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Saskatchewan revamps pest strategy

The government of Saskatchewan has introduced The Plant Health Act that is replacing and repealing The Pest Control Act, to help mitigate the impact of pests.

In a recent press release, the government announced the new act and the several changes that follow suit, including the deregulating of certain pests such as clubroot and endemic species to the province like Richardson’s ground squirrels, grasshoppers and the warble fly.

The act recognizes the work done by producers and rural municipalities to control pest populations in a sustainable, scientific way.

“Through these changes we have modernized legislation and established standardized measures to control declared pests and given more autonomy back to producers on reporting and control methods,” said Agriculture Minister, David Marit, in the release.

“This update not only promotes the growth of the agriculture sector but also aims to minimize crop losses due to pests, thus safeguarding the integrity of the industry.”

Bacterial ring rot and late blight diseases in potato, the brown or Norway rat and feral pigs will continue to be regulated pests. The potato wart has also been added as a newly declared pest.

In addition to the new act, The Pest Declaration Regulations, The Bacterial Ring Rot Control Regulations, and The Late Blight Control Regulations have been consolidated into one set of regulations. The Plant Health Regulations will simplify and streamline the regulatory framework.

The ministry aims to support the surveillance, research and extension initiatives in the province to mitigate the impact from pests, regardless of whether they are a declared or nuisance pest.

More information about The Pest Control Act can be found here.