The Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) UK has released it’s 2018 annual report into the state of the UK rodenticide stewardship regime.

The UK rodenticide stewardship regime implemented several commitments in 2018, including:

• Point of sale audits for compliance with regime rules on purchaser proof of competence
• Audits of approved farm assurance scheme members’ premises to meet new standards aligned with the CRRU Code of Best Practice
• New professional development (CPD) modules from CRRU to support user training and competence.

These are highlights from the third annual UK Rodenticide Stewardship report, published by the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use UK under its remit to an HSE-led Government Oversight Group.

It also confirms that all monitoring requirements were met and reports from independent contractors were submitted to HSE/GOG.

The difference to non-target species

One of these is the all-important barn owl liver residue monitoring, according to CRRU chairman Dr Alan Buckle.

"This shows some decline in residues but none large enough to be scientifically or statistically significant. Even so, it does show that there was no significant increase in residues following the removal of the ‘indoor only’ restriction on products containing brodifacoum, difethialone and flocoumafen.

Dr Alan Buckle, CRRU Chair

The future for rodenticides

New product labels with legally binding instructions for use were also introduced arising from another major review of rodenticides by the European Commission.

These place even more restrictions on the use of rodenticides and, particularly, on permanent baiting.

Dee Ward-Thompson, BPCA Technical Manager and CRRU Best Practice Work Group Leader stated in the report:

“Rodenticide use practice has changed substantially during the last 12 months with product labels, after renewal, reflecting the requirements of the new ECHA Summary of Product Specification (SPC) documents for the first time.

“The workgroup continuously monitors these changes to decide whether existing CRRU best practice guidance documents need to be updated.

“Changes to the rules about permanent baiting were important enough to require the 2016 CRRU document to be substantially revised and reissued (CRRU UK, 2018a)."

Dee continues:

“Further consideration of the foundation document, the CRRU Code of Best Practice (CRRU UK, 2015), is currently ongoing with the possibility of revision in 2019.”

Dr Buckle calls for continued vigilance and commitment to rodenticide stewardship from everyone involved.

We must all work to make sure that every element of the stewardship regime is implemented with full rigour to reduce rodenticide residues in UK wildlife in the near future. As imminently as 2020, HSE has signalled there will be an in-depth review of the stewardship regime and rodenticide impacts on wildlife, with possible further restrictions if targets are not met.

Dr Alan Cuckle, CRRU Chair

More information

The 2018 annual report, available from the CRRU UK website, is updated and published annually as part of the UK Rodenticide Stewardship Regime's monitoring programme.

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