Roger and Tweeters,



I don't mean to downplay the issue of pesticide use in Latin America. It is
a serious issue, both in terms of local environmental effects and in terms
of the safety of food imported from Latin America into the US and Canada.



However, it is only one of several factors affecting numbers of North
American birds that winter in the tropics. For instance, the Bobolink has
been singled out as one species suffering from the effects of pesticides.
There is no question that its population has declined sharply throughout its
range over the last 30 years or so. However, in my opinion, the major factor
is probably an increase in the intensiveness of agriculture on its breeding
grounds, not the effects of pesticides. The hayfields used by Bobolinks for
nesting are often mowed 3 times a year now, not twice as an earlier times,
such that Bobolinks (and some other birds nesting there) are often unable to
fledge their young before they get chewed up by the mowing machines. This
factor is not mentioned in the New York Times article, but is likely a more
important factor than pesticides.



Wayne C. Weber

Delta, BC

contopus at telus.net









From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Roger
Chapanis
Sent: March-30-08 10:38 AM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Are we enabling the decline of songbirds that winter in
Latin America?



Songbirds that winter in Latin America are declining from exposure to
pesticides used to grow produce that we purchase from Latin America. Are we
enabling this decline by purchasing this produce?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/opinion/30stutchbury.html?_r=1
<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/opinion/30stutchbury.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&
oref=slogin> &th&emc=th&oref=slogin