Above photo: The problem: A House Mouse on Marion Island; photograph by Ben Dilley

Island Invasives 2026 Charting the Future will be the fourth conference in the Island Invasives series that commenced with the title “Turning the Tide: the Eradication of Island Invasives” in Auckland, New Zealand in 2001.  The second and third conferences were held in Auckland in 2010 (“Island Invasives: Eradication and Management”) and in Dundee, Scotland ( “Island Invasives: Scaling up to meet the Challenge”) in 2017, respectively.  The goal of the fourth conference, to be held once more in Auckland, from 9-13 February 2026, is stated to be knowledge transfer that enables accelerated uptake of eradication methods which will enhance biodiversity and the lives of people on islands around the world.

Auckland on North Island is New Zealand’s largest city, its CBD is dominated by the Sky Tower

“In February 2026, the conference returns to Auckland to celebrate its 25th anniversary.  The conference continues its resolute focus on the complete eradication of invasive species of any taxa from islands or island-like bodies.  Scholars and practitioners from around the world will convene to present on any aspect of this topic with their work published as peer-reviewed papers in the renowned conference proceeding series.  Sponsors of the conference will have direct access to this global audience to promote their organisation and services.”

Registration and submissions for Island Invasives 2026 open on 3 March 2025.  To be on the mailing list for conference news click here.

Papers on the eradication of House Mice Mus musculus from Marion Island at the Islands Invasive Conference in 2017 were given by John Parkes and Guy Preston.

References:

Parkes, J.P. 2019.  Timing aerial baiting for rodent eradications on cool temperate islands: mice on Marion Island.  In: Veitch, C.R., Clout, M.N., Martin, A.R., Russell, J.C. & West, C.J. (Eds).  Island Invasives: Scaling up to Meet the Challenge.  Occasional Paper SSC No. 62.  Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.  pp. 40-46.
Preston, G.R., Dilley, B.J., Cooper, J., Beaumont, J., Chauke, L.F., Chown, S L., Devanunthan, N., Dopolo, M., Fikizolo, L., Heine, J., Henderson, S., Jacobs, C.A., Johnson, F., Kelly, J., Makhado, A.B., Marais, C., Maroga, J., Mayekiso, M., McClelland, G.[T.W.], Mphepya, J., Muir, D., Ngcaba, N., Ngcobo, N., Parkes, Paulsen, P.F., Schoombie, S., Springer, K., Stringer, C., Valentine, H., Wanless, R.M. & Ryan, P.G. 2019.  South Africa works towards eradicating introduced house mice from sub-Antarctic Marion Island: the largest island yet attempted for mice.  In: Veitch, C.R., Clout, M.N., Martin, A.R., Russell, J.C. & West, C.J. (Eds).  Island Invasives: Scaling up to Meet the Challenge.  Occasional Paper SSC No. 62. g Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.  pp. 36-39.

John Cooper, News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project, 01 October 2024

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The Mouse-Free Marion Project is a registered non-profit company (No. 2020/922433/08) in South Africa, established to eradicate the invasive albatross-killing mice on Marion Island in the Southern Ocean.  The project was initiated by BirdLife South Africa and the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.  Upon successful completion, the project will restore the critical breeding habitat of over two million seabirds, many globally threatened, and improve the island’s resilience to a warming climate.  For more information or to support the project please visit mousefreemarion.org.