Glue Traps Offences Act 2022

by Aaron Pardo, Founder of Wild Youth

In my previous article regarding glue traps for the Bat Conservation Trust, I concluded with the inspiring words of Eduardo Galeons, who once said, 'Many small people, in small places, doing small things can change the world’. It brings me immense pleasure to announce that after two years, the Glue Traps Offences Act of 2022 has been officially passed. I could not be more proud of the tireless efforts and unwavering commitment everyone involved in this campaign demonstrated. 

Bat stuck to fly paper
(c) Daniel Hargreaves

Glue Traps are a form of pest control designed to catch rodents or insects using an adhesive. The figure on the right illustrates how the traps in question are indiscriminate in nature, capturing all animals that encounter it. The lack of selectivity in the trapping mechanism raised ethical concerns and underscored the need for more humane and sustainable wildlife management methods. Since witnessing first had the devasting effects, I made it my mission to advocate for the prohibition of these devices in the United Kingdom. Initially, I undertook the advocacy of a petition to criminalise glue traps. Despite this and the creation of an Early Day Motion (EDM 1477), these efforts proved to be largely ineffectual, thus necessitating the need for further action. 

I established a non-profit organisation with the aim of promoting the petition and engaging with influential Members of Parliament to further this cause. As a consequence of our collaborative endeavors, the petition garnered a staggering 42,000 signatures and, at one juncture, was the swiftest escalating petition in the UK. 

Extract from the
Glue Traps Offences Act 2022 

The campaign witnessed colossal growth and gained the attention of notable personalities. Parliament was forced into a position to respond to these developments. Jane Stevenson, member of Parliament for Wolverhampton East, introduced a private members bill to the House of Commons concerning the use of glue traps. The Bill successfully passed through the public policy stages and was introduced as the ‘Glue Traps Offences Act 2022’. Clauses 1.1 and 1.2 render the use of such devices as an offence: 

‘Offences relating to glue traps in England 

1. 

(1) A person who sets a glue trap in England for the purpose of catching a rodent commits an offence. 

(2) A person who sets a glue trap in England in a manner which gives rise to a risk that a rodent will become caught in the glue trap commits an offence.’ 

(UK Parliament , 2022) 

This development represents a noteworthy achievement in the realm of animal rights and welfare while also serving as a testament to the persuasive impact of social media on public policy. Our efforts have been widespread and devolved governments have responded by also making Glue traps Illegal. In Wales, glue traps were made criminalised under the Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023 and respectively in Scotland under the Wildlife Management and Murirburn (Scotland) Bill. 

On a personal note, I have been inspired to pursue a career in the animal rights policy sector. The passion to positively impact animals' lives has motivated me to explore opportunities in this field. 2024 will be a huge year for my charity called Wild Youth (Former Animal Rights UK) as we strive to become the largest youth-led animal rights charity. Our recent campaign on glue traps has yielded great success, and now, it is time to shift our focus to a new campaign, animal testing within the UK. Despite technological advancements and alternative methods, it is disheartening that animal testing still occurs in the UK. We look forward to the support and cooperation of our stakeholders in this crucial endeavour and encourage everyone to watch this space!