Barrier against mink invasion in north
bid to protect wildlife in caithness and sutherland
Published:
A PLAN to keep feral predatory mink from decimating Caithness and Sutherland wildlife has started.
Fisheries groups and conservation organisations have joined together to ensure the two regions remain American mink-free. It is planned to set up a coast-to-coast cordon of special equipment which will detect the mink. Traps will also be set.
Mink were brought to Scotland in 1938 for fur farming. The first animal escaped that year. The fur trade peaked in the 60s, and by the 80s no companies remained.
Today, feral mink are present in all but the two regions in Scotland. The Hebridean Mink Project has also been successful in removing the species from the Uists.
The control project is to protect the area’s nationally important water vole population, fisheries, and internationally important wetlands for ground-nesting bird species.
Lois Canham took up the post of project officer for the North West Highlands Mink Control Project in May, and has been establishing a network of mink monitoring “rafts” from Loch Broom to the Dornoch Firth.
Miss Canham said: “A barrier against mink invasion has been established from the east to the west coast.
“This has been achieved by placing mink rafts every three miles along the Kyle of Sutherland, River Fleet, Carron, Shin, Oykel and Runie and their tributaries and tracking tunnels every half mile.
“No evidence of the mink has been found along the line, although they have been sighted at Balnagowan and at Edderton.
“It is imperative mink rafts are checked regularly for signs of mink dispersing from the south, especially at this time of year as juv-enile mink travel large distances to find suitable habitat.”
A broader monitoring zone in the major catchments of the Conon and Beauly will also be established.
Once mink are detected, a live trap is placed on the raft to catch them, and they are humanely killed.
The rafts are checked by gamekeepers, ghillies, the project officer and volunteers.
A number of talks will be given throughout the area over the winter and Miss Canham can be contacted at lcanham@swt.org.uk
