PESTS IN POLITICS | PPC113 November 2023

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Welsh glue board open letter and response

As many of you now know, the Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023 was passed by the Senedd on 27 June 2023 and given Royal Assent on 17 August 2023.

The Act makes the setting of a rodent glue board in Wales a criminal offence, which came into force on 17 October 2023.

The Welsh government Wildlife Team said: “The Wildlife and Countryside Act is enforced by police forces across Wales and from 17 October, any person found guilty of using a glue trap could face imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.”

BPCA did everything within our power to influence this legislation. However, much of our work fell on deaf ears.

We hoped to get an amendment that promised a licensing scheme for professional pest management work, just as we achieved in England.

Despite providing compelling evidence and answering questions in a select committee meeting, our work was disregarded in the committee stage report.

In September, we penned an open letter to the Minister for Rural Affairs ahead of the imminent Welsh glue board ban, and received what we consider an unsatisfactory and dismissive response.

We have published both the letter and response here, in full.

The letter

Ian Andrew, CEO BPCA ➤ Dear Lesley Griffiths MS

27 September 2023

Dear Lesley Griffiths MS,

As you will be aware, the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) objected to the ban on rodent glue boards in the Agriculture (Wales) Bill which has now received Royal Assent.

We argued for a licensing scheme for pest professionals so our sector could continue to use the only means we had to catch rodents quickly in high-risk areas.

Defra has proved that a workable licensing scheme is possible, and we would have worked with Natural Resources Wales to get a similar scheme in place to protect Welsh citizens and businesses.

Now that the Act is in force, it will have inevitable consequences on businesses in Wales with high-risk food areas being severely challenged to maintain food security and public health.

Ironically, the only business that will likely benefit from the ban will be pest management companies, as it will cost their clients with pest problems considerably more to get premises rodent-free and safe.

We will closely monitor the impact of the ban on our members’ clients but the ban on glue boards will inevitably have an adverse effect on animal welfare.

Rodent populations will increase while their food sources remain static leading to greater numbers facing starvation. The increased use of biocidal products (rodenticides) will result in an inevitable increase in non-target species being poisoned.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) wants us to monitor this closely.

An increase in the use of rodent break-back traps will lead to more rodents suffering from foul catches.

While a rodent caught on a professionally placed glue board typically had a humane death, their futures are far more uncertain with the tools we have left.

I do not believe the citizens of Wales would ever choose to co-exist with rodents. Sadly, however, that will become an increasingly common circumstance for many.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is clear that one of the significant factors in the increase in human lifespan globally is professional pest management. As such we advocate strongly for adequate pest management as we know society thrives and human life is enhanced because of our sector’s work.

Your work on this Act has hindered our members’ ability to protect Welsh citizens and long term we expect to see more rodent-based pathogens disproportionately harm Welsh people due to increased rodent populations.

If any of the above causes concern, we will be happy to work with the Welsh Government to re-introduce access to rodent glue boards for pest professionals to maintain the public health and food security of the people of Wales.

I hope whenever you read of someone in Wales in hospital because they’ve contracted Weil’s disease, salmonella, listeria, or any of the other nasty pathogens rodents carry, you’ll remember the warnings we issued.

And when Welsh citizens rightfully ask why rodent lives were prioritised over theirs, we’ll be sure to point to the Welsh government and this poorly thought-out legislation.

Yours sincerely,
Ian Andrew  
Chief Executive, British Pest Control Association

The response

Dear Lesley Griffiths MS ➤ Ian Andrew, CEO BPCA

12 October 2023

Dear Ian,

Thank you for your letter of 28 September, regarding the ban on the use of glue traps in Wales.

It is undeniable rodents can pose a serious public health risk in spaces that humans occupy. It is also reasonable to assume there are situations that require a rapid solution such as, in hospitals, around the young and otherwise vulnerable, and in any form of food service.

Nevertheless, even in the hands of professional pest controllers, glue traps cannot be considered a humane method of capturing vertebrates.

The Agriculture (Wales) Act consultation highlighted glue traps are used rarely in Wales. Adequate, efficient and more humane forms of pest control are available and in regular use.

Lesley Griffiths AS/MS
Y Gweinidog Materion Gwledig a Gogledd Cymru, a’r Trefnydd
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd

We want to hear from you

How is the glue trap ban in Wales affecting control on the ground? Send us your thoughts! 
hello@bpca.org.uk

Source: PPC113