Ottawa allows prairies emergency use of strychnine until 2027 for gopher issues

Farmers in Alberta and Saskatchewan farmers get emergency approval for strychnine to tackle widespread damage caused by gophers.

The Government of Canada is allowing a time-limited and controlled emergency registration of the pesticide strychnine in two prairie provinces.

This comes after a revised joint submission from the governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan who are seeking to quell their respective populations of gophers, also known as Richardson’s ground squirrels.

The two provinces will be able to use strychnine until November 2027 under the Pest Control Products Act.

“Saskatchewan producers have been clear about the challenges they face in managing gophers with the limited tools currently available,” said Agriculture Minister David Marit in a Monday news release.

“We’re pleased to see the emergency use request granted as a practical opportunity for producers to demonstrate how strychnine can help protect their crops and pastures from continued damage.”

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The two provinces first asked the federal government to use the banned substance last October, requesting emergency use for two per cent liquid strychnine for the 2026 growing season.

That request was denied in February.

On Monday, the federal government said the latest joint submission was approved with new measures such as a reduced geographical scope, a revised stewardship program and “significant” risk mitigation measures aimed at reducing environmental risks ahead of the growing season.

“The temporary use of strychnine will help Alberta and Saskatchewan address multi-million dollars worth of damage from the recent spike in RGS population, which have become a serious pest threatening a variety of crops,” the federal government said in the update.

“The prairies have been experiencing abnormally dry conditions, which affects the sustainability and quality of farmlands and allowed the population of these gophers to increase significantly.”

RJ Sigurdson, Alberta’s minister of agriculture and irrigation, said the decision gives farmers more tools to deal with the issue.

“I’m confident that, with this effective tool back in the hands of our producers, they will be able to better manage their operations and reduce excessive crop and grassland losses due to the overpopulation of [Richardson’s ground squirrels] throughout the Prairies.”