2 year APVMA review as basis for conducting a 5 year ‘formal’  review

In April 2020, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority announced a review of rodenticide regulation.  A summary of the 3,391 submissions was published in September 2020 with a statement that “relevant information will be considered further”.  On 2 November 2021, the APVMA announced without any publicity or correspondence with those who had previously submitted, that having now reviewed what the public thinks, they  are now launching a ‘formal review’  as to anticoagulant rodenticide availability and usage restrictions. The review is to take an extraordinary 5 years, with submissions to this review to be provided by 2 Feb 2022.

Gazette No 22, Tuesday 2 November 2021 (apvma.gov.au)

https://apvma.gov.au/node/93341

Owl Friendly’s contribution will be our unprecedented Masked Owl data from over 500 regurgitated pellets showing that rats and mice around Margaret River are the staple diet of this priority listed species, combined with liver analysis showing debilitating and lethal levels of ARs in the livers of dead Masked Owls from our population  that have been tested.

Grass-roots campaigning vital while government fails to protect our wildlife from rodenticides

Owl Friendly MR met this week with other community groups in a zoom with Birdlife Australia to form a national alliance of rodenticide campaigners.  We are sharing resources and based on experience to date, Birdlife has drafted  ‘how to organise an action group in your community’ guidelines and support materials.

Check out this television news item to see how children south of Sydney have taken matters into their own hands when confronted by a rodenticide poisoned Sooty Owl in their garden.

https://10play.com.au/…/saving-the-owls/tpv211210yqeul

Birdlife has decided to persuade Bunnings, as the biggest outlet for rodenticides across Australia,  to take Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides off their shelves. You can sign a petition at:

https://www.actforbirds.org/ratpoison

Our local Mitre 10 and Nutrien Ag Solutions are ‘Owl Friendly Heroes’, having both placed information signage and materials at their pest control shelves and ensured staff are well informed to provide advice. But not any of the other outlets in Margaret River and elsewhere in the region. Courageous leadership would be shown by a store that put everything that is recognised as a poison in a locked cabinet or heaven-forbid, off the shelves all together.

Rodenticide campaigner Poppy Mahon showing that an 11 year-old can purchase SGAR  poisons through self-service without any caution or guidance from signage or staff.