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title: "Good news for Japan's Black-footed, Laysan and Short-tailed Albatrosses?  Ridding Mukojima in the Ogasawara Islands of its rats"
---

# Good news for Japan's Black-footed, Laysan and Short-tailed Albatrosses?  Ridding Mukojima in the Ogasawara Islands of its rats

Mukojima Island in the Japanese Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands supports breeding colonies of genetically distinct Black-footed *Phoebastria nigripes* and of Laysan *P. immutabilis* Albatrosses.  It is also the site of ongoing attempts to establish a new colony (on a non-actively volcanic island) of Short-tailed Albatrosses *P. albatrus* by translocating chicks from Torishima ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/translocated-short-tailed-and-black-footed-albatrosses-continue-to-do-well-on-japans-mukojima-island) for an earlier ACAP news item).

 During January to March this year Dr Takuma Hashimoto of the [Japan Wildlife Research Center](http://www.jwrc.or.jp/profile/pdf/jwrcprofile5_en.pdf), Tokyo led a team that dropped the rodenticide diphacinone on the 256-ha island in an attempt to rid it of Black or Ship Rats *Rattus rattus*.  Although it is still too early to be definite, the chances of their eradication appear good.

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/short_tailed_albatross_hand_reared_chick_on_nest_by_tomohiro_deguchi.jpg "Short-tailed Albatross chicks transferred to Mukojima.  Photograph by Tomohiro Deguchi")

 The Ogasawara Islands, including Mukojima, are due to be considered for [World Heritage status](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/japan-nominates-the-ogasawara-islands-to-the-world-heritage-convention) in 2011.  [Click here](http://ogasawara-info.jp/pdf/isan/suisensho_eigo.pdf) for the World Heritage nomination text.  The Ogasawara Islands Ecosystem Conservation Action Plan is available at [http://ogasawara-info.jp/pdf/isan/ActionPlan_eigo.pdf](http://ogasawara-info.jp/pdf/isan/ActionPlan_eigo.pdf).

 **References:**

 Harrison, C. 2009 [=2010].  Rat eradication in Ogasawara Islands. In: Conservation Report, Summer 2010.  *Pacific Seabirds* 36(2): 48.   [http://www.pacificseabirdgroup.org/publications/PacificSeabirds/VOL_36_2.pdf](http://www.pacificseabirdgroup.org/publications/PacificSeabirds/VOL_36_2.pdf).

 Hashimoto, T. 2010.  Eradication and ecosystem impacts of rats in the Ogasawara Islands.  In: Kawakami, K & Okochi, I. (Eds).  *Restoring the Oceanic Island Ecosystem.  Impact and Management of Invasive Alien Species in the Bonin Islands*.  Tokyo: Springer.  pp. 153-159.  [http://www.springerlink.com/content/k74772406nrj848v/](http://www.springerlink.com/content/k74772406nrj848v/).

 With thanks to Crag Harrison, Mike Rauzon and Tatsuo Yabe for information.

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 November 2010*