This is an open letter.
The national insect spraying programme is inefficient and ineffective. This fact is recognised in the programme's regulating documents, as expressed each year by the regional Public Health Institutes. The insect spraying practice is harmful to the environment and human and animal health. This fact is not fully acknowledged in the documents and not at all in practice.
The regulations do not state that people should not be sprayed with insecticides! So it happens that people are sprayed year after year, whether from a road vehicle or from the air. The poisons used are rarely named, their possible ill-effects are never listed. This contravenes the EU law which states: "EU citizens should have access to information about chemicals to which they may be exposed, in order to allow them to make informed decisions about their use of chemicals." (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 Introduction. clause 117).
In July 2023 spraying took place without any prior warning in the Jelsa Municipal area and around Stari Grad and Hvar Town. A severely asthmatic young man was relaxing on the Jelsa waterfront when the spray van passed alongside him and doused him directly with insecticide; he suffered serious breathing problems for several days, this could easily have ended tragically. On June 10th 2024 insect spraying was announced for the following night around both Jelsa and Stari Grad starting from 23:00, apparently simultaneously. In fact the spraying around Jelsa started some hours before 23:00: people dining on terraces in Zavala were doused from around 21:20 and the spray van passed through Pitve before 22:00.
Over many years we have pointed out to the responsible authorities that the insect spraying programme is ill-conceived and harmful. Even when carried out in accordance with the regulations it is unsafe. The supposed safeguards in the regulations are mostly ignored in practice, and untold long-term damage to the environment and human and animal health is the increasingly visible result.
For a fuller explanation of the reasons for concern, with the evidence, please read: 'Pesticide chaos: action urgently needed!' (http://www.eco-hvar.com/en/poisons-be-aware/380-pesticide-chaos-action-urgently-needed); 'About the Insect Suppression Programme' (http://www.eco-hvar.com/en/poisons-be-aware/371-about-the-insect-suppression-programme) 'Poisoning Paradise, a Wake-Up Call.' (http://www.eco-hvar.com/en/for-the-common-good/300-poisoning-paradise-a-wake-up-call); 'Pesticides, Why Not' (http://www.eco-hvar.com/en/poisons-be-aware/367-pesticides-why-not).
Who seriously believes that destroying insects, together with the natural chain, and putting citizens at risk from poison effects is the right way to prevent some relatively rare diseases in Croatia? It is time to call a halt to this damaging practice and to concentrate on acceptable methods for controlling target mosquitoes.
12th June 2024.
