Appeal for landowners’ input in tackling stoat problem

The Orkney Native Wildlife Project is urging landowners help tackle Orkney’s rising stoat population by allowing their property to be checked.

Stoats are native to the UK Mainland but not to Orkney, where they were first recorded in 2010. Since then, the stoat population has continued to grow and is now established and widely-distributed throughout Mainland Orkney, Burray and South Ronaldsay.

Stoats pose a threat to the county’s native wildlife — particularly the Orkney vole, hen harrier, short-eared owl and other ground nesting birds. According to the team behind Orkney’s wildlife project, these species are of international importance and are therefore vital to the county’s thriving wildlife tourism industry.

Stoats are capable of swimming significant distances over open water. Efforts have been ongoing to reduce the risk of stoats spreading to other islands through biosecurity trapping in five coastal locations on Mainland Orkney, while locals in the isles have been reporting their sightings.

Known landowners in Hoy, Shapinsay, Graemsay, Flotta, Wyre and Rousay, have received letters or visits from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project asking for access to search their land for signs of stoats later this summer. The project team wishes to thank everyone who has been supportive so far. Other landowners on these islands are now being urged to get in touch with the project as soon as possible, by emailing ONWP.LandAccess@gmail.com. Landowners in the Mainland, Burray and South Ronaldsay are also being urged to get in touch with the project team.

Speaking on behalf of the Orkney Native Wildlife Project, Sarah Sankey said: “Orkney is incredibly important for wildlife on an international scale and to safeguard Orkney’s native wildlife we need to remove stoats.

“The eradication that will take place as part of the Orkney Native Wildlife Project will be the largest ever attempted in the world and will require a massive team effort in order to be a success. We’ve been really moved by the support for protecting Orkney’s wildlife that we have experienced so far and would like to thank everyone who has granted land access, reported sightings or taken time to give us feedback.

“We are now urgently appealing to landowners to get in touch to help with the next and critical stage of safeguarding Orkney’s wildlife. We have two simple requests. If you get a letter from the project, please reply, and if you are a landowner, even if that land is only your garden, please get in touch as soon as possible by email. This is particularly important if you own land in Hoy, Shapinsay, Graemsay, Flotta, Wyre and Rousay because we will be focusing on getting permissions for these first”.

News and updates are available on the Orkney Native Wildlife Project Facebook page at www.facebook.com/OrkneyNativeWildlifeProject.