A ban on the outdoor use of metaldehyde, a pesticide used to
control slugs in a range of crops and in gardens, is to be
introduced across Great Britain from Spring 2020, the Environment
Secretary announced today (19 December).
The decision to prohibit the use of metaldehyde, except in
permanent greenhouses, follows advice from the UK Expert
Committee on Pesticides (ECP) and the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) that metaldehyde poses an unacceptable risk to birds and
mammals.
Slugs can cause significant damage to plants and crops,
particularly potatoes, cereals and oil seed rape. However, there
are other ways to mitigate their impact through soil preparation.
For example, sowing the seed deeper into the soil may prevent the
slugs from reaching them. There are also alternative
pesticides containing ferric phosphate which provide effective
control of slugs and snails without carrying the same risks to
wildlife.
Environment Secretary said:
“I recognise that significant effort has been put into
encouraging growers and gardeners to use this pesticide
responsibly by the Metaldehyde Stewardship Group. However, the
advice is clear that the risks to wildlife are simply too great –
and we must all play our part in helping to protect the
environment.
“I encourage companies and growers to look at the alternatives,
such as ferric phosphate, which is authorised and does not carry
similar risks.”
The outdoor use of metaldehyde will be phased out over 18 months
to give growers time to adjust to other methods of slug control.
It will be legal to sell metaldehyde products for outdoor use for
the next six months, with use of the products then allowed for a
further 12 months.
The new restrictions on metaldehyde will also reduce the
possibility of the pesticide contaminating drinking water
sources. Although this was not a factor in the advice from ECP
and HSE, the restrictions will help water companies continue to
meet our robust drinking water standards.
