Quebec Environment Minister David Heurtel is expected to present a new strategy Sunday to better control the use of pesticides — particularly neonicotinoids, a class of insecticide considered to be partly responsible for drastic reductions in bee populations.
According to information obtained by Radio-Canada, the province plans to ban some insecticides from being used in urban areas, as well as greatly restrict their use in agricultural settings.
The new measures will attempt to modernize Quebec's laws on pesticides, which date back to 1987.Bees in particular have fallen victim to the presence of neonicotinoids — a class of neuro-active insecticide that has similar chemical properties to nicotine — in both urban and rural settings.
Neonicotinoids are believed to be a major contributor to bee-colony collapse and other problems related to the bee population. Birds and fish are also considered to be vulnerable to pesticide contamination.
According to information obtained by Radio-Canada, the Quebec government's strategy will propose that the use of all "risky" pesticides will need to be supervised and approved by an agronomist.
