URGENT RETHINK ON SHEEP DIP NEEDED
Paul Tyler MP, Chair of the All Party Group concerned with dangers from
Organophosphate sheep dips today expressed his frustration at news that a
minority of sheep farmers in Wales have felt driven to use a toxic arable
pesticide on their flock.
"I have today tabled a question to the Secretary of State asking for an
assessment of whether this reported practice is widespread and what the
implications for animal and environmental health are.
The All Party Group has campaigned since its inception in 1992 for the
government to accept the long term health consequences of forcing Sheep
Farmers to use low level dosages of Organophosphates in their sheep dip.
There are currently a range of government sponsored studies underway but
officially it "remains the view that there is currently no scientific
justification for banning OP sheep dips"
"Not only must the government accept the seriousness of the situation with
regard to past dippers, but as was the intention of the previous
Environment Minister, Michael Meacher, it must place urgent emphasis on
the development of non toxic and safe alternatives to Organophosphate
sheep dips.
"It is bad enough that Farmers should have no safe alternative to toxic
compounds for their work. That the price of such chemicals might force a
minority to irresponsibly use a dangerous alternative, is a damning
indictment of the hands off approach by successive governments to this
problem.
"This issue will not go away - the numbers of sheep dip farmers suffering
ill health will only increase with time. Urgent measures must be adopted
by the government to accept the depth of the problem and the consequences
of inaction, in terms of risk to the environment, to human and animal
health."
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