Raptors across England are being killed by the widespread misuse of rat poisons and the problem is getting worse, in spite of a UK government prevention scheme, according to from , a not-for-profit environmental group.
鈥淭he degree of harm that the misuse of rodenticides is causing to our wildlife is incredibly worrying,鈥� says broadcaster Chris Packham, co-director of Wild Justice. 鈥淭he voluntary code of practice is utterly useless 鈥� it鈥檚 just not working.鈥�
In 2015, the UK government established the Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme with the aim of significantly reducing the secondary exposure of wildlife to rodenticides.
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Wild Justice鈥檚 report looked at post-mortem data from 173 red kites (Milvus milvus) and 366 buzzards (Buteo buteo) that died in England between 2005 and 2022. The data, gained through freedom of information requests, found that anticoagulant rodenticides were present in the livers of most of the buzzards and red kites tested, often at high levels.
More than 90 per cent of dead buzzards tested between 2020 and 2022 had some anticoagulant rodenticides in their livers, and around 23 per cent had very high levels 鈥� over 0.3 milligrams per kilogram of liver tissue. Between 2005 and 2010, only 50 per cent of buzzards had these poisons in their livers and less than 2 per cent had very high levels.
Among red kites, all of the birds tested between 2020 and 2022 had some rodenticide in their livers, with 66 per cent having very high levels, compared with 15 per cent in 2010 to 2015.
The increase in secondary wildlife poisonings is due to changes in how the poisons are allowed to be used under the UK鈥檚 Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme, says , another co-director of Wild Justice who is an author of the report. 鈥淯ntil 2016, certain rat poisons, such as a common one called brodifacoum, were only to be used indoors,鈥� he says. 鈥淣ow, they can be used around buildings, which is one reason why non-target species are being exposed, as they eat poisoned rats out of doors.鈥�
Previously, rat poisons were generally marketed to professional pest controllers. Now, according to campaigners, they appear to be widely used by gamekeepers and farmers, including in open field settings, away from buildings. The in 2023 found that there have been 506 confirmed cases of birds of prey being persecuted using poisons in a 15-year period.
鈥淭his is a classic case of loosened regulation in response to industry pressure, followed by lack of enforcement and also illegal use,鈥� says Avery. 鈥淎lso, there鈥檚 clear evidence that these poisons are sometimes being used, almost certainly by gamekeepers, to kill birds of prey. This isn鈥檛 accidental 鈥� it鈥檚 illegal, and it鈥檚 a wildlife crime.鈥�
Buzzards and red kites serve as indicators of a wider problem that will affect other predators and scavengers that eat rodents, including barn owls and foxes.
Wild Justice is calling for stricter controls on the use of rodenticides and stronger enforcement. 鈥淲e need legislative change,鈥� says Packham. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no point updating the current guidelines for use, because they clearly haven鈥檛 been implemented.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to see the most damaging rodenticides restricted for use indoors-only, so they can鈥檛 be used outside at all. I鈥檇 like to see their sale significantly restricted, so they鈥檙e not publicly available and so that, for instance, gamekeepers simply can鈥檛 buy them.鈥�
at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, who isn鈥檛 involved with Wild Justice or the report, says: 鈥淚t comes as no surprise to learn that secondary poisoning by [anticoagulant rodenticides] is ubiquitous in common buzzards and red kites, and that 鈥榣ight touch鈥� regulation has failed. Legislation is needed, as users are clearly not adhering to best-practice guidelines.鈥�
A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive, the lead UK government body for the regulation of rodenticides, says: 鈥淭here are robust, multi-agency arrangements in place for enforcing the illegal supply and use of chemicals, including a dedicated . Illegal misuse of rodenticides can, and has, resulted in successful criminal prosecution and prison sentences for some.鈥�
