Arkion Life Sciences LLC and their division Airepel® Humane Bird Management have been notified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of an approval of a crisis exemption for a Section 18 application from the state of Wisconsin to protect corn seed from damage by cranes. This approval has been granted for use of their proprietary bird repellant, Avitec™, in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan where cranes have been damaging corn fields shortly after planting by eating planted corn seed.

According to Sam Walker, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Arkion Life Sciences, Arkion has been a pioneer in the development of effective bird repellants and bird management technologies. Their patented
formulations of Anthraquinone have been effective in repelling geese from recreational fields and parks with Flight Control Plus® and repelling birds from structures through their Airepel® Humane Bird Management business.

This is the first agricultural application approved in the United States. The product is non-lethal to birds and been shown to be highly effective. Various organizations have worked together to develop this humane product for protecting crops and managing bird damage. Groups that have been involved in this effort include the International Crane Foundation, who did the field work to prove the product plus The Corn Grower Organizations of Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. Support was also given by the Wisconsin Vegetable Growers Association, Department of Natural Resources of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan; Wildlife Services (a branch of the USDA) and the Audubon Societies in the three states.

Pat Kandziora, Section Chief of the Pesticide Feed and Fertilizer Program in the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection led the regulatory effort and coordinated the emergency declaration by the Departments of Agriculture for Minnesota and Michigan as well as for Wisconsin. Michael Braverman of the IR-4 Project at Rutgers University helped organize meetings with US EPA to discuss the risk assessment and registration of anthraquinone and IR-4's plans to conduct residue trials which was instrumental in showing EPA that progress is being made towards a full registration.

Jeb Barzen, Wildlife Biologist for the International Crane Foundation is excited about the collaboration shown between regulators at the EPA, various governmental agencies of the three states, four grower organizations, and several non-profit conservation organizations to bring this new product to the market. "The International Crane Foundation is pleased to pro-actively work with Arkion(TM). Our goal has been to solve conflicts between cranes and corn growers by finding an effective, non-lethal seed treatment. Through a collaborative focus on solving problems, agriculture and conservation have developed a win-win example that enables people and wildlife to better co-exist."

Arkion™ Life Sciences LLC, based in Wilmington, Delaware, is a technology-based company leading in the discovery, development and marketing of environmentally friendly, natural or nature identical bioactive compounds. The company has over 550 patents and patent applications worldwide around these technologies and employs biotechnology to capitalize on new opportunities in the dietary supplement, pharmaceutical, animal health and agricultural markets. Arkion(TM) has three major businesses: Airepel(R), supplying bird repellants which feature a non-lethal method to control where birds feed and roost; Hyperimmune eggs with markets in human and animal nutrition; and Bio-Technical Resources (based in Manitowoc, WI), which develops processes and products based upon fermentation technology such as glucosamine, N-acetylglucosamine and natamycin.