Mousa trap needed because a rogue rat is threatening the island’s bird population
Conservationists are desperately trying to catch a rat that has threatened the biosecurity of an entire island.
The rodent was first spotted on Mousa, east of Sandwick, Shetland, on April 26.
The island, which contains a well-preserved Iron Age broch, has no inhabitants but is home to the largest breeding population of petrels in Britain.
Charity RSPB has confirmed the presence of at least one rat and fears that petrels and other birds could be at risk from the rodent which has so far managed to evade capture.
A total of 200 rodenticide bait stations have been installed around Mousa, but a spokesperson for the bird charity said that ‘no rat has been captured yet, but the external cameras are capturing images every night’.
He also urged visitors to adhere to biosecurity guidelines to protect the island and its habitat by checking their suitcases for any stowaways, sticking to the paths and removing all food waste to encourage the rat to go to the bait stations.
Meanwhile, campaign group Protect the Wild claims a rare red-listed seabird is at risk from Scotland’s controversial Guga hunt.
Documents obtained by the company from NatureScot using Freedom of Information laws show that officials expected hunting during the breeding season to cause unavoidable disruption to several protected species, including the red-listed Leach’s storm petrel.
Charity RSPB fears petrels and other birds could be at risk from the rodent
A rat spotted on Mousa could pose a threat to the island’s nationally important bird population
The species is vulnerable to global extinction, with population declines due to climate change, predation and pollution.
The Northern Isles of Scotland are the only place in Britain where they breed, with St Kilda being home to around 94 percent of the country’s breeding population.
The remaining 6 percent breed on remote offshore islands such as Sula Sgier, where the recognized Guga hunt takes place in which the gannet chicks are killed and eaten as a local delicacy.
But documents obtained by Protect the Wild show that NatureScot officials fear the Guga hunt could have deadly consequences for birds like Leach’s Petrels, which are ‘sensitive to human disturbance’.
They note that the hunters and their equipment can block access to dens, disrupt feeding, and cause stress and disorientation, potentially leading to adults abandoning their nests and chicks dying, even if mitigation measures are in place.
NatureScot has been criticized for its decision to continue licensing Guga hunting despite recognizing the risks.
Devon Docherty, Scottish campaigns manager at Protect the Wild, said: ‘NatureScot’s job is to protect nature and wildlife – not to allow its destruction.’