Every mink in Britain 'to be exterminated'

[Rob_D]

Put all the money spent on controlling invasive and pest mammals species worldwide (that must be ALOT of money if you include rabbits, rats, deer etc) into developing a contraceptive that only affects the target species and is easily spread (say by a virus). Now maybe I'm dreaming, but surely such a thing could be developed given enough money?

Don't really oppose shooting or trapping Mink if it's done right, but I can't think it'll be easy to get them.

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by Rob_D

Put all the money spent on controlling invasive and pest mammals species worldwide (that must be ALOT of money if you include rabbits, rats, deer etc) into developing a contraceptive that only affects the target species and is easily spread (say by a virus). Now maybe I'm dreaming, but surely such a thing could be developed given enough money?

Attractive idea but impossible to do.
How would you do the trials without fear of
spread into non-target population?

Recent experience with HIV and bird flu is enough
to remind us that viruses are no respectors of
species barriers.

I think our farmers might be a bit miffed if their
cattle / pigs / sheep caught doses of infertility
virus.

They have used contraception to control elephants.
It works so long as you can shoot the darts into the
right females at the right time over an area of
of several thousand sq miles by helicopter.

[Rob_D]

I agree there are serious difficulties you mentioned, but it certainly isn't impossible, especially within 50 years. There are many species specific viruses that are being considered eg a modified myxoma virus for Rabbits, or the cytomegalovirus for mice. Since those viruses are already out in the wild, the odds of a modified version spreading to other species are much reduced.

Many reseachers looking seriously at this "viral-vectored immunocontraception" techinique, and while it may not be practical right now who's to say it will never be? Even if a host-specific virus for Mink couldn't be developed, bait-delivered contraceptive vaccines already exist and are being used for deer, foxes etc. I don't know how successful would these be on Mink? Could baited mink rafts be used?

What we do know right now is that trapping and shooting is going to be a pretty difficult and expensive way to eradicate them.

[Nightranger]

Originally Posted by Billy Wobble Dagger

The increase in otters will help to push the mink out of areas, but will not reduce the mink population. A high profile effort to reduce the mink would certainly not go a miss.

It certainly seems to be the case that mink are less 'colonial' when otters are present. However, I suspect this is more of an adaptation to diminishing food resources after large numbers of these animals are released (deliberately or accidentally) into a single area. There were large numbers of mink around Radcliffe (Manchester) twenty years ago but they are seldom seen in more than ones or twos now and they are not as bold either.

It is probably prudent to keep some level of control in place until we understand all the factors involved in water vole decline. Declines are rarely caused by a single factor so it is debatable whether mink were the main cause for decline in water voles or whether they were the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. For example, some water birds like the coot have thrived in the presence of mink and despite periodic population dips, moorhens are holding their own.

[Nightranger]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

They have used contraception to control elephants.
It works so long as you can shoot the darts into the
right females at the right time over an area of
of several thousand sq miles by helicopter.

There was a similar scheme to dose feral pigeons but for some reason this was determined to be impractical. I cannot ever seeing why this would not work although dosing grain would have been a bit alarming in terms of not ensuring that only pigeons ate the contraceptive.