Local governments back owl conservationists against sale of mice and rat bait

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Local governments across Western Australia have backed conservationists in a campaign to reduce the number of owls being killed by mice and rat baits. A decision on a ban of over-the-counter sales of some rodenticides is expected this month but dozens of shires have already taken action to protect owls.

Transcript

00:00Native owls are the unintended victims of commonly used rat and mice baits.

00:08Well, there was a whole freezer full here.

00:11Anything that eats a live or a dead animal that's eaten the baits, rat, mouse, possum, is going to be poisoned.

00:20Carcasses are collected and tested for rodenticide as part of a campaign to reduce the number of owls killed by the poisons.

00:28These things are being sold at supermarkets, hardwares, and if they've got a rat or a mouse problem,

00:35the first thing they're doing is just going and buying these rat poisons.

00:3925 WA local governments have already introduced restrictions on rodenticides.

00:44The Shire of Augusta Margaret River was one of the first.

00:48We recognise that we are in a biodiversity hotspot and we take that responsibility very seriously.

00:55A draft decision from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority

01:00on whether to restrict the sale of second generation rat and mice poisons is now months overdue.

01:06The regulator told the ABC its decision would now be revealed at the end of this month.

01:11In the meantime, wildlife carers say they are overwhelmed by the number of animals affected by the poison.

01:17It certainly is costly and time-consuming operation.

01:21The treatment itself can take up to six weeks on an everyday daily basis.

01:27Owl numbers are dwindling in this region and that has a flow-on effect for rodent populations.

01:32When we consider that one barn owl could essentially eat up to 1,000 mice a year,

01:39leading to over 2 million new rodents if left undetected by that owl.

01:44These researchers hope a decision is made to restrict rodenticide sales.

01:49I think we're going to find rodenticides were just a hidden problem with having a huge impact.

01:56A push to turn a hidden problem into an owl-saving solution.

02:02I don't know.

02:03This was all uncommon with the

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