Campaign launches to ban pesticide use in veterinary medicines

A new campaign is being launched today (1 November) to ban several common pesticides from being used in veterinary medicines.

The drive is being led by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN), which says a loophole barring the chemicals from being used in other sectors on environmental grounds must now be closed.

More than 20 organisations have joined them in signing an open letter to the UK Government, including the Progressive Veterinary Association (PVA) and the Veterinary Poisons Information Service.

‘Nature crisis’

PVA director Andre Menache said: “Every industry has a role to play in helping to tackle the nature crisis and vets are no different. We have known about the environmental impacts of parasiticides for many years already.

“We need to move beyond the plethora of voluntary guidance that exists if we want to reverse wildlife declines.”

The campaign is calling for a ban on using all pesticide active substances in veterinary medicines for cats and dogs that are already barred from use in agriculture.

New analysis

It is primarily focused on five chemicals that are used widely in tick, flea and worm treatments – fipronil and permethrin plus three neonicotinoids, dinotefuran, imidacloprid and nitenpyram.

The letter is also accompanied by new analysis of Environment Agency data which found at least one of those substances was found in volumes exceeding safe limits at 109 out of 283 river sites in England.

The assessment, compiled by the Rivers Trust and Wildlife and Countryside Link, also found that in two locations, the volumes of fipronil were more than 1,000 above the levels at which adverse effects on aquatic wildlife would be expected, despite it never being used on agricultural crops in England.

Chemical ban

PAN’s head of policy and campaigns, Josie Cohen, said it made “no sense” to allow the chemicals to be used for medicines, while preventing their use in sectors such as agriculture.

She added: “Despite many statements of concern from both veterinary and environmental groups over the years, concrete improvements or major reductions in use have not occurred.

“It is high time to adopt a precautionary approach and ban these five chemicals that we know are harmful to wildlife.”