The Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) has launched the document that forms the heart of the stewardship campaign around SGARs. The 24 page document has been produced in partnership with a range of industry bodies and the SGAR Government Oversight Group. It sets out the need for SGARs as a part of control rodent activity, and the potential risks from their use.
Stewardship development and co-ordination has been formally adopted by CRRU as its major activity, explains chairman Dr Alan Buckle. "This Code of Best Practice is the foundation. It will be used as the basis for training and certification of all who carry out rodent control as a part of their professional duties and must be applied in practice by all professionals who use anticoagulants."
BPCA Technical Manager Richard Moseley welcomed the introduction of the document "the CRRU COBP builds on existing codes including BPCA's own, and provides a simple summary of the current situation regarding SGAR use, and why things have had to change" Pest Controllers are encouraged to read and circulate the Code, ensuring technicians and clients alike are aware of the forthcoming and existing restrictions on use of SGARs.
Dr Buckle emphasises that the Stewardship Regime's impact will be monitored closely for reducing wildlife exposure and improving user practices, and significant beneficial changes will be essential for future access to anticoagulants without further restriction. Alan explains "So, the future availability of these products is now more than ever in the hands of their users. The Code of Best Practice defines measures which, if thoroughly and effectively applied, will permit the continued use of anticoagulants with the minimum adverse impacts on non-targets."
In parallel with the Code, CRRU has developed an implementation structure for the Stewardship Regime. Working across all three user sectors - professional pest control (including local authorities), agriculture and gamekeeping - there will be six discipline-specific work groups: Best Practice, Training and Certification, Regulatory, Point-of-Sale, Monitoring, and Communication. These will be co-ordinated by an umbrella steering body, the CRRU UK Task Force. When membership of each group is finalised, it will be published on the CRRU website.
The key date that CRRU is working to is 1 June 2016 after which, Alan Buckle points out, no professional SGAR product can be purchased without certification.
CRRU UK gratefully acknowledges the advice provided by the SGAR Government Oversight Group and the following organisations in the development of the Code of Best Practice:
- Barn Owl Trust
- Barn Owl Conservation Network
- British Association for Shooting and Conservation
- British Pest Control Association
- Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust
- National Gamekeepers' Organisation
- Natural England
- National Pest Advisory Panel (CIEH)
- National Pest Technicians Association
- Rodenticide Resistance Action Group
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
- Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture
- Scottish Gamekeepers' Association
- University of Reading
Printed copies of this new Code will be available to delegates at PestEx (Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 March 2015), and are also available as a free download on the CRRU and BPCA websites.
Download the new CRRU Code of Best Practice.
Source: BPCA.org.uk