Outer Hebrides mink nearly gone

[Malcolm Ogilvie]

Great news that the non-native introduced American Mink have been almost completely wiped
out from the entire Outer Hebrides. Only six animals were trapped in the whole of 2016,
and complete extermination is forecast within the next two years.

This has been a massive effort beginning in 2001 in the Uists and Benbecula before
including Harris and Lewis. The mink escaped from fur farms on the islands in the 1950s
and increased in numbers and spread causing very serious damage to crofting, sport
fishing, fish farming, game shooting and ground-nesting birds, as well as other wildlife
such as amphibians.

The dangers of introducing non-native species are perfectly demonstrated by this example.
Although expensive, so was the damage that the mink were doing, which is why the programme
has received whole-hearted support from the local communities on the islands. The animal
rights nutters have been subdued in their comments for that very reason.

Malcolm

[amacm...@aol.com]

Nothing new! They keep saying that to keep the grants flowing like
they do in other disciplines, ie "further research is needed" Bunch
of parasites who should be culled from leaching public money. Would
they be so keen if they were spending their own money?

[Malcolm Ogilvie]

And, understandably, Angus tries to divert attention from having to say whether or not he
approves of the eradication of the mink from the Outer Hebrides by commenting on the
funding provided. And then you inevitably indulge in foolish claims because the success of
the project has seen the number of people employed drop from 12 to 6 and, after two more
years, those 6 won't be needed. So far from keeping "the grants flowing", their success is
seeing the ending of the grants.

All right-thinking people are very happy about the eradication. Only animal rights nutters
who in any case have hardly dared comment on the scheme are reluctant to accept the huge
resulting benefits to the wildlife and community interests.

Malcolm