The Scottish National Heritage has reached the next stage in their pest control program for the effective reduction of American mink across ...
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Work will start shortly on the next stage of a £2.5million conservation project in the Western Isles, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has confirmed. The Hebridean Mink Project (HMP) will see management extended to Lewis and Harris after a successful programme in the Uists.
The five-year partnership project comprises SNH, Western Isles Enterprise, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Non-native American mink – fur farm escapees from the 1950's – are aggressive predators and prey on ground nesting wader birds' eggs and young and other prey.
The project was set up to prevent disturbance and losses to internationally important populations of ground nesting birds prioritised under the EC Wild Birds Directive. This includes migratory species within designated Special Protection Areas (SPAs).
The presence of the mink poses a major threat to internationally important breeding bird populations and the first phase of the project was set up in 2001 to prevent mink from becoming established in the Uists. Following it's successful delivery in that area, work will now continue to ensure that mink are removed from Lewis and Harris and also to prevent them from becoming re-established in the Uists.
David Maclennan, SNH's Area Manager, said: "The first phase of the project lasted five years and has been a complete success and we are delighted to confirm that work will shortly commence in earnest in this, the second phase. The funding is in place to allow us to proceed with this work to protect internationally important nesting wader birds."
"The benefits of the removal of mink have been carefully monitored over the past five years and the overwhelming evidence is that its prey species, both bird and fish, are recovering well from earlier predation rates," he added.
RSPB will undertake bird monitoring and it is expected the Western Isles Fisheries Trust will also carry out monitoring work on fry and parr numbers in mink affected fisheries.
Iain MacLeod, SNH project manager in Stornoway, said: "The positive result for local wildlife in Lewis and Harris as a result of this Project will be considerable and SNH has advertised for a lead trapper and 12 other associated posts to take the project a stage further in the Western Isles."