The Southern Boobook is vulnerable to rodenticides (photo: Peter Storer)
Australia is closer than ever to removing bird-killing rat poisons from public sale. After many years of public pressure from BirdLife Australia and other community and environment groups, the federal regulator for pesticides, Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), has finally recommended removing second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) from retails shelves, following 10,000 submissions to its initial findings. The final decision rests with the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
SGARs don’t just kill rats and mice: scientists have found evidence of SGAR poisoning in over 50 native Australian bird species, 30 non-target native mammals and 16 species of native reptile or amphibians. Owls are particularly vulnerable to poisoning.
Licenced pest controllers and primary producers will still be able to use SGARs under a strict permit.
Bunnings Bows Out
In more good news, Bunnings, which stocks the widest range of SGARs of any major Australian retailer, has announced it will remove these products from its shelves by 30 June, 9 months ahead of the APVMA deadline for the full retail ban. This was in response to a petition to Bunning’s with over 40,000 signatures. This welcome decision will prevent huge quantities of lethal poison from entering bird food chains.
How You Can Help
Just a reminder of how you can help:
- Rodent proof your home with wire mesh.
- Remove the food source: ensure seed isn’t available to rats and mice at night.
- Use sturdy rat and mouse traps instead of bait (they deliver a quick death rather than slowly bleeding to a painful death over several days after ingesting rat poison).
- If you must use rat bait, make sure the ingredients are warfarin, coumatetatryl or diphacinone. Avoid using baits containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, difenacoum and flocoumafen.
- Only purchase baits that come in block or paste form and deliver them in tamper-proof bait stations.
- Avoid bait pellets because other animals can easily eat them.
Peter Storer