More Predators and Scavengers at risk
Category: carbofuran | Date: Sep 18 2008 | By: Martin
In August this year (2008) I had a noble opportunity of viewing Lake Naivasha’s biodiversity from a fisherman’s view. I mean I hook hiked on a boat ride. The diversity of birds and the jumbo hippos as well as the varied water vegetation were nothing short of beauty. I however observed something that I had never seen before. While enjoying the boat ride, I noticed we had a tail! One Grey-headed gull seemed to be trailing us. The boat man or honourably the ‘captain’ seemed not bothered. I took courage and asked him if he was aware that one particular gull kept flying behind us! He said that it was just hunting. A clever Gull I thought. I had difficulties in distinguishing between sort of similar terns and gulls until I found out that one marked biological distinction is in their feeding mode. Terns are hunters and will hunt and eat small aquatic organisms. The bigger gulls are poor hunters or fishermen and are mainly scavengers. The Gull trailing us was simply taking advantage of disoriented fish, arthropods, etc by the turbulence of water caused by the rotating motor boat’s propeller. The disoriented fish and insects are less likely of swift escape hence the predator swoops down and snatches them. Usually, the gull would eat dead, decomposing fish on the shore due to its less efficient hunting methods. I thought this was a good adaptation, guaranteeing this dominantly scavenger bird fresh food as a hunting predator.
A Grey-headed Gull
In the meeting organized by Wildlife Direct in April, 2008, one scientist revealed that he had observed fishermen in Lake Victoria pour Furadan on the water surface then using motor boats, churn the waters with their boats manoeuvring in figure 8 manner. Evidently, fish came floating from the effects of the chemical while definitely many other organisms must have succumbed to the poison. Gulls occur in Lake Victoria as well. Learning to trail boats that churn the poison-laden waters may however lead them to their tragic end. Many fish still may escape this poisoning death but fall in the fishermen’s nets. Otters are also renowned to have learnt that net catches are rich and will spare their energy and serve themselves at the catch in the nets especially for the nets left out overnight, so more predators and more scavengers to get into this chain of intoxication and possible fatalities. What of the fisherman below, employing his teeth to hold his caught fish? I hope this fish is not an escapee from poisoned water area.
Tags: fisherman, Grey-headed gull, Lake Naivasha, Lake Victoria, otter, wildlife poisoning
The secrecy in wildlife poisoning
Category: Uncategorized | Date: Sep 17 2008 | By: Martin
Yesterday BBC reported on reject on calls for ban on bush meat in central Africa. Frances Seymour, director general of CIFOR - the Centre for International Forestry Research-speaking to the BBC amongst other things warned that “Criminalising the whole issue of bushmeat simply drives it underground.”. He may just have been right especially when I look at the secrecy that surrounds poisoning of wildlife in Kenya.
Killing wildlife in defence against attack on your property/livestock is apparently lawful in Kenya though it is always preferred that you call the local wildlife authority, the Kenya Wildlife Service to come capture the rogue carnivore as it turns out in most cases to come gun down or cage trap the intruder.
This is by no means a justification for wild poisoning of the carnivores and consequently vultures, hyenas and other canids. I was looking at the notes I made on the questionnaires to the bird poachers in Busia and could not stop trying to get a link to the secrecy that characterises Kenyan hunting (partly through poisoning) and Central Africa’s. in trying to understand the poisoning I have modelled the case of poisoning of carnivore and scavengers which is almost wholly not meant for meat trade or other animal parts for trade based on a by the way question that I asked some bird poachers in Busia on what they would do if against their odds they were forced to quit poaching (birds) especially using poison. A few realistic ones said they would have to fall back on what everybody else was doing to sustain their livelihoods. In my reasoning, I cannot stop thinking that the poachers especially in and around the National Parks and Reserves that survived the harsh enforcement against poachers in the late 80’s, early 90’s and reformed for better to be just like their non-poaching native colleagues, turned to livestock keeping and crop farming. While poaching was ‘banned’, fear caught up with everyone which indeed did our country a lot of good by boosting tourism through securing wildlife. But the wildlife conflicts did not end as well as human population growth applying more and more pressure especially on animal reserves thereby prompting the predators to roam to the proximities of man’s holdings to satiate their hunger .And so the situation of wildlife poisoning started appearing ‘boldly’ in the 90’s with easier detections in non-park and reserve regions like western Kenya where spread out birds for purchase for domestic meat consumption obviously betrayed poisoning as a poaching technique. This averted the focus from the reserves and parks where a poisoned animal is highly likely to be cleared out by the alert scavengers. Soon however, scores of vultures would die and this being irregular, it was later to be revealed by autopsy results that they were poisoned. In brief I suppose secrecy embodied in poisoning evolved from the well-meant enforcement against wildlife poaching.
I cannot help pondering if this could be a solution to wildlife poisoning other than for carbofuran which honestly is almost a threat to everything living. I mean, If I must kill wildlife that is a threat to me and what is mine, I should do it but not use a poison which means a policy review to include harsh preconditions such as this kind of killing will only be legal if my physical security is at its best and meets another precondition that outlines how you should reinforce your physical security to accord it secure.
Just thinking aloud so as to involve you. What do you think?
Tags: BBC, Carnivores, Central Africa, CIFOR, Kenya, National Parks, National Reserves, poachers, scavengers, wildlife poisoning
Wildlife Reserves and Parks safe from wildlife poisoning
Category: Pesticides, carbofuran | Date: Sep 10 2008 | By: Martin
Hi,
Since the month of June, some rains have been pattering the Kenyan soil, while wild herbivores have been doing well (even the wildebeest migration brought carnivore food to Kenya) and pastoralists are apparently not having any quarrels with carnivores (One of the significant human-wildlife conflict reasons). But even before then, since April 2008, Wildlife Direct has made a lot of noise to the public, raising attention on the wildlife poisoning that had assumed an uncontrollably wild trend. Still, some awareness has been raised with a couple of farmers showing some interest in knowing the monster behind the pesticides that they so preciously spend o for the best crop yields.I believe the two forces-noise making and favourable weather conditions- have merged to bring a seize fire on the wildlife poisoning. Unfortunately though, some renown wildlife poisoning areas are still reported with the harmful trend going on. I have summarized the information since the Stop Wildlife Poisoning Campaign by Wildlife Direct began in april, 2008 until now in maps showing the top-rated/reported poiosning areas, some of the affected wildlife in these areas and the current poisoning status in the areas in Kenya-current-wildlife-poisoning-status-in-kenya.pdf
Please keep reading our blog.
Tags: Carnivores, human-wildlife conflict, Stop Wildlife Poisoning Campaign, Wildlife Direct, wildlife poisoning
Inland biodiversity threat
Category: carbofuran | Date: Sep 09 2008 | By: Martin
All our posts have been centered on large animals, illustrating carbofuran poisoning in lions, hyenas and vultures. The explanation behind this lies in effective exposure to the chemical pesticide.Their mode of feeding-carnivorous and scavenging -therefore accords these organisms the highest vulnerability. This just proves that ingestion or swallowing is the most effective way of getting the toxic substance into a living organisms body system. Further, fish have also been reported to have been killed through Furadan poisoning, other birds (non-vulturine), wildebeests, warthogs, crocodiles, just to mention those.
Clearly, out of the 8 divisions (technically and more precisely reffered to as phyla, these are sponges, worms, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) of the members of the Animal Kingdom, it is not just fish,mammals,birds and reptiles that are suffering but also the other mentioned in brackets but sponges. Only the sponges can be said at a lower risk given that they are oceanic rather than part of inland biodiversty. The large volume of the oceanic waters in which they are found also confers them some safety since it would require more carbofuran than can be produced on earth at the present time to get the waters concentrated eneough to destroy the sponges. This post will therefore focus on alleged or reported highly suspected carbofuran poisoning cases for smaller or inconspicuous or ignored animals.
Insects and their likes, which constitute the division (phylum) Arthropoda-the largest animal group constituting 95% of the animals- in as much as pesticides are designed to kill them, I would say, have been ignored. I believe no organism is too abundant not to be destroyed altogether or be driven to extinction. In one of the posts in another of wildlife direct’s blogs, there were lions reported to have died from Furadan poisoning. Shockingly but also reported nonetheless was that flies that came to get tit bits of the fouled carcasses also died on their meal. Well, I have also been able to get reports that Honey bees have died of Furadan poisoning in Naivasha and Kitui, Kenya. Honey bees not only make a highly nutritious and medicinal substance, honey ,but they are also very important in pollination of our rops and other plants. In Naivasha, Kenya, Furadan is used to kill termites and is proclaimed even more effective than the pesticides intended to kill termites. In Busia, Bunyala, the Leech was a feared worm by the paddy field workers and the blood sucker would stick on one’s upper legs and suck blood till one used a knife to cut it off. Though a worm, it falls in a different category and it poses no threat to rice or any other crop. Presently, the farmers have noted the worm has declined and not as common as it used to be in the paddy fields. A few cannot stop thinking that Furadan may be behind the decline in the leech numbers.
If I recall clearly, carbofuran is branded a nematicide. But what has been witnessed is an indiscriminate mortality situation cutting across the entire animal kingdom. Carbofuran leaves a lot to be desired as far as its pesticidal role is concerned. It is a chemical pesticide that leaves many questions unanswwered such as if it can cause secondary poisoning and the scope of the broad spectrum of living things that it can wipe out. There is great need for more intensive testing of the effects of the pesticide and if at all it has to remain in use as a pesticide, it should prove its ‘innocence’ and subsequently may be win again the confidence of wildlife conservationists.
Tags: amphibians, animal kingdom, arthropoda, Birds, bodiversity, carbofuran, fish, fishtoxic, honey bees, hyenas, insects, lions, mammals, reptiles, sponges, Tanzania, termitesKenya, vultures, Wildlife Direct, wildlife poisoning, worms
Please submit comments on the EPA’s carbofuran revocation proposal
Category: carbofuran | Date: Aug 19 2008 | By: Claudia Hodkinson
Hi Everyone, this is Paula. We sat in a meeting today with members of the Stop Wildlife Poisoning Task Force to discuss progress, or should I dare say ‘lack of progress’???
The Agricultural Association of Kenya is the only government agency that has responded to our letters calling for a ban on Carbofuran in Kenya. But it’s not the response we really wanted - they are basically denying that there is any proof that carbofuran is dangerous, and that the poisoning of wildlife is an issue of “misuse” not dangers due to “proper use” … read ‘it’s not our fault’. They want us to address wildlife pest control issues with the Kenya Wildlife Service.
We’ve been trying to reach the Kenya Wildilfe Service who initially told us that they would press for a ban on carbofuran but seem to have since gone totally mum. In fact I’ve recently seen evidence to show that KWS has hired the company that imports and distributes Carbofuran for its construction work. Another suggestion of conflict of interest amongst stakeholders and regulators in this sorry story.
Remember we toled you a couple of weeks ago about a KWS meeting with FMC (the producers of Carbofuran) well, we are being told that we cannot get access to the meeting minutes as it was a ‘closed door meeting!’. Why do they need to be so secretive?
So where does this leave us? Well, I don’t know about the others in the team, but I’m REALLY ANGRY!!!
The news coming out of USA about the ban on carbofuran is a bit more hopeful - some press say Carbofuran residues have been banned but they have only announced an intention to ban it.
The EPA have changed tact from cancelling carbofuran’s registration, a regulatory path that determines whether a product can be sold in the United States, because of the hazards it poses to workers who apply it as well as to birds and other wildlife. This ban on residues essentially is revoking the regulations that allow carbofuran residues in food. I.e it would affect local production as well as imported goods. I think it’s a brilliant strategy and we applaud the EPA.
But I don’t understand where the manufacturer FMC gets off. Rather than addressing the concerns, they have been fighting the move in federal court, arguing that the agency must prove that the chemical represents a public danger. I wonder what staff of FMC think and feel - they must know how dangerous and damaging Carbofuran is. Imagine selling your soul for a salary! If I worked for them I would resign. FMC is the first pesticide manufacturer in 20 years to resist cancellation of a registered pesticide! FMC spokesman James Fitzwater said his company will push to keep selling the product. He sounds like a really nice guy.
Friends we have work to do.
The EPA’s July 30th tolerance revocation proposal is subject to a 60-day comment period. So far there has been much praise for the strong stand taken by the EPA but the American corn growers have indicated that the ban goes too far and are hoping for a limited use of the pesticide to protect corn I hope that the comments being received are all in support of the ban. In Australia a big user of Carbofuran, farmers see the EPA decision as a sign of things to come. We have our fingers crossed for Africa too. We need to help get carbofuran banned in USA in order for it to have a ripple effect in other nations that supply USA - like my beloved Kenya.
Here is the full document from the EPA website. Please submit your comments to the revocation proposal.
Tolerance Revocation
Tolerance Revocation Proposal
Public comments on EPA’s carbofuran tolerance revocation proposal are due to EPA by September 29, 2008 - July 31, 2008 FR Notice. How to submit comments.
Due to considerable risks associated with carbofuran in food and drinking water, EPA is revoking the regulations that allow carbofuran residues in food. Because dietary exposures to infants and children are of particular concern, the Agency is moving to revoke carbofuran tolerances first, before cancelling carbofuran registrations. This approach provides the most direct and timely means to realize protection of children from dietary risks. It also allows multiple stakeholders an additional opportunity to comment.
Even though carbofuran is used on a small percentage of the U.S. food supply and therefore the likelihood of exposure through food is low, EPA has identified risks that do not meet our rigorous food safety standards. The Agency is taking the necessary steps to address these risks to ensure we have the safest food supply possible. The U.S. has a safe and abundant food supply, and children and others should continue to eat a variety of foods, as recommended by the federal government and nutritional experts.
In a Federal Register notice published on July 31, 2008, EPA is proposing to revoke all U.S. carbofuran tolerances. The Agency specifically is requesting comment on whether any individual carbofuran tolerances, or group of tolerances, meet the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act safety standard. It is possible that one or more individual carbofuran tolerances could be maintained, if information is provided to demonstrate that the tolerance(s) would be safe.
Revoking carbofuran tolerances is part of a broader series of Agency actions to cancel all uses of carbofuran in the United States due to human dietary, occupational, and ecological risks of concern. The cancellation process requires the development of several documents, including this proposed tolerance revocation. After moving to revoke carbofuran tolerances, EPA subsequently plans to publish a Notice of Intent to Cancel all carbofuran registrations.
EPA establishes tolerances for pesticides that may be found on foods, and can also revoke tolerances to better safeguard public health and the environment. The Agency must modify or revoke any tolerance that it determines is unsafe, that is, that does not meet the safety standard of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). The Agency is proposing to revoke all tolerances for carbofuran because exposure through food and drinking water does not meet the FFDCA section 408 (b)(2) safety standard. For further information on this process, see Revoking Pesticide Tolerances.
How to Submit Comments
July 31, 2008, FR Notice - Comments will be accepted on EPA’s carbofuran tolerance revocation proposal until September 29, 2008. All comments should be identified by Docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0162.
Publicly available docket materials are available either in the electronic docket at Regulations.gov, or in hard copy at the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory Public Docket.
Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:
- Regulations.gov Open the docket and find the docket item for the July 30, 2008, Federal Register Notice proposing revocation of carbofuran tolerances. In the far right column titled Add Comments, select the yellow balloon icon and follow on-screen directions. This icon will only be functional during the comment period.
- Mail To: Office of Pesticide Programs Regulatory Public Docket (7502P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001.
- Hand delivery - During normal hours of operation, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays, deliver comments to OPP Regulatory Public Docket (7502P), Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South Building), 2777 S. Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202.
Please do not e-mail or fax your comments. For questions or assistance, contact the OPP Regulatory Public Docket at (703) 305-5805.
Tags: Carbofuran ban, carbofuran revocation proposal, EPA, furadan, wildlife poisoning
A glasgow vet in Africa talks about poisoning wildlife
Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jun 17 2008 | By: Martin
I have been reading blogs by A Glasgow Vet in Africa which picks up news from Wildlife Direct from time to time. He reports that vultures and hyaenas have been poisoned in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National park, including an entire clan of twelve animals near the village of Kasenyi, on the shores of Lake George.
Tags: , Africa, wildlife poisoning
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