The outdoor use of metaldehyde, a pesticide used to control slugs
on farms and in gardens, is set to be banned in Great Britain
from the end of March 2022 in order to better protect wildlife
and the environment, farming Minister announced
today.
The decision takes into account advice from the UK Expert
Committee on Pesticides (ECP) and the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) about the risks that metaldehyde poses to birds and
mammals. ???
Metaldehyde will be phased out by 31 March 2022 to give growers
and gardeners appropriate time to switch to alternative slug
control measures. It will be legal to sell metaldehyde products
until 31 March 2021 with use of the products then allowed for a
further 12 months until 31 March 2022. Small quantities of
product for gardens should not be disposed of at home and can be
disposed of through local authority waste facilities.
While slugs can cause significant damage to farmers??? crops and
gardeners??? plants, pesticides containing ferric phosphate can
provide effective control without carrying the same risks to
wildlife as metaldehyde slug pellets.
Alternative methods of pest control also include cultural
techniques like planting slug resistant crop varieties,
selectively timing irrigation and harvest and sowing seeds more
deeply into the soil.
Farming Minister said:
"The scientific evidence is clear - the risks metaldehyde poses
to the environment and to wildlife are too great.
"The government is committed to building back greener from
Coronavirus and the restrictions on the use of metaldehyde are
another step towards building a cleaner and greener country for
the next generation."
Decisions on the use of pesticides are based on careful
scientific assessment of the risks in order to ensure they will
not harm people or pose unacceptable risks to the environment.
The government is committed to leaving the environment in a
better state under the ambitious 25 Year Environment Plan and the
forthcoming Environment Bill will put the environment at the
centre of policy making to ensure we have a cleaner, greener and
more resilient country for the next generation.
