A group of concerned citizens who have called to ban the use of paraquat in Samoa believe their efforts have fallen on deaf ears as they have yet to receive any response or acknowledgment from authorities for more than a year now.

A document was delivered to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (M.A.F.) and the Prime Minister's office on 29 November 2022, there has been no response until now.

The group, whose efforts are spearheaded by advocates for environmental health and safety, took the initiative to hand-deliver hard copies of the "Memorandum on Grounds for Concern regarding Paraquat in Samoa" not only to the M.A.F. but also to the Prime Minister's office and that of Supreme Court Judge Vui Clarence Nelson. 

Despite their efforts, they lament the lack of any form of acknowledgment or response from the concerned authorities.

This memorandum presented compelling reasons to urgently review the sanctioned usage of paraquat in Samoa, aiming to promptly initiate measures to prohibit or gradually eliminate its usage within the nation.

The focal point of the group's concerns revolves around the use of paraquat, a herbicide widely banned in 69 countries due to its harmful effects on human health and the environment. 

"With respect, we are writing as concerned citizens and residents of Samoa, to appeal for your leadership in addressing the widespread use of the agritoxin Paraquat (PQ) – referred to by toxicologist and whistleblower Dr. Jon Heylings as the ‘deadliest’ herbicide ever made," the Memo of Concern stated. 

"Because we fully appreciate the central roles played by agriculture, healthy farms, rural communities, and sustainable livelihoods in a robust national economy, our fundamental concern lies in identifying and securing safer, more viable alternatives to PQ."

They also noted and acknowledged safer alternatives for weed control readily available, such as Diuron, Amine, and Valpar, which have been effectively employed in Fiji following the ban on Paraquat in January 2020. 

The memorandum also cited a statement from the National Center for Biological Diversity in the US, stating that there are numerous registered herbicides already on the market that can serve as substitutes for paraquat, including imazethapyr, imazamox, hexazinone, clethodim, bromoxynil, 2,4-D, and coelenterazine.

The group also noted that they were given assurance by the former Chief Executive Officer of M.A.F., Tilafono David Hunter that paraquat was under review by the Ministry at the time, with plans to present a proposal by the end of 2022. 

The group added that in Samoa, there was an increasing number of citizens and residents incidents of paraquat-related suicides, intentional canine poisoning, and challenges in accessing official data regarding paraquat's toxic effects on soil, air, and water. 

They added that ignoring the lessons from 60 sixty countries and the expertise of scientists and leaders poses a risk to Samoa's ability to address environmental and geopolitical crises.

In January of this year, the Ministry responded to queries from this newspaper on the issue, attributing the "lack of supporting data" to back the group's proposition to ban the use of paraquat in Samoa. This prompted a response from senior judge, Justice Vui Clarence Nelson who slammed the MAF for not doing proper research.

Samoa Conservation Society, Animal Protection Society, Brown Girl Woke, Samoa Women's Association of Growers, Lifeline Samoa and Samoa Association of General Practitioners signed on the memorandum.