A petition has been launched calling for the introduction of stronger controls on the use of ‘powerful rodent poisons’ and clear labelling on packaging.
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Launched by the Barn Owl Trust on 22 January, to date (11 February) the petition has already received over 81,400 signatures with a target of 100,000. The petition claims that: ‘Britain’s barn owls are being killed by powerful rat poisons used on farms across the country. When owls eat poisoned rodents, they ingest deadly toxins which cause internal bleeding and ultimately death. Although not all die as a direct result, experts believe the poisons affect their ability to hunt and breed. Eight in 10 barn owls have been found to have these poisons in their bloodstreams, but there is a glimmer of hope for this beautiful predator: the government is reviewing how such poisons are used’. The petition demands to impose stricter controls on the use of rodenticides, whilst also restricting where and how they are used – in other words ‘best practice’ – as supported by the pest control industry itself. |
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The timing of this petition is far from accidental – it aims to increase the political pressure on HSE just when the plans for the stewardship regime for Second Generation Anticoagulent Rodenticides (SGARs) are at a crucial stage. |
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