At risk to the onslaughts of the introduced mice: an adult Wandering Albatross and chick on Marion Island, photograph by Stefan Schoombie

We are delighted to share exceptional and highly encouraging news for Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds: The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project.

The project has secured a transformational pledge of US$10 million from a Swiss-based international foundation. This commitment represents the largest contribution received to date and marks a major milestone in the journey towards restoring Marion Island to its former ecological condition.

With this pledge, the MFM Project has now secured approximately 60% of its overall funding target. This donation brings us significantly closer to delivering one of the most ambitious island eradication operations undertaken in the sub-Antarctic, and to safeguarding Marion Island’s globally important seabird populations for generations to come.

Beyond its financial significance, the pledge carries considerable symbolic weight. It signals clear recognition by a major philanthropic foundation that the MFM Project is robustly designed, responsibly led, well governed, and positioned to deliver meaningful and lasting conservation impacts. Such endorsement provides powerful validation of the years of careful planning, partnership-building and due diligence that underpin the initiative.

The MFM Project presents a rare conservation opportunity: the ability to address a severe biodiversity threat through a single, decisive, once-off intervention.

By eradicating invasive House Mice from the island, the project aims to secure extraordinary and enduring conservation gains, restoring ecosystem functions and protecting internationally significant seabird colonies, preventing the local extinction of 19 of the 29 bird species breeding on the island. Few conservation initiatives offer the prospect of achieving outcomes that are both profound and permanent at this scale.

Above photo: This once-off intervention will restore island biodiversity and prevent the local extinction of iconic species like Grey-headed Albatrosses. Photographs by Ben Dilley (left) and Michelle Risi (right)

Renowned seabird author and illustrator and MFM Project Patron, Peter Harrison MBE, welcomed the announcement, saying:

“This is a huge step forward in what I have always considered the single most important conservation project in the world today.”

This is a pivotal moment. Leadership gifts of this scale create momentum, but it is the collective commitment of partners, donors, advocates and champions, both large and small, that will carry the project across the finish line.

We invite individuals, foundations, companies and conservation leaders to join this effort. Contributions at all levels will help unlock the remaining funding required. Equally important are introductions to potential supporters, corporate partners and philanthropic networks who may be inspired to be part of this landmark conservation achievement.

Together, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to remove invasive House Mice from Marion Island and secure the future of its globally important seabirds, permanently.

To discuss how you can support, partner, or advocate for the MFM Project, please visit www.mousefreemarion.org or contact us directly at tarryn.havemann@mousefreemarion.org.

We are immensely grateful to the many people and organisations who have made donations and sponsorships. Every contribution, irrespective of its size, is greatly appreciated.

Tarryn Havemann, Mouse-Free Marion Project Development Officer, 25 February 2026

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Grey-headed Albatrosses, seen here during a snowfall on Marion, are also at risk to the island’s mice, photograph by Kim Stevens

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.