WHEREAS the population of rats in the City of Ottawa has increased due to factors like climate change, loss of habitat, and construction; and
WHEREAS lethal rat bait poisons can be ineffective due to rats learning what products to avoid; and
WHEREAS rat bait can poison other, non-targeted animals like squirrels; and
WHEREAS rat bait can cause secondary poisoning through the ingestion of poisoned rats, harming owls, ravens, cats, dogs, foxes, and others; and
WHEREAS rats can breed when very young and throughout the year, with females capable of producing litters of up to twelve pups every three weeks. This means that a pair of rats can result in up to 2,000 descendants in one year; and
WHEREAS products that reduce rat fertility have been found successful in other cities including San Francisco and Washington, D.C. and are being trialled in New York City, and do not harm non-targeted species; and
WHEREAS controlling the rat population through the use of rat fertility reduction can potentially be more effective than traditional rat baiting;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Ottawa provide consultation comment through a letter to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, a department of Health Canada, supporting the consideration and further research of humane rat fertility reduction baits and that a copy of this Resolution be provided with such letter; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT a copy of this Resolution be sent to the federal Minister of Health, Ottawa Members of Parliament, and to all Ontario municipalities via the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.