Neonicotinoid ban in the EU
The European Commission voted late last week to ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides anywhere except a close
The decision is expected to come into force by the end of 2018 and follows growing evidence
that the insecticides may be linked to declines in pollinator populations, including honeybees.
New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority has said
it would watch the European Commission’s decision, but that the rules around the use of neonicotinoids in New Zealand
were working to protect pollinators.
AgResearch scientist Mark McNeill said the challenge around neonicotinoids was that they were an effective insecticide
against seedling pests like the Argentine stem weevil, caterpillars and slugs, which can have significant impacts on the
establishment of pasture and forage crops.
"Protection during the seedling stage is critical to the production and persistence of these pastures and crops."
Because the insecticides are highly targeted, they do not have the same risks of environmental exposure as
broad-spectrum foliar sprays, McNeill said.
"While it is early days yet, the withdrawal of neonicotinoids will cause some issues for farmers, as there are no ready
alternatives. Irrespective of any future decisions, NZ farmers need to have effective and safe treatments for
controlling pests at the seedling stage."
University of Otago's Professor Peter Dearden, who is also with the Bio-Protection Research Centre, said neonicotinoids
had largely replaced problematic insecticides used in the past like organophosphates and DDT.
"In recent years questions have arisen about the impact of neonicotinoids on pollinating insects, especially bees. A
long-term reduction in pollinating insects has occurred, especially in Europe, and even more worrying, studies have
shown a similar 70% decline in flying insects in Europe. These declines have been suggested to be due to
Prof. Dearden said in New Zealand, neonicotinoids were used on a different set of crops and pasture than in Europe and
there were no indications of the long-term declines in bees as seen in Europe.
"We do not, however, have good long-term monitoring projects of insects other than bees in New Zealand, and so have no
real idea if we have the declines in insects seen in Europe."
"The neonicotinoid story, as well as that of organophosphates and DDT, may indicate that our approach to insects
generally is wrong," he said.
"Insects are key parts of our ecosystems and critical to our continued existence on the planet. Perhaps we should be
cherishing them, finding ways to avoid agricultural damage without killing them, and ensuring they are not needlessly
killed, as a better way to ensure sustainable agriculture."
The SMC gathered expert reaction
to the decision.
"I decided to write the book after so many times saying to my mum that there needs to be a book on cicadas.
“I was learning lots about cicadas and I needed somewhere to put it all."
11-year-old Olly Hills
Pacific boxers and dementia
A case study of eight former amateur or professional boxers found seven of the men developed early-onset dementia.
Published today in the New Zealand Medical Journal
, the study adds to a growing body of evidence linking high-impact sports like football and boxing conditions such as
chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and dementia.
All eight men were Pasifika, living in South Auckland and had been referred to Middlemore Hospital. Seven were diagnosed
with early-onset dementia (before age 65).
Study author Dr Vahid Payman told Radio NZ
that he started working at Middlemore in 2013 and was struck by the number of cases coming into the geriatric
psychiatry service and memory clinic.
Dr Payman said four of the men's dementia started between the ages of 45 and 55, with the others developing the disease
after age 55. "These were people in the prime of life, with families, who were deteriorating quite rapidly in their
"I don't want to sound alarmist in raising this issue, but certainly I was struck by this cluster of Pacific boxers that
we had in South Auckland."
Most of the boxers also had a history of heavy drinking and more than half had stroke risk factors like hypertension,
diabetes, smoking or obesity.
Preliminary data from Middlemore's Memory Clinic suggests Pacific people present at a younger age but at a later stage
of the disease. "So they were getting it earlier and they weren't seeking out help until later".
But while the study authors said evidence was mounting for Pacific people being at higher risk for dementia, New Zealand
does not have any dementia prevalence data to confirm the link.
"So we suspect that Pacific people already have a higher risk of developing earlier-onset dementia. If you add a history
of boxing on top of this, then you're going to be in a very high-risk category."
In the meantime, they suggest sports physicians should advise young New Zealand Pacific boxers about the potential
long-term risk associated with their sport, advice that New Zealand's former WBO world champion heavyweight Joseph
"In boxing I take my health very seriously and take all the precautions I can," Parker told the NZ Herald
. "People will always be free to choose to box but any study that can help improve health outcomes at the grassroots
level has to be a good thing for the sport."
Policy news & developments
New MPI units:
The Ministry for Primary Industries has established three new business units - Biosecurity New Zealand, Fisheries New
Zealand and New Zealand Food Safety.
Regional fuel tax:
Auckland Council has voted in favour of a regional fuel tax.
As students head back to school, the Ministry of Health is reminding families to be aware of the risk of measles.
Access to emergency information:
Deaf communities will have improved access to emergency information following an agreement between Ministry of Civil
Defence & Emergency Management and Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand.
North Island Mycoplasma:
A second farm in the North Island has tested positive for the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis.
Plantation forestry standards:
The new National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry have come into effect.
Mental health workers in schools:
Seven mental health professionals, counsellors and community workers have begun working in 15 Canterbury and Kaikōura
What we've been reading
With an abundance of news stories to possibly read, watch and listen to, it can be hard to find the gems. Here we
highlight some of the stories that caught our attention this week.
RNZ sent journalists out across New Zealand to chronicle daily life in a country teeming with methamphetamine.
Stuff national correspondent Carmen Parahi's three-part series Turning of the Tide examines police's relationship with
She was born beneath an acacia tree in one of the few patches of wilderness left in the southwest Australian wheat belt,
in an underground burrow lined with her mother’s perfect silk. The Washington Post farewells the world's oldest known spider.