B.C. Premier David Eby’s government is being pressed by officials and farmers in neighbouring Washington state to act on water quality reports showing high levels of river-borne fecal coliform flowing across the border. In a letter to Eby and Governor Jay Inslee, they say the polluted waters flow from the Fraser Valley into a state watershed which debouches into the sea near shellfish beds. [node:read-more:link]
Exports of Prince Edward Island table-stock potatoes to the U.S. have resumed more than four months after they were prohibited by the Canadian government in anticipation of U.S. regulatory action. [node:read-more:link]
Nearly three months after Canada blocked shipments of Prince Edward Island potatoes to the U.S. due to concerns about a fungus found on a couple of farms, the U.S. is permitting shipments to Puerto Rico. The territory, which has no domestic potato farming, normally gets at least 80 per cent of its potatoes from PEI which, in turn, account for about a quarter of the province’s potato exports. Since the fungus can affect yields, the rest of the U.S. market remains closed for the time being. [node:read-more:link]
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended exports of fresh potatoes from P.E.I. to the U.S. due to confirmed cases on two farms of potato wort, a fungus which poses no threat to health but which can reduce crop yields. The U.S. had given notice that it was planning to ban imports unless Canada acted immediately. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, having spoken with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, suggested the measure would be temporary. [node:read-more:link]
The X-37B space plane developed by Boeing for the U.S. Air Force was launched on its sixth mission 17 May. Its mostly military missions are generally classified, but the USAF has disclosed that its experiments this time includes microwave delivery of solar power to the Earth’s surface and a test of how seeds used for food products are affected by radiation and the zero-gravity environment. [node:read-more:link]
As Canadian trade officials prepare to face off against their US counterparts in, most people in this country say scrapping the current supply management system should be on the negotiating table during the upcoming NAFTA talks. [node:read-more:link]
Canada’s seafood labelling requirements fail consumers, particularly when compared to requirements governing two of our largest export partners, the European Union and the United States, according to a SeaChoice international seafood labelling report card released today. [node:read-more:link]
A British government study warns of medicine and food shortages if Britain exits fron The European Union without a formal agreement of terms. Michael Gove, the cabinet minister responsible for a “no deal Brexit” says the study is an outdated “worst-case scenario” but does concede there will be “bumps in the road” ahead. [node:read-more:link]
The protection of critical infrastructure is a key national security issue. [node:read-more:link]
Fewer than two-in-five Canadians say believe it is safe to eat genetically modified foods, and 83% say GMOs should be subject to mandatory labeling. [node:read-more:link]
First appearing in British Columbia in 1997, the deadly Amanita phalloides species has been showing up at more than 50 locations in and around Vancouver, including schoolyards, and have recently been found on the island. After injesting the mushroom, the liver will start to fail, bleeding disorders, brain swelling, and finally multi-organ failure can occur. [node:read-more:link]
Will global instability factors affect you? [node:read-more:link]
The discussions and agreements from the recent summit of the "three amigos" are several items that affect safety and security and, more importantly, continued reinforcement of the importance of regionally-integrated solutions. [node:read-more:link]
