Marion Island serves as an important breeding ground for grey-headed, sooty and light-mantled albatrosses. Soon, it will be the site of the world’s largest baiting operation—freeing an ecosystem of invasive species. The Mouse-Free Marion Project (MFM) is an extraordinary endeavor. The economic argument effectively aligned BirdLife South Africa and the South African government against a common opponent to win the day. This project addresses San Nicolas island’s mouse problem directly. The most impactful of these were ship mice, which were unintentionally transported by 19th-century sailors and have since become a heavy burden on our native bird species.
The feds expect the operation to begin sometime in 2024 now, at the earliest. It was delayed due to funding issues and two failed recent mouse-eradication efforts. Despite all of this, the team continues to be committed to their mission. Keith Springer carries this significant weight as MFM’s operations manager. He is truly the expert on large-scale eradications, originally from New Zealand. He carries with him experience helicopter baiting deep into Alaska’s wilderness and highlights the need for careful detailed planning.
“You can have years where it’s more challenging to fly helicopters,” he says. “But with this kind of complex operation you’re nominating your timeline years in advance. You can’t change plans at the last minute.” – Keith Springer
To avoid past mistakes, the project has taken an inclusive approach, starting with a 2015 feasibility study that brought together residents to support the project’s success. The primary goal is to eradicate mice from Marion Island entirely by using helicopters to distribute poisoned bait during the winter of 2028. This important work is key to addressing the harms caused by past human error. One significant misstep was the introduction of five unneutered cats to the island in 1949.
“It’s a necessary step,” says Wolfaardt, “to right the human-inflicted wrongs of the past.” – Anton Wolfaardt
Mice on Marion Island have been found in six different bird species, with wandering albatross chicks suffering the greatest losses. In one infestation in 2003, researchers measured the mouse population at 300 HECTARES. Climate change impacts, shrinking snowpack and drier conditions have compounded the issue over the last 30 years.
“Removing the mice is the last piece of the puzzle,” says Wolfaardt, who explains that the problem has got worse in the past 30 years as warmer temperatures and drier conditions have caused the mouse population to increase. – Anton Wolfaardt
As they design and develop their innovations, the MFM team looks for inspiration and expertise from New Zealand. They express respect for New Zealand’s standing as an international leader in pest eradication. With no native mammals, New Zealand is providing important lessons on how best to successfully eradicate introduced species.
Springer and his crew, as you might imagine, know what’s at stake. The stress to make sure no mice cross the finish line under-prepared is extraordinary.
“The pressure is huge,” he says. “You only have to miss two mice out of however many million and you’re back where you started.” – Keith Springer
Wildlife conservationists such as Anton Wolfaardt believe there are major conservation benefits to be gained from this initiative. They know that there are few, if any, measures more effective than eradicating introduced species from islands.
“Conservation rarely has silver bullets, but eradicating introduced species from islands is the closest we have to a silver bullet. I’ve been working in conservation for 30 years. This is the only situation I’ve encountered where we can actually turn back the clock. And if we are successful, we can say with 100% certainty that there will be massive conservation gains.” – Anton Wolfaardt
The negative impact mice have made on Marion Island is not merely hypothetical. In this short narrative piece, Janine Schoombie describes experiencing their violent misogyny in person.
“The bird was a complete fluffball,” says Janine. “So, they just climbed up its back and started nibbling at its head. We could see their teeth going into its flesh.” – Janine Schoombie