Pesticide "Disaster" in French Caribbean - Report
Date: 18-Sep-07
Country: FRANCE
"It is not too much to say that there has been a real
poisoning of Martinique and Guadeloupe," Dominique Belpomme told
the daily Le Parisien on Monday.
""The situation there is extremely serious. The scientific
studies we have conducted show a health disaster in the
Antilles," he said, referring to the islands.
French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said Belpomme's
report still needed to be confirmed by other scientific studies
but she said she "shared his concerns".
Belpomme said the use of pesticides such as chlordecone had
caused long-term contamination of soil and groundwater. The
pesticide was banned from use in Guadeloupe and Martinique in
1993 but Belpomme said its effects lingered.
"In Martinique, most springs are contaminated. Fruit and
root vegetables are contaminated by pesticides, some meat is as
well," he said.
He said rates of prostate cancer in the French Caribbean
islands were among the highest in the world and there was a
rising incidence of congenital deformities in babies.
"Extrapolations show that practically one man in two runs
the risk of developing prostate cancer," he said.
He said there was as yet no scientific proof linking
prostate cancer with chlordecone but he aimed to conduct further
tests later this year.
Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier told Europe 1 radio the
situation was "very serious" but he said the destruction of much
of the banana stock last month by Hurricane Dean was an
opportunity to change practices.
"When they replant, we'll have a chance to use only small
quantities of pesticides or none at all," he said.