BirdLife Australia research on the liver samples of dead Powerful Owls has found that 60% had levels of the rat poisons known as Second-generation Anticoagulant Rodenticide (SGARs) sufficient to cause impairment or death.
Powerful Owl (Photo by Greg Sharky CC)
In the past five years, other research has found evidence of SGAR poisoning in 57 native birds, 30 non-target Australian mammals (including Tasmanian Devils and Eastern Quolls) and 16 species of reptiles or amphibians.
But, according to BirdLife Australia, the federal regulator – the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority – has delayed announcing findings of a review into SGARs. BirdLife launched an online election campaign to urge people to contact all candidates or, post-election, their returned or new politicians asking them to support all measures to protect threatened native bird species, including regulation of SGARs.
Sally White