On Tuesday, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority certified second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides to be listed as a restricted chemical product. If approved, the sale of SGARs would be restricted to licenced professionals.

SGARs are a group of poisons used to control rats and mice, causing internal haemorrhaging once consumed. Native wildlife, including quolls, owls, and magpies, can be exposed to SGARs when eating poisoned rats.

The APVMA says SGARs pose an unacceptable risk to non-target animals, including native wildlife.

ECU ecologist Associate Professor Rob Davis presented research to APVMA in 2024 suggesting the ban of SGARS. APVMA released a draft decision in December 2025, receiving backlash from many wildlife organisations.

“It basically just suggested that using tamper-proof bait boxes and changing some labelling regulations would reduce the impact,” Dr Davis says.

“The draft decision didn’t go very far at all.”

Dr Davis says the new recommendation is a “huge step in the right direction”.

“It’s great that it’s restricted to commercial providers, but they are responsible for a lot of the area out there,” he says.

“If commercial providers continue using these products, we are still going to have the problem out there.”

Head vet at WA Wildlife Meg Rodgers says the decision “represents an important acknowledgement of the growing scientific evidence around the impacts of these poisons.”

She says many of the SGARs poisoning cases that arrive at rehabilitation facilities are preventable.

“Unfortunately, many animals do not survive because they arrive at wildlife care facilities too late, often after significant blood loss has already occurred,” Dr Rodgers says.

Birdlife WA’s community engagement committee member Lesley Macauley found a boobook owl that had ingested SGARs.

“I normally bury birds I find in my garden, but this one, I didn’t want my dog digging it up because it can build up in their bodies,” Ms Macauley says.

“In my opinion, (SGARs) need to be banned completely.”

Lesley Macauley

“We live in this big circle, and if you break the circle, then it puts everything out of whack. If we lose the owls, then we could be overrun with mice and rats.”

Ms Macauley says there are other steps people can take to reduce the number of rats in their homes without using SGARs.

“Cover your vegetables with a net and if you have to use rodenticide, use the first generation one.”

Dr Rodgers says the decision is very welcome, but may not solve the issue.

“It’s unlikely to eliminate the problem completely, but it is a meaningful step toward reducing unnecessary wildlife poisoning,” she says.

“We hope this decision raises awareness about the environmental impacts of these poisons and encourages people to consider safer alternatives for rodent control,”

“Reducing the volume (of SGARs) in the environment is going to be a really huge plus,” Dr Davis says.

“I think that maybe the most ideal outcome for us would have been a complete ban and the removal of what the second generation products altogether.

“In the interim, its important to still choose not to purchase those second generation products. They are formally available for the next few weeks.”

The decision still needs to be accepted by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.