Ontario's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs says the consultation process that started with yesterday's meeting in Guelph is a very important part of the development of a pollinator health policy.
Jeff Leal stressed the proposal of reducing neonics by 80 per cent, as mentioned in the discussion paper is an aspirational target.
Leal says polinator health is critical to the agricultural sector and so the consultations are very important in forming policy.
Leal also pointed out the science and research in this area in evolving and that neonicotinoids are just one of four contributing factors to bee fatalities; the others being last year's very cold winter, a mite that attacks beehives in Ontario, and management of Ontario's bee hives.
Leal adds they're looking for public input over the next sixty days.
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Jeff Leal says the reduction of neonics by 80 per cent mentioned in the Ministry's discussion paper is not a hard target.
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Leal points out that science and research in this area is evolving and neonics is not the only factor to consider in bee fatalities.
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