On November 25, 2014, the Ontario government announced a concrete plan – the first in North America – to protect pollinators by reducing the use of a deadly class of insecticides called neonicotinoids (neonics). If approved, the new rules on the use of neonicotinoids would be in place by July 1, 2015, in time for the 2016 agricultural planting season. 

You can read the Ontario government’s discussion paper here.

Specifically, the Ontario government will work to:

• Achieve an 80 per cent reduction in the number of acres planted with neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seed by 2017
• Reduce the over-winter honeybee mortality rate to 15 per cent by 2020
• Establish a comprehensive Pollinator Health Action Plan

This is great news, and a very important first step towards protecting our bees and wild pollinators.

The provincial government held a public comment period regarding its proposed plan, which accepted feedback until late January 2015.

In addition to encouraging members and supporters to provide feedback on the proposal, the Wilderness Committee made a submission to the Ontario government in support of these new bee protection initiatives.

You can read our submission here.