Rochdale Euro-MP Chris Davies fears cruel mole control

Date published: 20 March 2006

Rochdale Euro-MP Chris Davies has warned the government that time is running out to ensure a ban on a dangerous poison used to kill moles making extra holes on golf courses does not lead to even more cruel methods of control.

From September an EU law will regulate a wide range of poisons, including strychnine used to kill moles, to ensure they are safe to use and have no harmful impact on the environment. Manufacturers have failed to provide scientific evidence proving strychnine is safe and so a last ditch appeal to the EU by the government provides the only opportunity to prevent a ban. 

The changes mean that around 3000 users, who have been granted Government licenses to use strychnine to kill moles on agricultural or other extensive grassland such as golf courses, could have to use other methods.

Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies has welcomed a ban on strychnine but claims the government must act quickly to ensure it is not replaced by even less humane options.

He said:  “Banning this chemical is good news for the environment but urgent action must be taken to ensure it doesn’t lead to even more cruel deaths for moles.”

The main alternative to poisoning are ‘kill traps’.  If used correctly these kill individual moles compared with indiscriminate eradication. But some molecatchers fear that the withdrawal of strychnine will possibly lead to
inhumane actions or the incorrect use of traps.

Jeff Nicholls, a professional molecatcher from Wokingham says urgent government action is needed to ensure humane trapping.

He said, “Traps used correctly cause the least suffering to the mole, but often traps are used by untrained persons which can result in unnecessary suffering.”

“At present there are limited regulations for mole traps and the withdrawal of strychnine provides the best opportunity to implement new training and guidance that is urgently needed to guarantee humane mole control.”

The Liberal Democrat MEP hopes the changes will make landowners think twice about whether extermination is essential.

He said:  “Moles do need to be controlled where their presence poses a danger to safety, for example on airstrips or horse gallops.  But it is time to realise we cannot simply exterminate a creature because it pushes up a few daisies.”

Mr Davies has written to the Minister for Rural Affairs calling for an urgent review of trapping legislation.  A first step towards better practices would be to classify moles as mammals and not vermin.  Under current law this would require traps to be checked every 24 hours, he claims.

Moles can actually be gardener’s friends as they eat slugs and many harmful insect larvae such as cockchafers and carrotfly.  Their tunnels also help to drain and aerate heavy soils and the fine soil of molehills was traditionally use to make potting compost.