Scotland's Shiants Islands become safer haven for seabirds after rats finally driven away

LONDON, March 2 (Xinhua) -- The Shiants Islands off the coast of Scotland's Outer Hebrides has declared a victory in its four-year battle against rats, assuring a brighter future for seabirds inhabiting on the isles.

the remote and uninhabited islands attracts over 100,000 pairs of nesting seabirds every year, and is officially classed as an internationally important wildlife colony.

However, it had been plagued for years by non-native black rats, thought to have arrived from a shipwreck, which have feasted on chicks and eggs.

On Friday, the islands were officially declared rats free thanks to the European Union (EU)-backed 622,000 U.S. dollars project to restore them as a secure haven for nesting seabirds.

It is now hoped that seabirds such as puffins, razorbills, and guillemots will see improved breeding successes which could eventually support population increases in the long lived seabirds breeding on the Shiants.

It is also hoped that other seabirds, such as Manx shearwaters and storm petrels, will begin to nest on the islands.

The success of the project, which started in 2014, has been a collaboration between the family who own the islands and have been custodians for three generations, the Nicholsons, Scottish Natural Heritage and RSPB Scotland.

A month-long intensive monitoring check in February found no sign of rats, finally reaching the internationally agreed criterion for rat-free status, the project organizers announced Friday.

A spokeswoman for RSPB Scotland said "there was evidence that the rats fed on the seabirds' eggs and chicks, having a detrimental impact on their breeding success. With many seabird populations facing a multitude of threats and severe declines in Scotland and around the globe, it was vital that action was taken to safeguard those nesting on the Shiants."

The operation to eradicate the rats was led by a New Zealand-based company, Wildlife Management International Limited, with the help of 15 volunteers.

The operation was incredibly challenging due to the rugged terrain and steep cliffs that make up the islands, and the Hebridean weather conditions including severe storms.

To ensure the islands remain rat-free, visitors are asked to follow biosecurity measures including checking boats and all kit for signs of rats prior to departing for the Shiants.

Senior Project Manager Dr. Charlie Mann said: "With so many of Scotland's seabird populations in decline it's vital that we do all we can to help them. Making these islands a secure place for them to breed is really important."

Tom Nicolson, from the third generation of the family to own the islands, said: "This is a tremendous story of success on so many levels. When the idea was presented to us six years ago, the pure logistics of the project seemed hugely ambitious. Now, knowing that new species are beginning to thrive on the islands, so soon after the project has finished, there are no limits to what the Shiants could become over the next five, 10, 20 years." Enditem