Campus Review Podcasts

A new study led by Dr Jon Brodie from the ARC Centre for Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University is deeply concerned that harmful insecticides, including Imidacloprid, are damaging some of Australia's most pristine and biodiverse waterways.But unlike some European countries, Canada and the USA, Australia is yet to ban the insecticide, which is very good at protecting agriculture such as cane from insects, but is highly soluble and makes its way into waterways easily. It is highly toxic to bees and other insects, a critical part of the the aquatic life food chain.In an interview with Campus Review, Brodie talks about the issue and what he sees as the prioritisation of the agriculture sector over the environment by Australia's regulator - The Australian Pesticide and and Veterinary Medicine Authority (APVMA). He also says that on any day of the way, 40 different pesticides can be found, with at least three above national safety guidelines.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.