Emergency use of strychnine in Sask. denied by pest management agency

Saskatchewan Agriculture

The Government of Saskatchewan is disappointed in the decision by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to deny Saskatchewan and Alberta’s joint emergency use registration request for two per cent liquid strychnine to support Richardson’s ground squirrel management for the 2026 growing season.

“Saskatchewan producers have been clear about the challenges they face in managing Richardson’s ground squirrels with the limited tools available,” Agriculture Minister David Marit said. “We are extremely disappointed by PMRA’s decision and ask them to reconsider this decision. We need a federal regulatory system that considers economic impacts felt by producers and the realities on the ground.”
Saskatchewan joined Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation to submit an emergency use request on October 1, 2025, following continued concerns from producers and industry stakeholders regarding the on-farm efficacy of currently-registered alternatives. Throughout PMRA’s scientific review process, Saskatchewan and Alberta officials met with PMRA to clarify the urgent need for access to strychnine and to respond to PMRA’s technical and science-based questions.
PMRA’s decision means producers will not have access to strychnine for the 2026 growing season.

Saskatchewan maintains that the emergency use request included robust, science-based and strengthened mitigation measures—such as narrower application windows, mandatory training, enhanced reporting requirements and improved stewardship—to reduce risks to nontarget species while preserving the product’s practical value for producers.

While PMRA determined these measures were not sufficient to mitigate risk to an acceptable level, Saskatchewan remains adamant that all PMRA’s requests were responded to. Saskatchewan will need to pivot efforts in supporting producers with the management of this important pest through the implementation of a Richardson’s ground squirrel management strategy. Efforts will focus on:

• Continued advocacy at Federal-Provincial-Territorial tables for a science-based system that considers economic impacts;
• Delivery of support programs through the Gopher Control Program, administered by the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities;
• Targeted extension efforts to improve the on-farm performance of registered alternatives; and
• Investments in research focused on best management practices, environmental risk mitigation, population monitoring and predictive modelling.

More information on Saskatchewan’s Richardson’s ground squirrel management programming is available at Saskatchewan.ca.