The perfect threat: pesticides and vultures

PLAZA, PABLO I.; MARTÍNEZ-LÓPEZ, E. ; LAMBERTUCCI SERGIO A

SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2019

0048-9697

Probably the most important threat currently affecting vultures and condors (hereafter, vultures) worldwide is exposure to pesticides, both accidentally and through deliberate abuse. This is of special concern since around 70% of vulture species are threatened by human activities. However, information about this threat is sparse and geographically biased. We compiled existing knowledge about pesticide exposure in vulture species globally, providing unifying criteria to mitigate this problem with a joint global effort. Most information available about accidental exposure to pesticides in vultures is related to persistent organic pollutants (organochlorine pesticides). Non-lethal exposure to these compounds occurs on every continent that vultures inhabit. While concentrations of persistent organic pollutants reported in different samples appear to be too low to produce health impacts, some studies show vultures with levels compatible with health impacts. In addition, there are some reports of vultures contaminated accidentally by anticoagulant rodenticides and external antiparasitic drugs used in veterinary practices. Deliberate abuse of pesticides to poison wildlife also occurs on every continent where vultures live, affecting most (78%) vulture species. However, there is little information available for some regions of America, Asia and Europe. The exact number of vultures killed due to deliberate poisoning with pesticides is not well known, but the available figures are alarming (e.g. up to 500 individuals in a single event). The most widely used pesticides affecting vulture populations, and associated with deliberate poisoning, are carbamates and organophosphorus compounds. Of particular concern is the fact that massive poisoning events with these compounds occur, in some cases, within protected areas. This suggests that if this situation is not reversed, some vulture populations could disappear. A combination of measures such as banning pesticides, controlling their distribution-acquisition and environmental education could produce better results that banning pesticides alone. Considering that population figures for many species of vultures are lacking, it is important to highlight that this long-lived, slow growing threatened avian group could inadvertently go extinct very soon if poisoning with pesticides is not stopped.