Race to save Ratty: our letter in The Times

Dear Sir,

Although habitat loss accounts in part for the decline of our native water voles, predation by mink - a non-native invader - trumps habitat (May 11). Even where habitat is good, water vole populations can make a good recovery only when mink are absent. Predator control is unpalatable to many, but systematic mink control is vital if we are to save "Ratty" from extinction in Britain.

Mink control became a convincing option for conservationists after the invention, by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, of the "mink raft". This uses clay and sand to record the footprints of mink (and thus is an ideal place to set traps). Between 2002 and 2010 we showed that with effective use of rafts to control mink we could re-establish water voles where they had been lost. Monitoring is a vital part of conservation but we need to be careful that we don't just monitor water voles into extinction, without taking the action that is needed.

Dr Jonathan Reynolds
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust

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Managing wildlife species: our letter to The Times

Dear Sir

Matt Ridley is right to raise the controversial issue of managing wildlife species (comment, 26th January). Conservationists across the country have learnt how to catch and kill North American mink using a special raft, designed by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, to save the water vole from extinction.

Keeping predators in check, along with good habitat, can deliver big increases in bird life too. Indeed, local recovery of some vulnerable ground nesting populations is impossible without it. This poses a real dilemma to those that say killing wildlife is wrong; even to save a species. But the case is easily made, because the protection of habitats alone has been such a comprehensive failure.

Andrew Gilruth
Director of Communications
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust

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Conservation is not always white and fluffy, sometimes tough decisions have to be made

Below is a letter written by Dr Jonathan Reynolds in response to The Guardian's recent article on water voles returning to Cornwall.

Dear Sir

It is wonderful to hear that water voles have been reintroduced to Cornwall.  Your article was correct in highlighting the necessity of simultaneously controlling American mink – an introduced species which over several decades has eaten its way through our native water vole population.

Mink control became a realistic option for conservationists following our invention of the GWCT Mink Raft, which first detects and then traps the mink, leading to very effective and humane control of mink numbers.  Through careful research, we showed that this device allows us to turn the clock back, allowing water voles to be re-introduced where they had been lost.  The mink raft now underpins mink control schemes ranging from local to large scale, both in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.

Perhaps one day there will be sufficient will to eradicate mink throughout Britain.  For the foreseeable future, it is crucial to maintain mink control effort wherever possible, otherwise both existing and newly reintroduced populations of water voles will be lost.  Predator control is unpalatable to many, but this is the only way to prevent the ultimate extinction of our native ‘Ratty’.  Conservation is not always white and fluffy: sometimes tough decisions have to be made to save the native species that we hold most dear.

Dr Jonathan Reynolds
Head of Predation Control Studies
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust

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