The remote Macquarie Island, located halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica, is celebrating a major conservation win a decade after successfully eradicating rabbits and rodents.
The island, a UNESCO World Heritage Area and one of Australia’s most important conservation reserves, was declared pest-free in 2014 following a major eradication effort.
The $24 million project was co-funded by the Tasmanian and Australian governments and saw teams of rangers, baiters and hunters successfully remove rabbits, rats and mice from the island.
Parks and Environment Minister Nick Duigan said it was the most ambitious pest eradication program conducted in the state’s history.
“Overgrazing by rabbits caused extensive loss of vegetation cover, destroying the breeding grounds of nesting seabirds and triggering widespread erosion,” he said.
“Rats preyed on seabird eggs and chicks, while mice ate insects, worms and other invertebrates, disturbing the ecological balance of the island.”
The eradication effort has been hailed as a resounding success, with the island showing remarkable signs of recovery.
Parks and Wildlife Regional Manager Ashley Rushton said the benefits of removing pests were seen within a year.
“We were astounded at the rate of recovery of vegetation across the island, there were clear signs of restoration within a year of the last rabbit being removed in November 2011,” he said.
“We had been cautiously optimistic about seeing these benefits within 10 years, so this outcome exceeded our expectations.”
Lush vegetation now lines the slopes, once bare due to overgrazing by rabbits and burrow-nesting seabirds, which need cover to shelter and protect their chicks, are benefiting from the absence of rodents.
People travelling to Macquarie Island are subject to “best-practice biosecurity measures” when departing from Hobart, which will help prevent the reintroduction of any pest species.
“We need to stay vigilant to prevent the introduction of any pest species on Macquarie Island in the future,” Rushton said.
