consultation in July but, despite the large number of contributions – nearly 17,000 – it was changed only at the margin compared to the version presented in June.
The 2003 “bees” by-law forbidden the use of insecticides during the flowering period, with the exception of proceeds perrogatory after risk assessment. The new decree introduces two novelties. In the first place, all phytosanitary products, that is, fungicides (mushroom treatments) and herbicides, in addition to insecticides and acaricides, will now need to be evaluated before they can be used. Then, their spreading will only be allowed from two hours before sunset and up to three hours after – so far, farmers did not have any constraints regarding the schedules to use these products.
In 2019, The National Sanitary Safety Agency food, environment and work (ANSES It had yet recommended that the phytopharmaceutical treatments benefiting from a derogation are applied only after sunset time, the foraging activity of bees being, in particular, linked to the brightness. “We wanted to have an ambitious approach to bees but also pragmatic, justified the cabinets of the ministries of agriculture and ecological transition. The presence of bees strongly decreases from two hours before sunset and we Do not want a decree imposes night work to farmers. “
Exemption possibilities
“We are very disappointed, reacts Henri Clément, spokesperson for the National Union of French Apiculture. Allow treatments two hours before sunset will not protect bees, especially as the temperature n Is not taken into account in the decree. “The apicole sector wanted that, in addition to the brightness, a temperature below 12 ° C is always required to allow spreading, which was not retained by the government.
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