Consultation on the Special Review of Thiamethoxam Risk to Aquatic Invertebrates: Proposed Decision for Consultation, Proposed Special Review Decision PSRD2018-02

Notice to the reader:

This consultation is now closed.

Health Canada Technical Brief

As part of the consultation process, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) will host a webinar to provide an overview of the Proposed Special Review Decisions of the Risks to Aquatic Invertebrates from Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam (PSRD2018-01 and PSRD2018-02) to be held September 6, 2018, at 1:00 p.m. EST (English) and 3:00 p.m. EST (French).

Please register for this webinar by September 5, 2018 - by sending an email with your name, affiliation, and preferred language for the webinar to: pmra.webinar-webinaire.arla@hc-sc.gc.ca

Health Canada is consulting Canadians over the next 90 days on its proposed special review decision of the neonicotinoid pesticide thiamethoxam following a risk assessment to aquatic invertebrates when thiamethoxam products are applied as seed, foliar or soil treatment.

Based on the evaluation of currently available scientific information, Health Canada is proposing to cancel all outdoor uses of thiamethoxam on food and feed crops, including seed treatments, and outdoor ornamentals over three to five years. The PMRA will consider alternate risk management proposals, provided that they can achieve acceptable levels in the environment within the same timeframe. The risks to aquatic invertebrates associated with greenhouse uses of thiamethoxam are acceptable and continue registration of these greenhouse uses is proposed, provided wastewater mitigation instructions on product labels are followed.

Thiamethoxam is currently found in 18 end-use products to which aquatic invertebrates may be exposed – a list of those products can be found in these results from the Pesticide Label Search Database.

The environmental assessment showed that, in aquatic environments in Canada, thiamethoxam is being measured at concentrations that are harmful to aquatic insects. These insects are an important part of the ecosystem, including as a food source for fish, birds and other animals. Based on currently available information, most outdoor uses in Canada are not sustainable.

For more information on the thiamethoxam aquatic invertebrates assessment proposed decision open the “Proposed Special Review Decision” .

How to Get Involved

This consultation was open for comment from 15 August 2018 to 13 November 2018 (90 calendar days).

Request the full consultation document

Reporting to Canadians

Health Canada will make the results of this consultation available on this website. Once the decision is finalized, the PMRA will post a Special Review Decision on the Pesticides and Pest Management Reports and Publications portion of Canada.ca.

If you have any questions, contact the Pest Management Information Service.

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