---
title: "A-rated ornithologist Peter Ryan supports the Marion Mouse Free project at the International Ornithological Congress"
---

# A-rated ornithologist Peter Ryan supports the Marion Mouse Free project at the International Ornithological Congress

“If I were Bill Gates, this is where I would put my money**”** said [Peter Ryan](http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/fitz/staff/director/ryan), Director of the [FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology](http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/) at South Africa’s University of Cape Town.  The [A-rated ornithologist and University Fellow](https://www.acap.aq/en/14-news/latest-news/2882-marine-ornithologist-peter-ryan-is-made-a-university-fellow?highlight=WyJyeWFuIiwicnlhbidzIiwiYS1yYXRlZCJd) presented a plenary talk entitled *Seabird Conservation - a Southern Hemisphere Perspective*at this month’s [27th International Ornithological Congress](https://www.iocongress2018.com/) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

 In his presentation Professor Ryan referred to the [Marion Mouse Free](https://mousefreemarion.org.za/) project that aims to eradicate the introduced House Mice *Mus musculus* that are killing ACAP-listed albatrosses and other seabirds at [South Africa’s sub-Antarctic island](https://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1371-acap-breeding-sites-no-27-sub-antarctic-marion-island-a-research-laboratory-for-albatrosses-and-petrels?highlight=WyJncmV5LWhlYWRlZCIsIm1hcmlvbiIsIm1hcmlvbidzIl0=) ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/en/news/latest-news/3098-the-mouse-free-marion-project-aims-to-rid-the-island-of-an-albatross-killer)), encouraging support for [BirdLife South Africa](https://www.birdlife.org.za)’s  “adopt a hectare” fund-raising scheme to support the initiative to get rid of the mice.

 ![](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering/Wandering_Albatross_mouse_attack_Stefan_Schoombie.jpg)

 Mouse attack!  A scalped Wandering Albatross chick on Marion Island, photograph by Stefan Schoombie

 Read more [here](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/research-highlights-from-the-27th-international-ornithological-congress/). Also watch a [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTvcGU0FdMA).

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 31 August 2018*