Stop Wildlife Poisoning

I‘ve been shocked at the response from our government and private agencies about the carbofuran allegations. We are apparently a nation in total denial.

I’ve just seen this on Nat Geo  in which Nicholas Wadhams relates his interview with FMC and  – I quote …

“Philadelphia-based FMC Corporation, the maker of carbofuran, denies WildlifeDirect’s claims of inappropriate use, adding that the company cannot be held responsible.

The Kenyan distributor of Furadan, Juanco SPS, also denies that carbofuran caused the hippo deaths in Masai Mara.

“Those claims are completely unjustified, and we have our own data to support that,” said Julius Gatembo, head of horticulture at Juanco.

“What they say about the hippos is just impossible. You’d probably require that hippo to eat about 300 to 500 [kilograms] [661 to 1,102 pounds] of Furadan at once to die from it.

“That’s just impossible.”

FMC argued in 2006 that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had “exaggerated the risks of carbofuran and underestimated its unique benefits to agriculture.”

The company added that carbofuran “does not pose an unreasonable risk” if handled correctly”.

Can you believe this? How can FMC, the makers of the chemical, disown responsibility for any negative effects? Is this highly irresponsible or am I imagining things?

Many are wondering why we aren’t seeing reports of human poisoning by carbofuran if it’s accumulating in vegetables. Interestingly I found this article about the hospitalization of 132 people in eastern Kenya due to poisoning after eating sick animals on News 24 and on The Times

Reuters write: ” NAIROBI – Some 132 villagers in eastern Kenyan have been treated in hospitals for food poisoning linked to eating meat from sick animals, a health official said.

Scores of people flocked to hospitals in eastern Kenya’s Nyambene district complaining of “vomiting, diarrhoea, general abdominal pains and body weakness,” local health official Michael Kariuki told state-run Kenya News Agency”.

I wonder if this could this be a case of carbofuran poisoning? I’m going to write to the Pest Control Products Board  immediately to investigate. After all it is the planting season and it’s likely that livestock and wildlife are getting exposed to the chemical on farms.