Ridding seabird islands of rats and mice: helicopter pilot Peter Garden is on a world-wide mission

By deliberate intent, ACAP Latest News reports on matters dealing with the conservation of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters without offering its own opinions or views.

However, the work by the pilots who fly their helicopters with such skill in often difficult conditions to distribute poison bait from the air to eradicate rodents on seabird islands around the World can be considered as truly inspirational.

One of the most experienced pilots is New Zealander Peter Garden. Click here to read a newspaper article about his exploits, which include the on-going effort to eradicate rats and mice on South Georgia (Islas Georgia del Sur)* in the South Atlantic: the biggest and most ambitious campaign so far (click here to read of progress).


Flying a bait bucket over South Georgia (Islas Georgia del Sur)*
Photograph courtesy of  Tony Martin

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 July 2012

*A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur y Islas Sandwich del Sur) and the surrounding maritime areas.


The Agreement on the
Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

ACAP is a multilateral agreement which seeks to conserve listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters by coordinating international activity to mitigate known threats to their populations.

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