Photo: Andrew Holliday

FILE- This plane was flying over parts of downtown Kamloops on Wednesday spraying for moths.

An Okanagan environmental advocacy group is claiming victory.

The Kelowna Citizens Safety Association sent out a press release last week, praising its own efforts in stopping the province from its annual spray of BTK, a long-standing effort aimed at keeping the spongy moth, once called the gypsy moth, from destroying fruit trees.

That the spraying is not happening this year appears to be true. The Ministry of Forests has no scheduled spongy moth spraying for 2025, according to its website.

“Invasive spongy moth populations are a direct threat to many kinds of plants and urban trees that thrive in B.C., including many diverse agricultural crops as well as native flowers and plants that are crucial for the environment and traditional uses,” a ministry representative said in a statement.

“Following analysis of our successful 2024 treatments, the ministry is deferring the 2025 treatment program. Ongoing monitoring will take place to manage for any future potential treatments.”

How that success was measured, how the monitoring will carry on remains to be seen.

Regardless, Lloyd Manchester, president of the West Kelowna Branch of the KCSA, praised the decision, emphasizing the importance of community education and regulatory reform.

"This cancellation allows us to work collaboratively with communities to educate them about the hazards of being aerially sprayed, to push WorkSafe BC to implement aerial pesticide regulations, make presentations to school boards, and work with farmers to investigate soil contamination and effects on seedlings," Manchester said in a statement.

"Aerial spraying of our communities is unacceptable and must be discontinued because it increases the potential to harm the elderly, immunocompromised, children, pets, and passersby."

Last year, Manchester, launched an effort to stop the spraying, and he unsuccessfully attempted to share that information with West Kelowna. He said there are health concerns related to the spray. Those included respiratory, vision, cardiac, neurological, gastrointestinal and skin issues.

The province has denied that these could be the result of the spray program.

Foray 48B is a biological insecticide that is widely used in B.C. and is registered with the Organic Materials Review Institute. The active ingredient in Foray 48B is the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki, known as Btk.

On a Ministry of Environment website, it states that Btk is a bacterium harmful only to moth and butterfly caterpillars. It must be applied by spraying and it keeps the sponge moth, once called the gypsy moth, at bay.

Above all else, the province says the spray only affects moth and butterfly larvae and can be used safely around humans and other animals.