Conservationists are racing against time to capture a rat that threatens the biosecurity of an entire island. The rodent was first spotted on Mousa, east of Sandwick in Shetland, on April 26. The uninhabited island is home to a well-preserved Iron Age broch and hosts the UK's largest breeding population of storm petrels.
RSPB Response
The RSPB has confirmed the presence of at least one rat and fears for the safety of petrels and other birds. Despite deploying 200 bait stations with rodenticide around Mousa, the rat has so far evaded capture. A spokesman for the charity stated, 'No rat has been caught yet, but the remote cameras are capturing images every night.' He urged visitors to follow biosecurity guidelines: check bags for stowaways, stick to paths, and remove food waste to encourage the rat to approach bait stations.
Guga Hunt Controversy
Meanwhile, campaign group Protect the Wild claims a rare red-listed seabird is at risk from Scotland's controversial Guga hunt. Documents obtained from NatureScot via freedom of information laws reveal that officials expected the hunt to cause unavoidable disturbance to several protected species, including the red-listed Leach's Storm Petrel, during the breeding season. These species are vulnerable to global extinction due to climate change, predation, and pollution.
The Northern Isles of Scotland are the only UK breeding ground for Leach's Storm Petrel, with St Kilda hosting approximately 94 percent of the country's breeding population. The remaining 6 percent breed on remote offshore islands like Sula Sgier, where the licensed Guga hunt takes place—gannet chicks are killed and eaten as a local delicacy.
Documents obtained by Protect the Wild show NatureScot officials fear the hunt could have lethal consequences for birds like Leach's Petrels, which are sensitive to human disturbance. They note that hunters and their equipment can block burrow access, disrupt feeding, and cause stress and disorientation, potentially leading to adult abandonment of nests and chick deaths, even with mitigation measures in place.
NatureScot has faced criticism for continuing to license the Guga hunt despite acknowledging these risks. Devon Docherty, Scottish campaigns manager at Protect the Wild, said: 'NatureScot's job is to protect nature and wildlife—not to permit its destruction.'
