KAVB chairman Jaap Bond said this in response to some recent statements from MOB about banned crop protection products found in North Holland. A few weeks ago, the environmental organization pointed to the sector when the substance dinoterb, banned since 1998, was found. This happened this week with the banned insecticide fenchlorphos, which according to measurement results was found in nature between Petten and Callantsoog.
Fenchlorphos is a banned and toxic substance in the European Union. MOB suspects that this has been used illegally in bulb cultivation. According to the organization, the substance suddenly appeared in the measurement results of both the pesticide atlas and the measurement data of Aqua Desk in 2022, while this was not the case in previous years. According to Bond, this product, just like dinoterb, has never been used by the bulb sector.
‘Conscious smear’
“We’re kind of done with it now,” says Bond. ‘Our lawyers are now collecting all MOB publications and expressions to see whether we can sue them for libel and slander.’ According to Bond, it is increasingly looking like a deliberate smear campaign against the bulb sector. ‘Holland Noorderkwartier Water Board is now investigating the substances found, but Mr Vollenbroek is not waiting for that. I’m really furious with that man.’
On Wednesday evening, Bond spoke on behalf of the sector at a meeting of the water board. ‘And there too, Jantine Leeflang of MOB accused the bulb sector,’ he says. ‘The area in question has been managed by Natuurmonumenten for fifty years, it is their water. And they also point to the bulb sector. Where do they get it from? This is now taking on very unpleasant forms.’
MOB published a message on Wednesday stating that in the Natura 2000 area Zwanenwater and surrounding waters, in addition to fenchlorphos and dinoterb, the substances tefluthrin, pendimethalin, trichlorfon, bromophos-ethyl and cybutrin were also found. This partly concerns excessively high concentrations of permitted substances, partly prohibited or never permitted substances.
‘Contrary to Natura 2000 goals’
‘This raises major questions about the protection of the Zwanenwater Natura 2000 area. The presence of pesticides in the Swan Water is contrary to the objectives of Natura 2000, and therefore also to the Habitats Directive and Water Framework Directive,” concludes MOB leader Vollenbroek.
The environmental organization points to the agricultural sector as the source of pollution. According to the organization, in 2022, a third of five hundred fruit and vegetable growers inspected by the NVWA did not comply with the applicable laws and regulations for crop protection products.
In addition, inspections of importers, distributors and online sellers revealed that unauthorized crop protection products and biocides are being offered and sold. Fenchlorphos and the previously found dinoterb are ‘just the tip of the iceberg’, says MOB.
According to Bond, fenchlorphos, like dinoterb, has never been supplied to the flower bulb sector in the first place. ‘It is not an interesting tool to use at all, there are much better initiatives. So I really don’t know where it comes from. If it does come from a grower, he will not only be a very stupid grower, but he will also immediately be expelled as a KAVB member. We’ve had to do that a few times in recent years. We take it very seriously when someone ruins it for colleagues.’
