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By Hawkesbury Gazette
Source: Guardian Australia
Commonly available household rat poisons pose an unacceptable risk to native wildlife including species found throughout the Hawkesbury according to a federal government review that has reignited calls for a nationwide ban.
The review examined first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs and SGARs), which are widely sold in supermarkets and hardware stores such as Bunnings, Coles and Woolworths. While it recommended cancelling some products, the review stopped short of a full ban, drawing criticism from environmental and wildlife groups.
Local wildlife at risk
The Hawkesbury and Greater Blue Mountains region is home to powerful owls, tawny frogmouths, boobook owls, quolls and other native predators that are particularly vulnerable to secondary poisoning. These animals ingest toxins after feeding on rats or mice that have consumed bait.
Wildlife carers in the region have long warned that rodenticides are contributing to unexplained deaths of birds of prey and nocturnal mammals, particularly in semi-rural and bushland-interface areas where residential properties border national parks and conservation land.
Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides are especially concerning due to their persistence in animal tissues and high toxicity. These products are already banned from public sale in the United States and parts of Canada, and are tightly restricted in the European Union.
In Australia, consumers can identify SGARs by ingredients such as brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, difenacoum and flocoumafen.
Proposed restrictions
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has proposed a temporary suspension of SGARs while a three-month public consultation is conducted. If implemented, the suspension would make it illegal to manufacture or import these products, although existing stock could still be sold under strict new conditions.
Proposed measures include:
- limiting mouse baits to indoor use only in tamper-resistant bait stations
- restricting outdoor rat baits to tamper-proof stations placed within two metres of buildings
- reducing pack sizes
- tightening instructions for disposal of carcasses and unused bait
The review also recommended cancelling rodenticide products sold in powder or liquid form, or those without safety dyes or bittering agents, finding they posed unacceptable risks to humans, pets and wildlife.
Critics say changes fall short
Conservation groups argue the measures do not adequately protect native animals. BirdLife Australia said secondary poisoning remains largely unaddressed, despite strong evidence linking rodenticides to deaths of birds of prey.
Wildlife researchers have found rodenticides in the vast majority of tested tawny frogmouths and owls, with many showing toxin levels consistent with fatal exposure.
Experts warn that even with tighter labelling and conditions, there is no guarantee that consumers will follow instructions, particularly in rural and semi-rural areas such as the Hawkesbury, where pest control is common and wildlife is abundant.
Retailers respond
Woolworths said it would await the APVMA’s final recommendations before reviewing its approach, noting it stocks a limited range of SGARs alongside alternative pest-control products. Bunnings and Coles declined to comment.
The APVMA is expected to make a final decision after public submissions close.
This article is based on reporting by Guardian Australia.
