Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
(e.g., see Chapter 4). Further research into region-specifi c integrated pest management is also needed.
Finally, despite the fact that carbofuran is known to persist in acidic soils/under acidic conditions,
further discussed in Chapters 3 and 8, the authors of these sections were unable to fi nd any detailed
studies that examined whether or not this has resulted in increased levels of carbofuran residues in
agricultural produce, although this seems warranted.
Carbofuran is by no means the only toxic compound used to poison wildlife, and others (e.g., the
carbamate carbosulfan) can degrade to yield carbofuran and/or the same metabolites (as outlined in
Chapter 1). Both compounds are highly toxic to wildlife, so from an ecotoxicological perspective,
their dual presence presents to some degree a 'six of one and half a dozen of the other' scenario
(a factor discussed in Chapter 7). However, from an evidentiary perspective, without a full and
detailed investigation which identifi es all possible compounds of use and concern, carbofuran may
on occasion be implicated incorrectly in a wildlife poisoning incident, a fi nding that its manufactur-
ers can then use to undermine the credibility of the process. Focusing on any single compound or
group of compounds may well be detrimental if others are later implicated, especially in terms of
fully resolving this ongoing issue. As a gesture of goodwill, manufacturers could examine the feasi-
bility of adding a diagnostic marker to their products (or explore the possibility of making the colour
and shape of their product visually distinctive), so that they could be readily identifi ed and distin-
guished from (or as) carbofuran during fi eld assessment and laboratory analysis. Similarly, cam-
oufl aging, as described in Chapter 7, was shown to be a promising way to conceal poisoned seeds,
decrease mortality and, hence, reduce damage caused by birds in wheat, corn and rice plantations.
9.2.5 Coordinate international monitoring and conservation efforts
Of the wildlife that has succumbed to carbofuran poisoning, birds have been hardest hit, not only
because of their inability to detoxify the compound before it kills them (as discussed in Chapters 1
and 2), but also because they are the most mobile. The scale of migratory bird poisoning has been
substantial, and likely carries global population level repercussions for certain species (a possibil-
ity further explored in Chapter 3). Conservation efforts conducted worldwide to protect migratory
birds are now being undermined by global discrepancies in carbofuran regulations. For example,
birds rehabilitated and released in Israel (where carbofuran is not registered for use), may be deci-
mated when they arrive in Africa or Asia. It is also worth noting that migratory birds are fam-
ished at the end of their journey and gorge themselves on the prey they can fi nd (as described in
Section 3.3), which may predispose them to consuming poisoned/intoxicated individuals.
International treaties and regulations (e.g., the Migratory Bird Conventions Act, http://laws-lois.justice
.gc.ca/eng/acts/M-7.01/FullText.html) can and have been invoked to protect migratory birds from
inconsistent pesticide regulations throughout their ranges. International entities can work in part-
nership to seek common funding and pool resources and information to effectively protect species
throughout their migratory ranges.
9.2.6 Address outstanding policy and accountability issues
Although this is by no means a simple scenario, several fundamental logistical constraints and 'vil-
lains' can be clearly identifi ed. As outlined in Section 9.2.3, a lack of capacity and of fi nancial
resources severely limits the quality of the information and evidence that can be gathered. However,
it can be a struggle to recover and analyse samples even in 'developed' nations. While people on
the ground certainly do not lack dedication or drive, both the political will and the societal interest
to propel it must follow suit. Conservationists must fi nd ways to affect change through the existing
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