Archives

Large and ambitious programmes are underway on two islands in the Southern Ocean to eradicate introduced rats, mice, rabbits and Reindeer in an attempt to conserve their indigenous species and restore their natural habitats.

On Australia's sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island in the southern Pacific the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project (MIPEP) is proceeding well since the big poison bat drop last year (click here).  Efforts to hunt down the remaining European Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus are continuing, as summarised in the latest issue (No. 10 of February) of the project's newsletter, the Macquarie Dispatch.

Project manager Keith Springer reports "[s]ince the completion of aerial baiting in July 2011, a total of 13 rabbits have been found and killed.  This includes a lactating doe and four rabbit kittens in November - the only evidence of rabbit breeding found so far."

The newsletter also reports on recovery of burrowing petrel populations, including the ACAP-listed Grey Petrel Procellaria cinerea. (click here for more details).  There have been no reports of rodents (Black or Ship Rats Rattus rattus and House Mice Mus musculus) since the bait drop, so things continue to look good for this World Heritage island, where the rabbit-grazed vegetation has already started to recover.

Meanwhile, over in the South Atlantic, Phase One of the effort to eradicate introduced Norway Rats R. norvegicus is progressing equally well on South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur)*, as set out in a recent message received from Tony Martin, Director of the South Georgia Habitat Restoration Project:: "...Kalinka Rexer-Huber and Andy Black have just returned from a good look around on the Greene Peninsula [one of the island sections treated with poison bait last year), and they report no sign of rats almost 12 months since we completed the bait drop there."  Click here for more news on the eradication and plans for Phase 2 next year.  The project's newsletter (latest issue for January 2011) can be accessed at http://www.sght.org/newsletters-and-publications.

Further good news is that the habitat restoration project has recently been awarded a grant of GBP 250 000 towards it next phase (click here).

Spreading poison bait by air in the South Atlantic.  Photograph courtesy of Tony Martin

It is expected that the eradication of rodents and Reindeer will benefit, among other avian species, the ACAP-listed burrowing White-chinned Petrel P. aequinoctialis.

Reference:

Christie, D. 2011.  Introduced reindeer on South Georgia - their impact and management.  Aliens The Invasive Species Bulletin 31: 24-29.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 4 March 2012

*A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur y Islas Sandwich del Sur) and the surrounding maritime areas.