Dr Alan Buckle was the deserving recipient of the BPCA Life Membership award at the AGM on 26 March 2021.
To be considered for Life Membership an individual should have demonstrated significant, sustained and high-quality service enhancing the reputation of the Association or wider industry.
Watch Dr Buckle receive his award:
Watch AGM video
Dr Buckle began his long career in pest control at Royal Holloway College, University of London, where he conducted research into a small beetle living on and with Apodemus sylvaticus (Wood Mouse).
He began working on anticoagulant resistance in Norway rats as Head of the MAFF Welshpool labs, a theme that features strongly throughout his career.
His research with rodents continued, as he then went to work for the Centre of Overseas Pest Research conducting studies on the Rice Field Rat.
A spell in government research with the Pest Infestation Laboratories was followed by some time working with Syngenta, researching novel methods for the control of public health pests.
Throughout his career Dr Buckle has published numerous papers, and has been involved in a variety of projects that included the elimination of immigrant rat populations on remote islands.
His work has had protection of public health at the forefront, from the depredations of rodents, and the wider protection of the environment and our wildlife, to the misuse of rodenticides that leads to resistance.
His incredible work in these areas has also seen him take up roles as Chairman of the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) and, until recently, the Rodenticide Resistance Action Group (RRAG).
Through this work, he has had a major influence on the UK pest control industry and has essentially written the ‘how-to guide’ for safe and proper rat control in external environments.
His work has had protection of public health at the forefront, from the depredations of rodents, and the wider protection of the environment and our wildlife, to the misuse of rodenticides that leads to resistance.
He has always taken a pragmatic approach to pest control, understanding the need to control rats with the use of rodenticides and has been the industry’s champion where those wanting to curtail our activity and use of anticoagulants have been held at bay.
As Chairman of RRAG, he oversaw the plotting of the march of rodenticide resistance across the country and demonstrated the need for much more disciplined application.
It is his leadership and influence in the development of the Stewardship scheme that has ensured that pest control with anticoagulants has a future, for which we should be very grateful.
On receiving the award, Dr Buckle said: "When your letter came through my letterbox, I'd been sitting in my chair at my computer for the 14th consecutive day in a row writing up the 5-year report for CRRU and the Stewardship regime to go to the government oversight group.
"I was feeling a bit fed up with it, so your letter was a wonderful thing to receive and a great boost to me. I'd like to thank everyone who nominated me and supported that nomination.
"I've been involved, one way or another, for a very long time with BPCA. What's shone through for me in all of that time is the absolute dedication of the Association to improving professionalism in the industry and so I'm pleased to have been a part of that. And that includes the amazing support BPCA has given to the CRRU Stewardship regime over the last five years as well.
"It really is a great honour to receive this award, so thank you very much indeed."
BPCA President Phil Halpin said: “Life Membership is the highest award available to recognise the enormous contribution of individuals to the Association and the pest management industry.
“It is therefore only awarded by the BPCA Executive Board in exceptional circumstances and I think we can all agree that Dr Buckle’s work for the industry has been exceptional.
“Without his work and international influence our lives as pest control contractors would be very much harder and our environments and wildlife far worse off.
“We’re delighted to award him with BPCA Life Membership, a truly well-deserved honour.”
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You can watch the entire 2021 Digital AGM and member awards here.
Source: Online