‘Unacceptable risk’: Coles, Woolworths and Bunnings remove anticoagulant rat baits after big call by regulator

Supermarkets and hardware stores have started removing popular bait products from their shelves ahead of tighter controls being placed on the products to help protect local wildlife.

Retailers, including Coles, Woolworths and Bunnings, made the move after the Federal regulator last week said the products posed an “unacceptable risk” to non-target animals

Although the fast-acting and potent baits are restricted overseas, they have been stocked on the shelves in Australia, prompting widespread community and environmental concerns about the risks they pose to pets and native wildlife.

Many local councils have already ditched the use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, in an “owl friendly” move to protect local species.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority last week said it was “in the public interest” for Australia to declare SGARs to be restricted chemical products.

If the decision is accepted by federal departmental officials, the fast-acting baits would only be allowed to be used by licensed and trained people. However it was immediately welcomed by experts, who have long advocated for the products to be banned.

“This is a really significant change,” Curtin University wildlife ecologist Bill Bateman said.

“There has been a long campaign to restrict these rat poisons . . . because of the risk they pose to wildlife. Australia has been something of a hold-out, so these new rules are very welcome news for our native species.”

Anticoagulants prevent the blood from clotting, and typically cause death in rodents from internal or external bleeding five to 10 days after a lethal dose is consumed.

Unlike first-generation, multi-dose rodenticides, SGARs are administered in a single feeding dose and take longer to break down when ingested, making them substantially more potent than earlier multi-dose products.

This means they are much more likely than multi-dose baits to cause secondary poisoning if eaten by other animals or wildlife.

Three active ingredients are currently registered for use in the first-generation, multi-dose rodenticides in Australia.

Only three out of the five active SGAR constituents registered in Australia can be use in and around homes, business, industrial and farm buildings. Single-dose products are not approved for use in open areas, in places accessible to non-target animals or children, or in crops.

The APVMA will also suspended registration of all SGAR products for a year, beginning on March 24, so that stricter controls can be implemented more quickly while broader national measures are progressed.

The APVMA proposed suspending SGARs in December last year, and set up a targeted six-week consultation with product holders and State and Territory authorities.

“After carefully reviewing the submissions, the APVMA’s risk conclusions remain unchanged. The APVMA had determined that the current use of SGAR products presents unacceptable risks to non-target animals, including native wildlife,” an AMVMA statement said.

“The suspension introduces strong risk mitigation measures to protect Australia’s native fauna, pets and livestock while the APVMA finalises its full regulatory consideration of first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides.”