Above Photo: Tristan Albatross chick, Gough Island. Photo: Anton Wolfaardt
The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) team is devastated by the news from the Gough Island Restoration Programme (GIRP) that an individual mouse has been recorded on the island via remote surveillance equipment following the eradication attempt. At this stage, it’s not clear what might have led to the survival of at least one mouse. We know that the Gough project was one of the most ambitious island restoration programmes ever attempted, and that it was delivered to the highest international standards. We also know that there are no guarantees of success with these large-scale island eradications, and that each eradication attempt, and island, is different. The MFM team continues to work closely with our RSPB colleagues to learn from their experience and reviews, and to incorporate lessons into our planning. Over the last 20 – 30 years, rodent eradications on islands have been implemented more widely, and have increased in scale. In each case, operations have been informed by lessons learned and experience gained from earlier eradication attempts, both successes and failures. The finding from Gough does not negate the selected methodology, nor the ecological need, for the Mouse-Free Marion Project.
Dr Anton Wolfaardt, Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager, 17 December 2021
