The government of Alberta called for Strichin Bain Reversal to fight the ‘destructive force’ of the gaofers

Strychnine was a long time preferred pesticide for gopher control in Alberta – until the federal government started phase out Its use on Richardson’s ground squirrel In 2020 and then It was banned outright In 2024.

The government of Alberta is now calling for the health Canada Paste Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to be ignorant for controversial poison.

“Alberta farmers and farm are in crisis,” reads An open letter released through social media On 27 June, Alberta Premier Daniel Smith, Agriculture Minister RJ Sigardson and Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Joseph signed by Joseph Shov.

The letter, addressed to Federal Agriculture Minister Heath McDonald, called the call for Ottawa “immediately reversed the decision of the PMRA and to restore the production and sales of stricinion for (Richardson’s ground squirrel) control.”

Richardson’s land squirrel, Known as colloquial“There is a destructive power in the beloved provinces, threatens of grains, oilseeds, pulse, forces, pastures and horticulture crops,” reads the letter.

According to the province, “annual risk for grass and native pastures (due to damage caused by ground squirrels) exceeds $ 800 million.”

The provincial spokesperson was not available for an interview before publication.

Along with the letter, in his post, the Agriculture Minister wrote that the farmers are “being forced to fight this plague without their most effective equipment,” referring to the strikein.

Sigardson wrote, “This is not just a rural issue – it is a national food security issue. Without immediate federal action, we are looking at a serious hit for comprehensive crop failure and Canada’s food supply chain in 2026.”

The constituency office of Sigardson did not respond to an interview request before publication.

Why was the strikein banned?

Next to the initial restriction on the use of strikein on Richardson’s ground squirrel in 2020, the use of rodents revalled by Health Canada in 2018.

According to the PMRA, evaluation of the use of highly-powerful neurotoxin “is” risks of concern for non-goal organisms “.

“Health Canada accepts the value of strikein for agricultural users as it uses in a single feeding (but), cost -effective and kill (but Richardson’s ground squirrel) is the same feeding (but) The primary mandate of health canada is to prevent unacceptable risk to individuals and environment from the use of pest control products,” PMRA has written in its 2020.

The agency stated that the agency pointed to environmental risks associated with Strichin, including possible disadvantages such as species-on-risk such as owls and swift Fox, and concluded through a scientific review that those risks were “not shown acceptable,” the agency wrote.

Prior to the decision, the exception of Richardson’s ground squirrel was closed by the manufacturer using strikein on all other ground squirrel species.

Alberta and Suskechewan were the only provinces, which was authorized to use a strikein to control gofters.

As a result of the 2020 decision, Strichin was staged during the next three years, which was banned in 2023.

But when Strikein was banned for use on gofters, its use remained legally legally in Alberta to kill hunters such as wolves and black bears.

All uses of Strychnine were banned nationwide through another PMRA decision in 2024.

The PMRA wrote, “Health Canada found that the use of Strichin does not meet the requirements for the protection of the environment and is canceling all uses.”

On Friday, a health Canadian spokesperson said that it was known to reversed its decision on Alberta, but said that to resume the use of an insect-control product, which has been canceled, health Canada will need to get new information that can show the acceptable risk and value to the product.

Outside Canada, the European Union has banned the use of strikein as a rodent since 2006. This substance is still used to control gofters in the United States, although its use is regulated.

What does gopher control look like today

Sigardson wrote that Strychnine Ban has left producers without “viable options to control gophers.

Today, the gopher population can be managed by farmers through options such as shooting and legal rodents.

Ian Weber, a farmer from Valcon County, told CBC News that he was using chlorophecinone product as an alternative to strikein, but it is not as effective.

“This is the lack of the kick that was with Strikein,” he said. “There were times where you go out and poison a bunch of holes and … there are no gofters, you have received them. And then with other options, they don’t just look to work.”

Weber, which grows canola, wheat, barley and much more on his farm, said he would have to adapt his growing strategy due to the gopher problem.

He called Canola a gopher’s “food ticket”, saying that it is alternate to which crops they grow up in parts of the field to make up for gofters after canola.

“Depending on the year, if you have found an area that is really bad, you can be in loss of thousands of dollars,” he said, adding at that time and effort is another expense to control gofters.

Weber said he would welcome the opportunity to use strikein again.

“This is just an efficient and effective tool in the toolbox,” he said. “You want that you want many tools even after a problem, which you are facing, and it is just an additional tool that will help.”

In the neighboring foothills county, cattle rancher Ben Campbell said that he tries to use natural barriers on his farm to keep the gopher number down.

“We don’t shoot coints, we don’t shoot the bacteria,” he said.

Campbell has helped manage rodents by encouraging poachers to hunt gofters on their property.

“If (a beger) is in your area, it is eating gofter. It’s the only thing that it is doing,” he said. “I found that they find it very effective to prevent the gopher population from being out of control.”

But he did not recently had that much luck with predators, which required the rodent to use.

“Over the years, we have used strikein,” he said. “It has been quite effective, but is definitely always a concern.”

Potentially cited concerns about poisoning other animals, he said he is happy to use safe options such as zinc phosphides, which he said that there is a “extremely effective” solution in the last two years.

“I feel much better to use it because I am not worried about killing my natural predators or my neighbor’s dogs,” he said.

Campbell said that he would “not switch” back to the strikein, saying that the ban of matter had a positive effect for him.

“I think if Strichin was still legal, I and everyone else will use it because it is best and you just want to be effective,” he said. “But now that I have been forced to use something else, I am really very happy with it.”

Government of Alberta Pest and disturbance control regulation The ground squirrels of Richardson classifies as “nuisances” instead of “insects”. The primary difference is that insects – such as mice, grasshoppers and gypsy insects – must be actively managed, while codoos, magpies and ground squirrels such as fuel can be controlled at the discretion of the zamindar.