Mr Speaker and Honourable Members,

I stand before this Honourable House to announce the launch of a public consultation on Pesticides Regulations. This initiative, first announced in the Speech from the Throne in November 2022, marks a significant step towards ensuring the safe and responsible use of pesticides in Bermuda.

While pesticides offer undeniable benefits in various sectors, their misuse poses potential risks to both our environment and the health of our people. Given Bermuda's unique vulnerabilities – our island's susceptibility to environmental damage and our high population density with reliance on rainwater harvesting – it is crucial that we implement pesticide controls that are tailored to the specific risks that they pose.

Mr Speaker, the proposed Pesticides Regulations, to be enacted under the Pesticides Safety Act 2009, aim to enhance the safety of pesticide use in Bermuda from both human health and environmental perspectives. The scope of these regulations is broad, potentially encompassing rules for importation, sale, use, and disposal of pesticides. However, recognizing the limitations of our current resources, we will prioritize the development of one or two sets of regulations initially, focusing on the most critical areas.
Mr Speaker, this public consultation will be instrumental in informing our decision on which areas to prioritize and in shaping the final form of the regulations. We invite all members of the public to participate in this crucial process by accessing the consultation on www.forum.gov.bm.  

Mr Speaker, consultation participants will be invited to complete the online prioritization questionnaire and to sign up for participation in online focus group discussions; one for each stakeholder group. Dates will be confirmed at sign-up and focus groups will generally be held between 19th August and 6th September.

A series of stakeholder consultation meetings will be held in late August and early September, to gather input and discuss key issues. In total nine (9) focus groups will be convened online.
Consultation meetings will be held with the general public, regulators, and retailers during the penultimate week of August.

Non-governmental organizations, Government pesticide users, and structural pest control businesses will similarly meet in the last week of August.

Consultation meetings will be held with Golf courses, landscapers, and farmers in the first week of September.

Mr Speaker, the overall consultation is expected to be performed in four phases. First, the forementioned online prioritization questionnaire and comments on the Bermuda Citizens Forum, second the compilation of results, third online focus groups to review the results and hear further input directly from stakeholders, and lastly, compilation and publication of the final consultation report with recommendations.

Mr Speaker, we encourage all stakeholders – from government agencies and businesses to environmental organizations and individual citizens – to contribute their valuable insights and perspectives. Together, we can create Pesticides Regulations that effectively protect our environment and the health of our community, while ensuring the continued availability of these important tools for those who rely on them.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.