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Conservation gains and missed opportunities 15 years after rodent eradications in the Seychelles
Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB
Available Online

Accouche, W.

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Appoo, J.

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Bristol, R.M.

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Havemann, C.P.

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Millett, J.E.

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Retief, T.A.

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de Groene, A.

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van Dinther, M.A.J.A.

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van de Crommenacker, J.

2019
The Seychelles was one of the ?rst tropical island nations to implement island restoration resulting in biodiversity gain. In the 2000s a series of rat eradication attempts was undertaken in the inner Seychelles islands which had mixed results. Three private islands with tourist resorts successfully eradicated rats: Frégate (2000), Denis Island (2003) and North Island (2005). Frégate Island was successful with the ?rst eradication attempt whereas North and Denis Islands were initially unsuccessful, and both required second eradication operations. All three islands have developed conservation programmes including biosecurity, habitat rehabilitation, and species reintroductions, and have integrated nature into the tourism experience. Conservation actions, including rat and other invasive species eradications, on these three islands resulted in the creation of 560 ha of mammalian predator-free land, the reintroduction of seven populations of ?ve globally threatened birds (GTB) and the safeguarding of two existing GTB populations and several reptile and invertebrate species. However, on these and many other islands in the Seychelles, the potential of this conservation “model”, where island owners implement conservation programmes largely funded by the tourism businesses in collaboration with NGOs (Non-Government Organisations), has not been fully realised. We review the rehabilitation on Frégate, Denis and North Islands from inception to the present, and assess factors that have facilitated the subsequent development of conservation programmes, the presence of receptive businesses and governmental/NGO/donor support and explore limitations on business-led island rehabilitation.
No detection of brodifacoum residues in the marine and terrestrial food web three years after rat eradication at Palmyra Atoll, Central Pacific
Available Online

Holmes, N.

,

Howald, G.

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Shiels, A.

,

Wegmann, A.

2019
Invasive alien species represent one of the greatest threats to native plants and animals on islands. Rats (Rattus spp.) have invaded most of the world’s oceanic islands, causing lasting or irreversible damage to ecosystems and biodiversity. To counter this threat, techniques to eradicate invasive rats from islands have been developed and applied across the globe. Eradication of alien rats from large or complex island ecosystems has only been successful with the use of bait containing a rodenticide. While effective at eradicating rats from islands, rodenticide can persist in the ecosystem longer than the time required to eradicate the target rat population and can potentially harm non-target species. However, the persistence of rodenticides in ecosystems following rat eradication campaigns is poorly understood, though predictions can be made based on the chemical properties of the rodenticide and the environment it is applied in. Brodifacoum, a relatively persistent second-generation anticoagulant, was used to successfully eradicate rats from Palmyra Atoll. With this study, we evaluated the persistence of brodifacoum residues in terrestrial and marine species at Palmyra Atoll (Northern Line Islands) three years after rat eradication. We collected 44 pooled samples containing 121 individuals of the following: mullet (Moolgarda engeli), cockroaches (Periplaneta sp.), geckos (Lepidodactylus lugubris), hermit crabs (Coenobita perlatus), and fiddler crabs (Uca tetragonon). Despite detection of brodifacoum residue in all five of the species sampled in this study 60 days after the application of bait to Palmyra Atoll in 2011, brodifacoum residue was not found in any of the pooled samples collected three years after bait application. Our study demonstrates how brodifacoum residues are unlikely to persist in the marine and terrestrial food web, in a wet tropical environment, three years after rat eradication.