LEGISLATION

The Agriculture (Wales) Bill has been published, committing to a complete prohibition of using snares and glue traps.

Unlike the Glue Traps (Offences) Act, the Agriculture (Wales) Bill has no provision for pest professionals to use board boards under licence at this time. 

BPCA has been invited to give evidence defending glue boards at the Welsh Parliament in November.

Ian Andrew, BPCA Chief Exec, said:

“We’ve repeatedly explained to the Welsh government that pest professionals have no alternative tool in their kits to protect vulnerable people and vital infrastructure when speed is essential. 

“Through our conversations with UK MPs and Ministers, we successfully campaigned for the Glue Traps (Offences) Bill (now Act) to be amended to include a licensing scheme in England. 

The Welsh government seems much less open to helping us protect its citizens from public health pests." “Giving evidence at the Welsh Parliament is probably our last opportunity to have our voices heard.

Ian continued:

“While we’ve always supported the restriction of glue boards for amateur and untrained users, we cannot sit idle while legislators remove tools that protect our food, businesses and human health”.

Dee Ward-Thompson, BPCA's Head of Technical, will give evidence in person on behalf of BPCA members at the Welsh Assembly on Wednesday, 9 November. 

The Welsh government on the Bill

Lesley Griffiths MS, Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, said in a statement:

“I am pleased to lay the Agriculture (Wales) Bill together with its supporting documentation today [...]

“The Bill is the result of several years of policy development, co-design, consultation and stakeholder engagement. 

“My sincere thanks to everyone who has given their time to work with us so far. The result is an ambitious and transformational piece of legislation which reforms decades of EU farming support, heralding a significant change in the approach we support the agricultural sector here in Wales.

“Following on from our Programme of Government commitment, the Bill also contains provisions to ban the use of snares and glue traps. It is important to note the significance of these provisions. 

“Wales will be the first of the UK nations to completely ban the use of snares and glue traps”.

YOUR VIEW

BPCA is currently preparing a paper on glue boards for the Welsh Parliament. 

If any pest professionals are willing to support the paper by providing case studies on the essential use of glue boards to protect human health, contact us today.

[email protected] 

Source: