The Government of British Columbia announced that its temporary 18 month ban on second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) will become permanent. The province implemented a temporary ban in July 2021 to review the science and engage with the public on the use of SGARs: inhumane poisons used to kill rodents which are also known to impact wildlife and companion animals through secondary poisoning.
In a news release issued today, the province stated it had received nearly 1,600 responses during its public consultation and is proceeding with a permanent ban, which will be effective January 21, 2023. In May, The Fur-Bearers submitted comments to the BC government and encouraged our supporters to do the same. To read our submission, click here to view our previous blog post on the issue.
"The permanent restrictions on these particular rodenticides in British Columbia are a positive step forward in reducing the harms to wildlife caused by primary and secondary poisoning. However, because exemptions to the use of SGARs remain, there still needs to be a focus on prevention and using humane approaches to rodent management across all sectors."
While we applaud the government for making this ban permanent, there are a number of exemptions for sectors deemed ‘essential services’ where SGARs can still be used. Moreover, this ban doesn’t cover other harmful rodenticides that are still permitted for sale and use in the province. Despite these outstanding concerns, this is an important move to reduce the suffering and risks caused by SGARs.
We continue to emphasize the importance of implementing prevention measures and addressing root causes rather than using pesticides. Despite the exemptions to essential sectors, we urge all companies and public bodies included under these exemptions to consider using non-lethal and humane methods instead of SGARs.
Thank you to all of our supporters who took the time to send comments during the public consultation process and advocated for a prohibition of SGARs in BC.
