Calling for the UK government to ban the use of pesticides in publicly run areas of our villages, towns and cities.  

As part of the Pesticide Collaboration, SongBird Survival is supporting a new campaign calling on the UK government to ban the use of pesticides in places such as playgrounds, streets and parks.  The Pesticide Collaboration brings together over 90 health and environmental organisations, academics, trade unions and many others, working under a shared vision to urgently reduce pesticide-related harms in the UK. This campaign also builds on the work of more than 100 local authorities across the UK that have already significantly reduced or eliminated their use of pesticides.  

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Impacts on songbirds and other wildlife

Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill living things. A product may be designed to target a specific pest, but it has been estimated that less than 0.1% of pesticides actually reach their target. The remainder of these chemicals end up contaminating water and soil, affecting non-target species such as birds and bees. Many councils have commitments to protecting and improving biodiversity in our local areas, but most of them continue to use pesticides.  

Due to habitat loss in the countryside, and the large quantities of pesticides used in UK agriculture, our urban spaces can be a refuge for wildlife (including birds, bees, other insects and hedgehogs). But the overuse of pesticides by councils is destroying many of the areas where they forage for food, and contaminating the natural resources they depend upon. Pesticides will often run off hard surfaces such as pavements and paths, contaminating water courses and harming aquatic wildlife in the process.

SongBird Survival are supporting this new campaign to help save songbirds all over the UK. Our previous research has looked into the impact of domestic and agricultural pesticide use on our already dwindling songbird populations. In farmland environments, we discovered that it is feasible for birds to consume a lethal daily dosage of pesticides when eating pesticide-coated seeds, in a time when farmland birds are already at risk from various changes in agricultural practices. Similarly, in domestic gardens, we found those which use glyphosate pesticides (Roundup etc.) have lower house sparrow numbers by 25%. These findings don't paint a pleasant picture for our feathered friends, and the wider research shows more of the same. Research by other organisations compliment our findings, and many prove that pesticide usage is detrimental to insect populations, which has a knock on effect on our insectivorous birds populations. Taking a stand against pesticide use in parks, streets and playgrounds seems the natural step in protecting our songbirds.

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Impacts on human health

Exposure to pesticides has been linked to a range of serious diseases such as Parkinson’s; asthma; depression and anxiety; attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); and cancer, including leukaemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  

Pesticide use in our cities, towns and villages is of particular concern since these are the places where the majority of us live, work and play. Children, pregnant people and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the health impacts of pesticides Due to their increased ongoing exposure, workers having to use these chemicals are also at higher risk.  In March 2015, the UN World Health Organisation declared glyphosate to be a ‘probable carcinogen’.  While much of the health debate around glyphosate has focused on whether it causes cancer, independent scientists from around the world largely agree that long-term exposure to glyphosate is harmful to human health in a range of ways and can cause conditions such as kidney and liver disease, act as an endocrine and immune system disrupter, and result in reproductive and neurological problems.

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Councils are already going pesticide free and they need resources and support

France, Denmark and Luxembourg have already banned the use of pesticides in urban areas, which proves that it is perfectly possible to manage urban spaces with non-chemical alternatives.  

Here in the UK, many councils are also proving that, despite budget restrictions, going pesticide-free is achievable. With support from the UK government we can build on their efforts and take the pesticide-free movement nationwide.  

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The SBS Team

If you are a scientist and would like to shine a light on your recent research covering songbirds here in the UK, then let us know! As a supporter of our charity, if you have ideas for blog posts you would like to see and topics you would like us to cover on #theSBSblog, please contact us at dawn-chorus@songbird-survival.org.uk or our Research and Engagement Manager at charlotte@songbird-survival.org.uk. 

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