Lobster deaths suggest pesticide threat to marine life
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Lobster deaths suggest pesticide threat to marine life
By Zafrir Rinat
Pesticides used to kill mosquitoes carrying the West Nile Fever virus many
cause serious environmental damage, as seen recently in the United States. The
widespread use of pesticides containing pyrethroids near the beaches of New
York City and the state of Connecticut apparently almost completely destroyed
the local lobster industry there.The periodical "New Scientist" recently
reported that about a month after the spraying of mosquitoes began on the
Eastern shores of the United States, fisherman began bringing up from the sea
huge numbers of dead lobsters. One told the magazine that in his 40 years of
fishing he had never seen so many dead lobsters. Scientists have known for many
years that pyrethroids are toxic not only to mosquitoes, but also to marine and
fresh water animals too. These substances are used in Israel too, where the
Environmental Ministry permits the use of three groups of preparations from the
pyrethroid group. The ministry recently noted that they are "very toxic to
fish, marine animals and wasps."
Because of their toxicity, these substances are prohibited in Britain, but
countries suffering from dangerous viruses or parasites tend to allow the use
of environmentally dangerous substances. Thus, the United States permitted
their use following an outbreak of West Nile Fever there about a year ago. In
Israel, they were permitted because of the outbreak of the disease here and
because of public pressure. In recent years, DDT has been permitted for use in
order to exterminate the mosquitoes that pass on the parasite that causes
certain diseases.
Traces of pyrethroids at levels experts believe sufficient to have caused their
deaths were found in the bodies of lobsters that died on the Eastern shores of
the United States. One theory has it that while the insecticides may not have
directly caused the lobsters' death, they may have indirectly done so by
weakening their immune system, enabling lethal parasites, which were found in
the animals' nervous systems, to invade their bodies. The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) approved the use of the insecticides on land only, but
apparently winds and rainwater brought the substances to the sea. Experts say
that it will take at least 10 years for the animal population to recover from
this blow.
Israeli experts have warned against the use of the pyrethroids, stating that
the fuel-like agents they are mixed with for spraying would create an oily
layer on the surface of the water that would harm many marine animals. The
Environmental Ministry has announced that it will continue to permit the use of
pyrethroids because public health is at stake, and that humans take priority
over animals. However, experts in the ministry agree that the most effective
and safe way to exterminate mosquitoes would be to scatter biological
insecticides at places where mosquitoes lay their eggs in early summer. This
type of insecticide, developed in Israel in the past, is environmentally
friendly, and is used by many countries all over the world