REGINA — Saskatchewan is considering a licence category that would allow drone operators to spray pesticides.
Officials met with stakeholders over the last couple of weeks to discuss the possibility for remotely piloted aircraft systems, or RPAS. Written submissions are accepted until June 30.
Adding the category would eventually allow legal commercial applications of products by drones, the provincial agriculture ministry said. The province is responsible for education, training and licensing for pesticide application.
“This will ensure that eligible applicators have the required training and certification to safely apply pesticides using this method,” said the ministry in an email. “This will apply only to those pest control products that are federally registered for RPAS application.”
Health Canada has so far allowed only five products to be applied by drones and none of them are for agricultural use. Four are larvacides for mosquitoes and one is a herbicide for industrial use.
Forensic agrologist Brett Rumpel said the idea of the new licence category is a proactive step.
“We kind of saw a hole here where we have a legal use from PMRA (Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency) but we didn’t have approval for a legal use,” she said.
It would mean licensed applicators could spray from drones for gain or reward, she said.
Commercial pesticide applicators require a licence; those applying pesticides on their own land are exempt. However, all federal pesticide regulatory requirements, including product labels, must be followed.
“Applying non-RPAS labeled pesticides using an RPAS is illegal and could present risks such as potential harm to human health and off-target application,” the ministry said.
There are concerns about how drones move, the air currents they create and the difficulty operators can have in controlling them.
Safety concerns include drift, exposure to bystanders, collisions and losing the signal.
Still, .
Rumpel said she is aware of non-compliance but reminded drone owners and operators to follow the law.
“Off-label application is still illegal,” she said.
Those found in contravention of provincial and federal laws can face penalties.
She said the ministry will take the feedback from the consultation and decide how to proceed. There is no target date to change the regulations under the Pest Control Product Act, 2015.
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