The two provinces applied for an emergency use requirement to Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) for an emergency registration to help farmers and ranchers control a growing gopher population.
The PMRA denied that application a few weeks ago saying there were concerns regarding the safety of other wildlife, such as birds. .
In a social media post, Saskatchewan Ppremier Scott Moe and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith requested an immediate three year exemption for the use of strychnine—saying producers need regulatory systems that consider economic impacts in a scientific and evidence-based manner.
While there are alternatives to strychnine, Premiers Moe and Smith note that other products have narrow application windows and require several treatments.
