Hello Owl Lovers,
Great news! Saanich Councillors Ned Taylor and Colin Plant submitted a notice of Motion to Saanich council to ban anticoagulant rodenticides (rat poison) in all Saanich owned properties. They want Council to urge the Province to consider BC-wide prohibition of anticoagulant rodenticides due to the threat it poses to local wildlife and pets. See links to our media campaign below for your reference regarding the recent owl deaths.
Saanich Council will vote on this motion on July 13th, and they need letters of support from you and your community.
The motion reads as follows:
1. That Council provide direction to staff to implement a ban of anticoagulant rodenticides in the District of Saanich.
2. That Council request that the Mayor write, on behalf of council, to the Premier of British Columbia, appropriate ministers, copying MLAs in the Capital Region, requesting that the Province of British Columbia ban anticoagulant rodenticides.
3. That Council directs staff to communicate to residents and businesses in the District of Saanich council’s direction on this matter, the harmful impacts of anticoagulant rodenticides, and better alternatives that are available.
4. That Council share this report with all other local governments in the Province of British Columbia.
You may copy and paste this letter below or write your own to the Mayor and Council of Saanich (emails below). Please include stories of how the owl deaths have impacted you and what you have seen. Also, please give a big thank you to Mayor Haynes for his support of this initiative.
And share this campaign far and wide!!!
Follow Owl Watch BC Facebook Page for updates https://www.facebook.com/owlwatchbc/
If comfortable doing so, can you bcc us on your letter you submit please.
Thank you,
Deanna Pfeifer and Rob Vanzella
Members of Owl Watch BC
Template Letter
Dear Mayor Fred Haynes and Council,
I am writing in support of Councilor Ned Taylor’s and Councillor Colin Plant’s Agenda item on July 13th regarding banning AntiCoagulant Rodenticides.
Owls are perishing across the Province and the Nation due to secondary poisoning from highly toxic Second Generation Anticoagulants (SGAR's). Rat poison moves through the food chain after a rodent ingests it.
164 owls in western Canada were analyzed in a lab, where scientists found that 70% had residues of at least one rodenticide in their livers. Researchers found that at least half of those owls had multiple rodenticides in their system.(See google drive link below for owl study from 2009).
The necropsy from the Great Horned Owl found in Saanich had 3 different types of Commercial grade anticoagulant rodenticides in its system and 2 of them are so potent they are not to be used outdoors. (See necropsy in google drive link).
Other wildlife and domestic animals are also at risk of secondary poisoning and many of them go undetected and under reported as testing is problematic. As well as the owls in Kings Community Nature Space, we have had anecdotal reports of several otherwise healthy dogs who live in the area or visit the area daily become very ill with vomiting and diarrhea. Dead or poisoned rats are easy prey for curious pets. BCSPCA and College of Vets are aware of the owl necropsy reports.
We know there are safer alternatives such as Contrapest and automatic traps (goodnature.ca).The District of North Vancouver did an extensive investigative report on the subject of secondary poisoning of wildlife due to rodenticides and voted unanimously this month to ban rodenticides in municipal owned facilities. (See attached report in google drive link below)
The report highlights how using other methods to control rats instead of rodenticides is cheaper in the long run. Owls eat 1000 rats a year. They help keep the rodent population in balance naturally and are FREE of charge.
I fully support Councillors Ned Taylor and Colin Plant’s motion and applaud them for taking action on this serious issue in our community.
Thank you,