A group raising awareness about food safety and the environment is calling on the government to ban the spraying of pesticides harmful to humans.
“Why do we allow the use of pesticides in public spaces when the manufacturers themselves are saying they are highly toxic? These pesticides carry a disclaimer by their manufacturers that they are dangerous to the environment and are very toxic,” said John Portelli from the Clean Food Movement, which is today organising a march calling on the government to phase out pesticides.
His comments follow concerns by environmentalist Alfred Baldacchino, who told this newspaper a number of entities and people spray chemicals to kill unwanted flora and fauna and the products could be bought from garden centres.
Unfortunately, these pesticides, which contain the herbicide known as glyphosate, killed wild indigenous species of flora and are also detrimental to pollinators, especially bees, he said.
The Infrastructure Ministry said all products used by the Environmental Landscapes Consortium are approved by the authorities and imported legally.
These pesticides carry a disclaimer by their manufacturers that they are dangerous
A spokeswoman said their use is always limited and contained, adding: “It is incorrect to assume or give the impression that ELC is conducting some sort of rampant spraying exercise.” When products are used, spraying is mostly done very early in the morning and under appropriate weather conditions, for example on wind-free days, she added.
The parliamentary secretariat responsible for local councils was also contacted, as councils use contractors to spray chemicals to kill weeds. A spokeswoman said the Market Surveillance Directorate keeps in touch with local councils and sub-contractors to inform them of their obligations. These include using mechanical means of weed removal wherever possible and also ensuring that procedures undertaken to handle pesticides are carried out in line with mandatory controls.
However, Mr Portelli insisted the use of herbicides in public spaces by local councils means that, many times, residents and bystanders are exposed to toxic chemicals innocently. Even Malta’s National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides recommends minimal or no use of pesticides in particular areas, including public spaces, he added.
He noted that, earlier this month, Germany’s state consumer protection ministers called for an EU-wide ban on glyphosate after it was categorised as “probably carcinogenic”.
Mr Portelli is the coordinator of today’s march by the Clean Food Movement and March Against Monsanto coalition, which has joined forces to call on the government to protect the ecology and Maltese citizens.
Activists from more than 38 countries including Malta will hold marches against Monsanto, a leading American producer of genetically engineered seed and the herbicide glyphosate. In Malta, the protest starts at 9.30am from St George’s Square, Valletta.
Questions sent to the Parliamentary Secretariat for Agriculture about the monitoring of the spraying of such chemicals remained unanswered at the time of writing.