[Residential Areas-Pesticides Use][Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants]

Debate No. 1 of 16.03.2004
Residential Areas - Pesticides - Use

(No. B/35) Mr M. Chumroo (First Member for Port Louis North and Montagne Longue) asked the Minister of Environment and National Development Unit whether he will make a statement on Government policy regarding the utilisation of pesticides in residential areas and in the vicinity of educational establishments and give a list of cases of intoxication since 01 January 2000 to date.

The Minister of Agriculture, Food Technology & Agricultural Resources (Mr N. Bodha): Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, I am replying to PQs B/35 and B/44 together.

My Ministry has always monitored closely the level of pesticides used in agricultural cultivation land and has devised various means to reduce pesticides applications.

Much importance has been laid on education of farmers in the safe and rational use of pesticides through advisory work in meetings with planters, radio/TV programmes and publication of booklets and other leaflets.

Furthermore, my Ministry has been promoting and relying more and more on integrated pest management which calls for a variety of methods which are biologically safe, having recourse to predators and parasites, use of natural products such as neem extracts, and also physical methods such as traps and tunnel culture.

The Agricultural Chemistry Division of my Ministry regularly monitors the pesticide residue levels in fresh vegetables and fruits produced locally. In general, the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) are within the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius norms. Furthermore, no complaint has been received at the MSIRI concerning intoxication following application of pesticides in sugar cane fields.

Mr Speaker, Sir, we are laying stress on the use of natural products, the use of safer pest control methods, the use of biological control and regulation of manufacturing and import, and sale of pesticide by the Pest Control Board. The House may be aware that, through action of the Pesticide Control Board, some highly toxic products such as gramoxone, have been withdrawn from the local market.

Regarding utilisation of pesticides in residential areas and in the vicinity of educational establishments, any decision is taken on a case-to-case basis. A general rule would be difficult to apply as pests and diseases cause immense loss of crops if left uncontrolled.

Mr Chumroo: Would the hon. Minister inform the House whether there is a list of pesticides which has been withdrawn by the European Union because they are detrimental to animals and even human beings? Does this case apply to Mauritius as well?

Mr Bodha: As I mentioned earlier the Pesticide Control Board has banned a certain number of highly toxic products such as folimat, lannat, rogor, tamaron and paraquat. We are closely monitoring the situation. In fact, I am also tabling a list of incidents, which occurred around the educational establishments.

Mr Gungah: The European Union has banned the pesticide containing the element pipronyl. What is the stand of Mauritius on that?

Mr Bodha: I will look into the matter, Mr Speaker, Sir.

Keywords: pesticides, public health, chemicals, monitoring, agriculture, sensitization, biological control, Pesticide Control Board

Debate No. 04 of 30.03.2004
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP)

(No. B/151) Dr. B. Hookoom (Second Member for Piton and Rivière du Rempart) asked the Minister of Environment and National Development Unit whether, in regard to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP), he will give -

details of the identity, qualifications and area of expertise and office held by the members of the panel/s which interviewed the applicants for the post of –

Project Director;
National Project Coordinator;
Legal Expert;
Industrial POP Subtask Coordinator;
Pesticides POP Subtask Coordinator, and

(b) table the CV of all applicants for the above posts as submitted
to his Permanent Secretary.

Reply: I am informed that within the overall objectives of the Stockholm Convention, the Government has to prepare a National Implementation Plan for the elimination of persistent organic pollutants. To this effect, a project proposal prepared and submitted to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the UNDP for funding has already been approved.

The Executing Agency is the Ministry of Environment. The other main agencies involved include the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, which is the implementing Agency, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, which is the coordinating Agency and the UNDP.

Within the context of this project, a Project Director and a Chairperson for the Project Steering Committee were already designated while submitting the project proposal.

The National Project Coordinator has been recruited by the UNDP. As regards recruitment of the other technical personnel of the project, a panel comprising a representative of the Ministry of Environment represented by the Principal Assistant Secretary, a representative of the UNDP represented by its Environment Programme Officer, a representative of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life represented by an Occupational Health Physician, a representative of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development represented by an Economist and the National Project Coordinator who is the ex-Director of Environment was set for the exercise.

Five applications were received for the post of Legal Expert, 13 for the post of Industrial POPs Subtask Coordinator and 12 for the post of Pesticides POPs Subtask Coordinator.

After a preselection exercise, the candidates were assessed on the basis of qualifications, experience and immediate full-time availability to make the final selection.

The hon. Member would agree that it is not proper to make public the CVs, which contain confidential and private details on the candidates.

Keywords: Stockholm convention, POPs, national Implementation Plan,