John Cooper (Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University) and colleagues write in Aliens the Invasive Species Bulletin (Newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group) on the risks of inadvertently moving rodents between seabird islands, including those with breeding populations of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels such as within the Prince Edward and Tristan da Cunha Island Groups.

The paper’s abstract follows

“Introduced House Mice Mus musculus were inadvertently back-loaded to a supply ship from mouse-infested Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean before the ship proceeded to place a party ashore on mouse-free Inaccessible Island.  It is recommended that cargo from rodent-infested islands, especially that containing waste materials, be routinely inspected and treated on shore with rodenticides before back-loading commences.  This is essential to reduce the risk of introducing rodents to departing vessels and then to rat- and mouse-free islands visited subsequently on the same voyages.”

 

Chief Steward Neville Genisson with the House Mouse caught aboard the S.A. Agulhas

Photograph: S.A. Agulhas

Reference:

Cooper, J., Cuthbert. R.J. & Ryan, P.G. 2013.  An overlooked biosecurity concern?  Back-loading at islands supporting introduced rodents.  Aliens 33: 28-31.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 09 November 2013