Contact: , American Bird Conservancy, 202/234-7181 ext. 207

Florida Pesticide Kills Great Lakes’ Migrant Birds

Fenthion, an organophosphate pesticide once formulated to kill birds, is being used in Florida to control mosquitoes, threatening millions of migratory birds that travel from the Great Lakes region to winter in Florida. American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and Audubon of Florida have alerted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the severe risks birds are facing from this chemical and are urging them to cancel fenthion use.

"We are very concerned that a chemical so toxic to birds is being used in one of America’s most diverse bird regions for mosquito control," said Kelley Tucker, Director of ABC’s Pesticides and Birds Campaign. "With other effective, less-toxic alternatives available, we see no need for this to continue."

Any bird in an area of fenthion spraying is at severe risk of lethal poisoning. Dead Sanderlings, Dunlin, endangered Piping Plovers, Black Skimmers and other birds have been recovered from areas where fenthion had been sprayed for mosquito control.

Fenthion use in Florida endangers both resident and migratory species of birds making fenthion an issue of national concern. "If you just look at the issue from a Florida perspective you are missing a significant part of the problem," said Mike Parr, Vice President for Program Development at ABC. "Millions of dollars are being spent on bird conservation in the Great Lakes area each year, yet many of the rarest species from the region, the endangered Piping Plover for example, are at risk from poisoning by fenthion the moment they enter Florida on migration." The Piping Plover that was killed by fenthion on Marco Island, Florida was likely hatched in the Great Lakes area.

Birds consume fenthion residues that have settled on their food and drinking water after spraying. Additionally fenthion is highly toxic to birds when absorbed through their skin or inhaled.

Over two million acres in Florida are sprayed with fenthion each year, some of which are dosed every few days year-round. Fenthion, like DDT, accumulates in the fat tissue of animals and can be passed on through the food chain to concentrate in top-level consumers such as birds of prey. Florida is the only state still using fenthion. Other states employ less hazardous methods of mosquito control.

Laboratory studies have shown fenthion to be mutagenic, carcinogenic, and embryotoxic. The EPA stated that some current applications might endanger children, especially toddlers. Concerns over human health risks have limited application to attempt to minimize human exposure.

The EPA has documented thousands of bird kills attributed to fenthion. Data from the last four decades clearly shows that spraying fenthion for mosquito control can and does kill birds. See attached EPA memo.

For more information on fenthion, visit ABC’s web site: http://www.abcbirds.org/Profiles/fenthion.htm