Great to be on St Agnes & Gugh in #Scilly this week delivering incursion response training to islanders. The community have been fantastic at acting as 1st responders to any suspicious signs following the removal of rats from the island over 10yrs ago. Continued #biosecurity is essential

Quick, easy but vital #biosecurity steps to take when visiting any important #seabird island such as @lundybirds.bsky.social, @skomerisland.bsky.social, @skokholmisland.bsky.social, @bardseybirdobs.bsky.social, @stkildawhs.bsky.social, @copelandbirdobs.bsky.social & @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social.

Productive overnight stay on #Lundy with Rachel, & Reid a #biosecurity conservation #detectiondog. We searched a wide variety of sites from the MS Oldenburg, farm buildings, shop stores, waste areas & #TrinityHouse lighthouse areas to key #seabird area gullies - no suspicious rat signs detected.

Thanks to members of the South West Rapid Incursion Response Hub team who joined us today for training. We're all now better equipped to respond if a rat reached St Agnes & Gugh or Annet in the Isles of #Scilly or #Lundy. #biosecurity in perpetuity is vital to maintain the success of #eradications.

A reminder of why #biosecurity is so important to try & stop invasive predators reaching seabird islands in the first place. Heat detecting remote download AI trail cameras look like a really useful future #biosecurity tool to act as an early warning system. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

For those of you who haven't already watched Laura and Kuki on #BBCCountryfile or don't know what a #biosecurity conservation detection dog handling team do, you can still catch up on I-player. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

1 way to prevent rodents getting to our important seabird islands is to use rope guards, plastic discs attached to mooring lines. Thanks to Puffin Cruises, Natalie Kristen II, Serenity & Billy Shiel's for being early adopters of these devices whilst taking visitors around Coquet & the Farne Islands.

Since 2016 at least 6rats,3mink,7dead rats,1dead mink & 1dead mouse have been discovered on UK seabird islands. 1stoat was seen on a boat,1rat was seen jumping ashore from a boat,2boats found rodent sign onboard & 32suspicious signs were found on island. The risk to seabirds is very real & ongoing..

#Seabirds are among the most threatened group of birds globally. You can help their #conservation by carrying out simple #biosecurity measures such as checking your bag & boat for signs of invasive predators before travelling to a seabird island. Look out for chew marks, entrance holes & droppings.

"Shipwrecks" still happen relatively frequently with 10 affecting the UK's internationally important seabird islands since 2018, including 1 boat sinking off Lundy & 1 off the Farnes in 2025. Rats can squeeze through a 12mm hole so are very good at stowing away on boats-always be vigilant for signs.

Puffins vs Brown Rats = not a fair fight!
Our seabirds evolved their breeding strategies long before rats arrived in the UK, they have no natural defence against mammalian predators.
Seabirds need these islands to remain rat-free to survive, rats can and will thrive almost anywhere!

Invasive Non-native predators, such as rats can have devastating impacts on seabird islands as they eat eggs, chicks and even adult birds.

When you're travelling to a seabird island, simple biosecurity actions can help prevent the arrival of invasive predators.

#biosecurityforwales #seabirds