Local ban on weedkillers ‘could harm the island’s international reputation’
CALLS for a local ban on weedkillers containing the suspected carcinogen glyphosate could harm Guernsey’s international reputation, according the island’s senior committee.
The Policy & Resources committee is not supporting a requete led by Deputy David De Lisle to prohibit importation, sale and use of glyphosate, which is the most frequently used herbicide in the world.
The chemical, which is used in weedkillers such as Roundup, keeps public areas weed-free, and it also addresses harmful invasive species such as hogweed and Japanese knotweed.
Deputy De Lisle is concerned that public land and private gardens are being sprayed with the weedkiller, which has been linked to cancer.
In 2015, the UN’s International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded glyphosate was ‘probably carcinogenic’.
However, EU regulators have deemed it safe and its licence was renewed in 2017 – although another EU safety assessment is under way. States Works has already committed itself to phasing out its use of glyphosate-based pesticides, but Deputy De Lisle wants more urgent action.
The requete asks Employment & Social Security to revoke all existing approvals of plant protection products containing glyphosate, including the importation and sale to professional users and the public, by 31 March 2020. Guernsey has, at times, led the world in matters of health and environmental protection. For instance, it was one of the first jurisdictions to ban smoking in certain public places and thereafter in licensed premises and all public buildings.
Notwithstanding that, in this case the Policy & Resources Committee believes that the proposed ban could risk the island’s international reputation, outweighing any perceived benefits.
In its letter of response to the requete, P&R stated that scientific evidence relating to glyphosate is not wholly consistent.
It is concerned that banning the chemical would not accord with Guernsey’s worldwide obligations and may result in manufacturers starting legal action against the States of Guernsey.
‘It is important to bear in mind that glyphosate is the most frequently used herbicide worldwide and has been used for several decades.
‘Despite the concerns that have been raised about health-related issues linked to the use of glyphosate, including the impact of residues on food safety and the environment, glyphosate is a licensed pesticide and is not subject to any international restrictions of trade.’
It recommends that the States endorse the early decisions of the States’ Trading Supervisory Board to phase out its use of glyphosate-based pesticides and for this commitment to form part of a States policy on the use of pesticides.
Also suggested is that the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure may wish to consider the matter further if more research comes to light, if the UK leaves the EU, if current approvals of the product expire, or if the UK introduces a prohibition.
