Rat Control: Civil Groups Advocate for Balancing Ecology and Public Health

Central News Agency (Taipei, May 5, Central News Agency reporter Wang Shu-Fen) - In response to recent frequent public complaints about rats in Taipei City and concerns over rodenticide use, conservation groups, scholars, and elected officials today held a press conference, calling for rat control efforts to balance ecology and public health, and to establish a long-term, source-based management strategy. The Alliance for Wildlife Conservation, Taiwan Association for Reptile Conservation, Taiwan Raptor Research Group, Liu Chen (PhD candidate in International Biodiversity Program, Academia Sinica), and Taipei City Councilor Ho Meng-Hua (Democratic Progressive Party) held a joint press conference at the Legislative Yuan today. Participating groups emphasized that the rat problem is fundamentally an environmental management issue, not one that can be solved by a single chemical agent. Without a comprehensive plan, it may further expand ecological and public safety costs without reducing risks. They called on the Taipei City Government to balance ecology and public health when promoting control measures, consult various experts, and establish a long-term strategy centered on source management. Participants also chanted slogans like "Reject the abuse of chemicals, protect urban ecology" and "Emphasize environmental management, do not blindly poison." Li Zong-Chen, Chairman of the Alliance for Wildlife Conservation, said that the Taipei City Government's current strategy for dealing with rats mainly focuses on end-of-chain extermination but ignores the high reproductive capacity and behavioral adaptability of rodents. Without comprehensive environmental management, such as unresolved issues like garbage disposal, improper handling of kitchen waste by businesses, drainage system loopholes, and feeding of stray animals and wild pigeons, the effectiveness of chemical agents will be greatly reduced. Li Zong-Chen stated that once rodenticides enter the food chain, they can cause secondary poisoning in predators and pets, creating a vicious cycle of "the more poison applied, the higher the risk." Cai Dai-Hua, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Raptor Research Group, announced recent monitoring results, indicating that from 2021 to 2024, 61% of tested deceased raptors had rodenticide residues; among them, the detection rate in crested goshawk samples from Taipei and Keelung areas was as high as 92%, and approximately 68% of the detected individuals contained two or more types of rodenticides, with the highest even reaching five types. Cai Dai-Hua said that after the death of high-level predators such as raptors, their natural control over rodents will be weakened, leading to a decline in ecological regulation functions. Furthermore, long-term and indiscriminate application of rodenticides may promote the development of resistance in rat populations. The Taiwan Association for Reptile Conservation provided written information, stating that the reproductive capacity of high-level predators such as snakes and raptors is far lower than that of rodents. Once both populations are severely affected by poisoning, the recovery rate of rodent populations will be much faster than that of predators. This will lead to a prolonged "ecological window period" in the environment, where surviving rat populations will rapidly reproduce without natural enemy pressure and with abundant food sources, possibly even experiencing a population rebound, making control efforts short-lived and unsustainable. Liu Chen, currently conducting research on vector ecology, said that to reduce the use of chemical agents, rat control and management are gradually moving towards integrated vector management trends internationally, emphasizing "prevention" measures before rat infestations occur, monitoring rodent population levels and indoor/outdoor distribution to reduce the probability of infestations. If population levels do rise, continuous tracking can be conducted to find the source for improvement. Ho Meng-Hua said that the rodenticide used in Taipei City is Coumatetralyl, which was launched in 1976, but reports of resistance already appeared in the 1980s. Blindly and massively applying rodenticides not only risks the accumulation of toxins in high-level predators like snakes, black kites, and crested goshawks, causing collateral damage, but also potentially fosters "super rats." (Editor: Li Heng-Shan) 1150505 Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship of yours is a force to protect press freedom. Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news. The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.