An appeal has been dismissed – which was made by Ontario grain farmers fighting  pesticide regulations – intended to protect the bee population.

Farmers took on  the province’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change –   over seeds treated with neonicotinoids – a pesticide used to protect crops from insects.

The Ontario  government unveiled restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid insecticides last year…but the Grain Farmers of Ontario argued that the government’s rules were unworkable – and would impair the ability of farmers to protect their crops from insect damage.

A lower court dismissed their application for a declaration interpreting the new rules – in addition to their motion to stay the regulation – until its application was ruled upon.

in it’s decision, the appeal court said granting the farmer’s request “would be tantamount to amending a regulation through interpretation – which is a remedy well outside the court’s discretionary power.”