Neonicotinoids Disrupt Aquatic Food Webs and Decrease Fishery Yields, Says Study (phys.org) 22
A team of researchers from Japan has found compelling evidence of two fisheries collapsing due to use of neonicotinoid pesticides by nearby rice farmers. "In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes their study of fishery water quality data over two decades and what they learned from it," reports Phys.Org. "Olaf Jensen with Rutgers University has published a Perspective piece discussing the work by the team in the same journal issue." From the report: Back in 1993, fishermen working at two fisheries on the lake found that yields had suddenly dropped dramatically. The reason for it was not known but many suspected it was tied to the use of neonicotinoid pesticides by nearby farmers -- a new practice. To find out if that was indeed the case, the researchers gathered data obtained by other teams studying the lake over a period ten years before and after the collapse of the fisheries.
In looking at the results, the researchers found that the year following the first use of neonicotinoid pesticides in the local area, the amount of zooplankton in the lake nosedived. This was followed by a very swift drop in population of the fish that fed on them. More specifically, they found that zooplankton biomass shrank by approximately 83 percent. That year the smelt harvest was just 22 tons, a dramatic drop from an average haul of 240 tons each year. The researchers note that they also studied other factors that might have led to fishery collapse, such as nutrient depletion or changes in oxygen or salt concentrations. They report that they were not able to find any evidence showing that there might have been something other than pesticides killing the food fish ate leaving them to starve.
In looking at the results, the researchers found that the year following the first use of neonicotinoid pesticides in the local area, the amount of zooplankton in the lake nosedived. This was followed by a very swift drop in population of the fish that fed on them. More specifically, they found that zooplankton biomass shrank by approximately 83 percent. That year the smelt harvest was just 22 tons, a dramatic drop from an average haul of 240 tons each year. The researchers note that they also studied other factors that might have led to fishery collapse, such as nutrient depletion or changes in oxygen or salt concentrations. They report that they were not able to find any evidence showing that there might have been something other than pesticides killing the food fish ate leaving them to starve.
Pesticides keep on working (Score:2)
That pesticides are so powerful and keep on working in water away from farms?
Some sort of "regulation" on what "pesticides" are approved for use. Work when used by farmers...on the farm.
No approval for use if later found in fisheries.
Re:Pesticides keep on working (Score:5, Informative)
Who would have thought? That pesticides are so powerful and keep on working in water away from farms? .
They probably missed the effect on lizards and snakes too. Modern pesticides from both tetrarmetrin and neo-nicotinoid groups are lethal to anything COLD BLOODED. This includes all of - snakes, lizards and fish.
If you are wondering why you have not seen a lizard or snake in the UK in the last decade, that has a lot to do with it (along with cats of course).
Frankly, the whole approval of neonicotinoid use in the developed world smacks of a criminal conspiracy.
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Who would have thought? That pesticides are so powerful and keep on working in water away from farms? .
They probably missed the effect on lizards and snakes too. Modern pesticides from both tetrarmetrin and neo-nicotinoid groups are lethal to anything COLD BLOODED. This includes all of - snakes, lizards and fish.
If you are wondering why you have not seen a lizard or snake in the UK in the last decade, that has a lot to do with it (along with cats of course).
Frankly, the whole approval of neonicotinoid use in the developed world smacks of a criminal conspiracy.
Well, you can then look forward to the Tories and/or the Brexit party reversing the current EU ban on these neonicotinoids after Brexiting the EU and repealing all kinds of worker's right currently guaranteed under EU treaties. That is to say if they ever manage to find the exit and leave. We've put up blinking signs, a trail of breadcrumbs from the tables of London city bankers, a huge neon arrow over the exit, a bunch of speakers that periodically shout "EU Exit HERE!, please EXIT NOW!" and a big brass ba
Re:Pesticides keep on working (Score:4, Informative)
Well, you can then look forward to the Tories and/or the Brexit party reversing the current EU ban on these neonicotinoids after Brexiting the EU and repealing all kinds of worker's right currently guaranteed under EU treaties. That is to say if they ever manage to find the exit and leave. We've put up blinking signs, a trail of breadcrumbs from the tables of London city bankers, a huge neon arrow over the exit, a bunch of speakers that periodically shout "EU Exit HERE!, please EXIT NOW!" and a big brass band next to the exit that plays 'Rule Britannia', but the Tories just keep complaining they can't find it.
Because there is no exit that isn't a fall from a cliff.
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Don't forget the Trump Trade Deal where we HAVE to import Chlorinated Chicken and Hormone laden Beef from the USA despite the British public rejecting them...
Neoconicotinoids may become another DDT like event.
Thankfully, my urban garden is free from them. Always has and always will be.
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Japan can act on that reality then
Save the fish and keep the farms by approving the use of much better quality of pesticides.
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If you are wondering why you have not seen a lizard or snake in the UK in the last decade, that has a lot to do with it (along with cats of course).
I thought it was because Saint Patrick had driven them from the islands about 1500 years ago.
Re:Pesticides keep on working (Score:4, Interesting)
Who would have thought? That pesticides are so powerful and keep on working in water away from farms? Some sort of "regulation" on what "pesticides" are approved for use. Work when used by farmers...on the farm. No approval for use if later found in fisheries.
I'm no expert in the field, but I thought neonicotinoids were brought out because they were supposed t be short lived. So much for that idea.
They apparently cause birth defects in deer https://www.thepublicopinion.c... [thepublicopinion.com]
And now humans are getting yummy neonicitinoids in their food https://www.pbs.org/newshour/h... [pbs.org]
I think rather than continue to demonize vaccines, the autism crowd should look into some studies that do show a connection between autism and insecticide exposure... http://www.loe.org/shows/shows... [loe.org]
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Everyone was happy to just accept the "short lived" part and grant approval?
Test, test and test again... Lots of experts would enjoy the overtime pay on projects like that.
Names on books after work like that.
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Short lived but enough time to make it to the fish. Not enough testing to find out just how short lived?
There's no testing like use in the the real world. There's all kinds of examples of how something has been tested in the lab but only proving to fall apart once put in real world use.
Every test makes certain assumptions, assumptions that might not show as valid later.
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Test, test and test again... Lots of experts would enjoy the overtime pay on projects like that.
It is probably not possible to come up with every likely and even unlikely threat situation and then exhaustively test it.
So you test as best you can. But when a problem is discovered, its crazy to allow the manufacturer to continue full speed ahead.
Some of those citations I gave were from 2014, finding that the proximity to the sprayed fields seemingly playing a role in women giving birth to babies that became autistic. I not know if they can test for residual toxins in the mother's blood or body fa
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They are short lived but they keep using them so, you maintain a damaging concentration by continuing to introduce the toxin as it breaks down, the final concentration being how quickly you are adding it versus how quickly it is breaking down, so it can exist at quite high levels in the environment hidden behind lies about breakdown.
Industrial scale aquaponics would solve this, far less water run off and controlled environments so insects are less of a problem. Put renewable energy generators out in the fie
Agriculture (Score:3)
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As always, agriculture making sure to destroy almost everything other than the grains: corn, wheat and rice, which are grass seeds.
I'm reminded of something of a parable that, if I recall correctly, was told by a character in the novel Sphere. I don't remember the parable exactly, only the basic premise. It goes something like this...
An alien species comes to earth and while making their observations from outside the atmosphere they encounter a weather satellite in orbit. Upon approaching it those close to it are killed instantly from a microwave radar burst. The aliens keep their distance from what they perceive as a weapon. Now
You don't need any pesticide to grow great rice (Score:3)
Masanobu Fukuoka had been doing it for many years in Japan, they all know about him, his rice farm is famous see https://onestrawrevolution.net... [onestrawrevolution.net]