Wildlife poisonings

The Campaign Against Illegal Poisoning Of Animals forms part of the UK government’s post-marketing surveillance system intended to identify any unexpected effects of pesticides on animals. Details of the government scheme are set out in a new and improved leaflet(1), ‘Incidents involving pesticides and animals’, published in February.
    Part-funded by a levy on the agrochemical industry, the scheme supplies data to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) so that the risks of a product can be re-evaluated if necessary, and changes made to its status or approval conditions.
PAN UK is concerned (see PN 48, page 14) that under-reporting to the scheme – when poisoned wild animals take refuge underground and are never found, for example – results in decisions which are not sufficiently rigorous.
If dead animals, birds or bees, are found, they should be reported: telephone Freephone 0800 321 600. 

1. www.pesticides.gov.uk/citizen/caip.htm

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 59, March 2003, page 17]