WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) – The Canadian government said on Wednesday it would move to restrict the use of two types of crop pesticides that have been linked to deaths of aquatic insects and bees, in a victory for environmentalists and the latest setback for companies that sell the pesticides.

FILE PHOTO – Bees from one of Calvin Parsons’ colonies are seen near Meskanaw, Saskatchewan, May 26, 2007. REUTERS/Dave Stobbe

Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) said it would phase out, over three to five years, the outdoor use of thiamethoxam, made by Syngenta AG, and clothianidin, produced by Bayer AG.

A review found the chemicals at levels in water bodies high enough to harm aquatic insects that are food for fish and birds.

The widely used chemicals protect corn, soybean and canola crops from insect damage.

Health Canada’s move is subject to a 90-day consultation period, followed by final decisions in late 2019.

Neonicotinoids, also called neonics, are a class of pesticides applied as a seed treatment or sprayed on leaves. Neonics have drawn scrutiny after research pointed to risks for honeybees, which have been in decline in North America, possibly due to pesticides, loss of habitat and climate change.

Health Canada also plans a final decision by the end of this year whether to phase out a third neonic, Bayer’s imidacloprid.

Canada’s moves come after European Union countries in April backed a proposal to ban all outdoor use of neonics.

The United States has not taken similar action, but is reviewing neonics and plans to seek public comment on proposed action next spring, a spokesperson for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said.