Ray of hope in the fight against lion-killer pesticide

Furadan is a highly lethal agro-chemical, yet it is still in use in Kenya even as conservationists call for its ban. But, the latest news from parliament is encouraging to conservationists.

According to WildlifeDirect executive director Paula Kahumbu, through John Mututho, chairman of the Agricultural Committee, parliament has instructed that the US-based manufacturer, Farm Machinery and Chemicals (FMC) mop up the remaining furadan in Kenya and that an environmental committee be set up to draft the legal notice for the final ban.

In addition, the Wildlife Minister is to fine FMC Ksh10 million ($128,000) for every lion killed with furadan.

“For now, I think we are about 80 per cent there in terms of getting a ban on furadan in Kenya,” said Ms Kahumbu whose organisation provides a platform where conservationists meet and raise funds through blogging.

In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency has compiled vast amounts of data over the past 20 years that demonstrate the dangers of furadan for the environment.

“Granular furadan (which is what is sold in Kenya) was banned in the US in 1996 after it was found to have led to the death of two million birds a year,” Ms Kahumbu explained.

Furadan is also banned in the European Union.

The recent furadan saga started when reports of lions and vultures being poisoned began to reach Nature Kenya. Over the past six years, 62 lions have been killed by poison.

In 2004, 187 vultures died after feasting on a carcass that had been laced with furadan on the Athi-Kapiti plains adjoining the Nairobi National Park.

A study carried out by Nature Kenya in Naivasha, Kisii, Machakos and Kikuyu among other places, revealed that many farmers were using furadan to kill stray dogs, squirrels and birds. In Naivasha, says the report, flower farms used it to kill termites.

The most shocking report is the misuse in Bunyala in Western Kenya where furadan granules are soaked in water and scattered in the rice paddies, killing the small birds that feed on them instantly or disorienting larger birds that are then killed by hunters waiting nearby.

Another shocking incident is of a crowned eagle — the biggest and most powerful bird of prey, which is dwindling in numbers — that had been preying on farmers’ goats in Nyeri last year.

The farmers admitted using furadan.

The dogs fed on the laced carcass, vomited and died. The chickens fed on the vomit and they too died, proving how toxic the substance is.
In Lake Victoria, fishermen throw the granules in the water. The fish simply float to the surface making it easy for the fishermen to scoop them out and sell them to unsuspecting buyers.

Even though the government regulating body Pest Control Products Board has acknowledged fish poisoning, it denies that it is by furadan. But the concern is that furadan is now in our water bodies.

The implications for human health are not known. One of the traits of furadan is that its effects are reversible if the dosage is not enough to kill. If one is indirectly consuming it in small dosages, it may not have any affect.

A study by two Kenyan scientists, Martin Odino and Darcy Ogada, completed in 2008, revealed that furadan was available in nearly all agrovet stores, it was sold without instruction or training, and was extensively abused to poison everything from problem dogs, hyenas, jackals and crocodiles to birds for food, fish for food, termites in Naivasha, moles in Baringo, and even to clear bees.

Its reputation as a killer pesticide means that it is used for any problem animal control situation.

Unlike USA, Canada and Europe, we do not have a government desk that compiles all the incident reports, conducts regular surveys on how these products are used or misused, or tests water quality or other impacts on the environment.

“Our regulators simply do not monitor the situation after approving a pesticide for general use,” said Ms Kahumbu.

“There are a number of organisations and researchers involved in gathering evidence since 2007,” remarked Dr Ogada, a member of Nature Kenya Bird Committee and a wildlife ecologist who has been studying birds of prey since 1997.

“When used according to the labelled instructions, furadan only kills insects. These are picked up by birds which become sick and are prone to predation or simply die. These die offs are rarely witnessed.

“In terms of abuse of the product, we know that furadan is used in total disregard of the safety precautions on the label — those applying furadan on crops are supposed to wear boots, gloves, face mask, and not re-enter a field for up to 15 days; it is used in rice schemes yet it’s only to be used on dry land as it is deadly to fish and birds. It is not supposed to be used in wildlife areas, it is not supposed to be used on many crops — Kenyan farmers rarely follow these instructions to the book and there are no penalties for not doing so,” Dr Ogada added.

In a recent workshop on pesticide externalities, the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology concluded that there are far-reaching effects of pesticides in Kenya. Over eight per cent of chemicals used in agriculture are highly hazardous while 57 per cent are moderately hazardous.

“Farmers’ technical skills in pesticide handling varied widely but there are serious difficulties in documenting chronic health problems resulting from pesticide use. This is exposing consumers to dangerous levels of pesticides, many of which are even banned in the country,” said Ms Kahumbu.

Since the furadan issue went public, Nature Kenya and other organisations have been monitoring the sale of furadan in agrovet stores, chemists and pharmacies. The April report shows that it is still found on the shelves in Nairobi and Watamu.

Unfortunately there’s concern over a black market developing. A blog has been set up to report incidences.

“Nature Kenya’s Bird Committee is working out how to get tighter regulations on all toxic agrochemicals,” said Dr Ogada. “And that means working through parliament.

“If furadan is banned in Kenya, we hope to see a significant reduction in poisoning. The problem is that furadan is a carbofuran. Unlike the organophosphate-based pesticides like DDT which bio-accumalates, carbofuran does not bio-accumulate and therefore it is difficult to test for in humans, especially since the effects are reversible in minute doses,” Dr Ogada added.

“Ten years ago, Kenya had 30,000 lions. Today, we have about 2,000 left,” remarked Ms Kahumbu.

According to Dr Ogada, “The way forward is to educate the public from the grassroot levels onwards.”

But it also requires political will to ensure that products being sold over the counter are not lethal, that they are monitored and used for the right purposes and that there is public awareness.

Or else, in the absence of the vultures, we are going to have vast tracts of the countryside full of rotting, stinking carcasses and dead lions — which have the potential of spreading diseases to humans — and nothing to attract the international tourist.

Poisoning with chemicals like furadan is one of the causes besides habitat loss for the decline of the lions and other wildlife.