Adoption of a code of practice for soil and water conservation for potato producers before the next growing season, establishment of buffer zones this fall, implementation of an Environmental Farm Plan on every potato farm in the province, and strict enforcement of legislation to prevent pesticide runoffs to watercourses are among the major recommendations of the Action Committee on Agricultural Runoff Control. The report was released today.
"The Action Committee has concluded that fish mortalities over the past summer were caused by pesticides carried in agricultural runoffs and that permanent remedies for soil erosion and prevention of fish kills, both short and long-term, need to be implemented ," said Action Committee Chair Dr. Carl Willis. "The Action Committee expects that industry and government will take decisive steps now to protect aquatic life and adopt improved soil conservation practices."
The committee has put forward a total of 22 recommendations, all but one which it said can be actioned before the next growing season. In addition to those mentioned above, these include:
- the implementation of a pesticide risk reduction strategy based on Integrated Pest Management principles along with increased research across the whole spectrum of pest management in potato production;
- accelerated research into the development of new crop protection products which have reduced impact on aquatic life, and higher priority for the registration of products with lower toxicity and more specificity;
- providing workshops to potato producers on soil conservation methodologies, pesticide toxicities, etc. on a watershed basis across the province;
- the provision of sufficient levels of funding to enable potato producers to implement improved soil and water conservation practices;
- amendments to the Property Tax Act so that farm land owned by non bona-fide farmers who implement Environmental Farm Plans would be taxed at the farm rate, together with information on model farm leases;
- identification of high risk watercourses, and the sharing of information with producers on practices to prevent soil erosion and runoff;
- improvements by the Department of Transportation and Public Works of ways to handle concentrated water flow and associated sediment to minimize impacts on watercourses; and
- establishing on-going communications between the potato industry and environmental organizations.
The Action Committee has also identified "indicators of success" to measure progress on the implementation of its recommendations.
"Even one dead fish is too many and similar incidences can - and must - be prevented in future," said Dr. Willis. "With cooperation from all stakeholders, these recommendations will result in an increase in the adoption of soil conservation practices and a reduction in the use of pesticides most toxic to aquatic life."
Dr. Willis said that the recommendations would also accelerate the adoption of more of the recommendations made by the Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship.
The Action Committee was established by the ministers of agriculture and environment to determine the causes of fish kills over the past summer and to identify measures required to reduce the risk to aquatic life in future.
For more information contact: Dr. Carl Willis, 628-2184