New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Mink (Mustela vison) eradication to protect ground-nesting birds in the Western Isles, Scotland, United Kingdom
N. P. Moore
S. S. Roy
A. Helyar
Central Science Laboratory
Sand Hutton
York, YO41 1LZ
United Kingdom
Abstract Feral American mink are perceived as a growing threat to native biodiversity in Europe. We describe the planning and early stages of a campaign to eradicate American mink from part of a 2800 km2 archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. The present programme will last 5 years and cost GB£1.65 million, funded by EU LIFE. It aims to protect ground-nesting birds, which are vulnerable to mink predation, and has been successful to date (>220 mink caught). Non-native feral ferrets are also being culled. This paper summarises early results of the campaign, and discusses its implications for full eradication on the archipelago and more widely in Europe.
Keywords American mink; Mustela vison; eradication; ground-nesting birds; ferret; Scotland
Z03027 Received 2 June 2003; accepted 18 July 2003; online publication date 16 October 2003
New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 2003, Vol. 30: 443-452
0301-4223/03/3004-0443 $7.00/0 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2003
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