Alberta government calls for strychnine ban reversal to fight 'destructive force' of gophers

Strychnine had agelong been the preferred pesticide for gopher power successful Alberta — until the national authorities began to signifier retired its usage connected Richardson's crushed squirrels successful 2020 and past banned it outright successful 2024.

The Government of Alberta is present calling for the arguable poison to beryllium unbanned by the Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).

"Alberta's farmers and ranchers are successful crisis," reads an unfastened missive released done societal media connected June 27, signed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Agriculture Minister RJ Sigurdson and Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Joseph Schow.

The letter, addressed to national Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald, calls for Ottawa "to instantly reverse the PMRA determination and reinstate the accumulation and merchantability of strychnine for [Richardson's crushed squirrel] control."

Richardson's crushed squirrels, known colloquially arsenic gophers, "are a destructive unit crossed the prairie provinces, threatening cereal, oilseed, pulse, forage, pasture, and horticultural crops," the missive reads.

According to the province, "the yearly hazard to hay and autochthonal pasture [due to harm caused by crushed squirrels] exceeds $800 million."

A provincial spokesperson was not disposable for an interrogation up of publication.

In his station alongside the letter, the agriculture curate wrote that farmers "are being forced to combat this plague without their astir effectual tool," referring to strychnine.

"This isn't conscionable a agrarian contented — it's a nationalist nutrient information issue. Without contiguous national action, we're staring down wide harvest nonaccomplishment successful 2026 and a superior deed to Canada's nutrient proviso chain," Sigurdson wrote.

Sigurdson's constituency bureau did not respond to an interrogation petition up of publication.

Why was strychnine banned?

Ahead of the archetypal prohibition connected strychnine's usage connected Richardson's crushed squirrels successful 2020, the usage of the rodenticide underwent a re-evaluation by Health Canada successful 2018.

An valuation of the highly-potent neurotoxin's usage "confirmed that determination are risks of interest for non-target organisms," according to the PMRA. 

"Health Canada acknowledges the worth of strychnine to cultivation users due to the fact that it is casual to use, outgo effectual and kills [Richardson's crushed squirrels] successful a azygous feeding [but] the superior mandate of Health Canada is to forestall unacceptable hazard to individuals and the situation from the usage of pest power products," the PMRA wrote successful its 2020 decision. 

The bureau pointed to the biology risks associated with strychnine, including imaginable harm to species-at-risk specified arsenic burrowing owls and swift foxes, and concluded done a technological reappraisal that those risks "were not shown to beryllium acceptable," the bureau wrote.

Prior to the decision, the usage of strychnine connected each different crushed squirrel taxon with the objection of Richardson's crushed squirrels had been discontinued by the manufacturer.

Alberta and Saskatchewan were the lone provinces successful which the usage of strychnine to power gophers was authorized.

The 2020 decision resulted successful strychnine's usage connected Richardson's crushed squirrels being phased retired implicit the people of the adjacent 3 years, with the prohibition taking effect successful 2023.

But portion strychnine was banned for usage connected gophers, utilizing it termination predators similar wolves and achromatic bears, arsenic good arsenic skunks, remained ineligible solely successful Alberta.

All uses of strychnine were banned nationwide successful 2024 done different PMRA decision.

"Health Canada recovered that strychnine uses did not conscionable the requirements for extortion of the situation and is cancelling each uses," the PMRA wrote.

Outside of Canada, the European Union has banned the usage of strychnine arsenic a rodenticide since 2006. The substance is inactive utilized to power gophers successful the United States, though its usage is regulated.

What gopher power looks similar today

Sigurdson wrote that the strychnine prohibition "has near producers without viable alternatives" to power gophers.

Today, gopher populations tin beryllium managed by farmers done options similar shooting and ineligible rodenticides.

Vulcan County husbandman Ian Webber told CBC News that he's been utilizing a chlorophacinone merchandise arsenic an alternate to strychnine, but that it isn't arsenic effective.

"It lacks that footwear that strychnine had," helium said. "There were times wherever you spell retired and poison a clump of holes and … there's nary gophers, you've got them. And past with the different options, they conscionable don't look to rather bash the job."

Webber, who grows canola, wheat, barley and much connected his farm, said he's had to accommodate his increasing strategy owed to the gopher problem.

He called canola a gopher's "meal ticket," adding that helium alternates which crops helium grows successful definite parts of the tract to marque up for gophers going aft the canola.

"Depending connected the year, if you've got a tract that is truly bad, you tin beryllium into the tens of thousands of dollars of damage," helium said, adding that clip and effort spent controlling gophers is different expense.

Webber said helium would invited the accidental to usage strychnine again.

"It's conscionable an businesslike and effectual instrumentality successful the toolbox," helium said. "You privation arsenic galore tools arsenic you tin to spell aft a occupation that you're facing, and that's conscionable 1 other instrumentality that would help."

In neighbouring Foothills County, cattle rancher Ben Campbell said helium tries to usage earthy inhibitors connected his workplace to support gopher numbers down.

"We don't sprout coyotes, we don't sprout badgers," helium said.

Encouraging predators to hunt gophers connected his spot has helped Campbell negociate the rodents.

"If [a badger] is successful your field, it's eating gophers. That's the lone happening it's doing," helium said. "I recovered them to beryllium precise effectual astatine stopping the gopher colonisation from getting retired of control."

But helium hasn't had arsenic overmuch luck with predators lately, making it indispensable to usage rodenticide.

"In years gone by, we've utilized strychnine," helium said. "It has been reasonably effective, but of people there's ever a concern."

Citing concerns astir perchance poisoning different animals, helium said he's blessed to usage safer alternatives similar zinc phosphate, which helium said has been an "extremely effective" solution implicit the past 2 years.

"I consciousness a batch amended utilizing that due to the fact that I'm not disquieted astir sidesplitting my earthy predators oregon my neighbour's dogs," helium said.

Campbell said helium would "never" power backmost to strychnine, adding that the substance's prohibition has had a affirmative interaction for him.

"I deliberation if strychnine was inactive legal, I and everyone other would conscionable usage it due to the fact that it's the champion and you conscionable privation to beryllium effective," helium said. "But present that I've been forced to usage thing else, I'm really rather blessed with it."

The Government of Alberta's Pest and Nuisance Control Regulation classifies Richardson's crushed squirrels arsenic "nuisances" alternatively than "pests." The superior quality is that pests — specified arsenic rats, grasshoppers and gypsy moths — indispensable beryllium actively managed, portion nuisances similar coyotes, magpies and crushed squirrels whitethorn beryllium controlled astatine the landowner's discretion.