Invasive non-native predators can quickly decimate breeding colonies by eating eggs, chicks, and adult birds. We have seen this happen on islands all over the world, including Ramsey island on the Pembrokeshire coast. While a rat eradication was successful on Ramsey and many species, in particular the Manx Shearwater are...
Guest blog: In this week’s blog we welcome Emily Williams, Senior Marine Policy Officer with RSPB Cymru, who joined Biosecurity for LIFE in the Western Isles as part of her sabbatical this summer.
Tragically, this year our seabirds are facing an unprecedented and widespread outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The disease originated in poultry in Asia, passed into wild birds, and has led to multiple serious outbreaks, including the loss of 1/3 of the Solway wintering barnacle goose population last winter. A wide range of seabird species have been confirmed as infected and we are seeing large die offs of several species at their breeding colonies.
It has been a month since Jinx arrived with the project. Here Greg Morgan Jinx’s handler gives an update on how he is settling into island life.
Here we welcome Sue Loughran, St Kilda ranger with National Trust for Scotland to tell us about biosecurity ‘From the edge of the world’. In the last few weeks we have been working with Sarah Lawrence (Biosecurity for Life Project Officer) to improve our measures for the islands of St Kilda, but what does “biosecurity” actually mean? How do we carry it out? How can everybody play their part?
What better way to learn about the environment and island biosecurity than being a warden for the day?
This week is Invasive Species Week and today puts the focus on biosecurity! Since August 2018 Biosecurity for LIFE has been working across the UKs 42 seabird island SPAs in partnership with RSPB, National Trust and National Trust for Scotland. Today we welcome a guest blog from National Trust to hear about the experiences from three of their important seabird islands. The National Trust cares for some of the UK’s most beautiful and diverse seabird colonies – often on remote and sometimes uninhabited islands. Home to puffins and kittiwakes, Manx shearwater and eider ducks, these far-off places are havens for wildlife. For the Trust, biosecurity is paramount to keeping these seabirds thriving. Here, three staff members from the National Trust reflect on the islands they care for – and why keeping them free of invaders is so important.