shiant isles recovery project after life conservation plan
TRANSCRIPT
Shiant Isles Recovery Project
After LIFE Conservation Plan
2019 - 2024
Photo by Jack Ibbotson
Contents
Section Page
Introduction 1
Purpose of the Document 3
Delivery Partners of the After-LIFE Conservation Plan 3
After-LIFE Conservation Plan Objectives 4
1. Biosecurity - prevention measures 5
2. Biosecurity - surveillance 6
3. Biosecurity - incursion response 7
4. Monitoring of key species 9
5. Disseminating LIFE+ project results 11
Costs of actions and Partner Responsibilities 12
References 13
Appendices 13
Appendix 1 - Protocol for Monitoring of Permanent Biosecurity Stations at the Shiant Isles
14
Appendix 2 - Storm Petrel Playback Survey of the Shiants and Fladagh Chuain, 2015 23
Appendix 3 - Shiant Isles Biosecurity Plan, 2019 revision 39
Introduction The Shiant Isles host an internationally important breeding seabird assembly comprising of over 60,000 pairs of puffins, around 9,000 guillemots, 8,000 razorbills, 1500 fulmar, 1000 kittiwakes, 500 shags and small numbers of a further six breeding seabird species. The importance of the islands seabird population is recognised both nationally and internationally through the designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Protection Area (SPA) for its populations of breeding seabirds and wintering barnacle geese. However, a black rat population had become established on the islands following accidental introduction, with the most likely transport route through shipwrecks or stock movements several hundred years ago. Recent research showed that rats were predating on seabird chicks and eggs. In addition, European storm petrels and Manx shearwaters were absent as breeding species despite the presence of abundant breeding habitat. Following a detailed assessment of UK islands with invasive non-native species, the Shiant Isles were identified as a priority site for rat eradication because of the size and importance of the existing seabird colony that would benefit and the abundance of suitable Manx shearwater and storm petrel breeding habitat. A feasibility study for rat removal was undertaken in 2012, a project was developed and funding was secured in 2014. Between October 2014 and December. 2018 a four-year LIFE+ project was successfully completed, with the following purpose and objectives. LIFE+ Project Purpose The primary purpose of the project was to protect and restore the Shiant Isles SPA off western Scotland through the removal of invasive black rats Rattus rattus. An additional objective was to improve the provision of safeguards against invasive mammal incursions in important seabird island SPAs right around the UK. LIFE+ Project Objectives The main objectives of the project were as follows.
1. To remove invasive rats from the Shiant Isles SPA. This will eliminate a significant pressure on the existing seabird assemblage, and will also build the resilience of the assemblage to the impacts of oceanographic change and increasing human activity at sea. The problems facing the seabirds on the Shiants are illustrated by the fact that, when the condition of this SPA was last assessed in 2008, both seabirds covered by the assessment (namely razorbill Alca torda and common guillemot Uria aalge) were classified as ‘unfavourable declining’.
2. To actively promote the colonisation of the Shiants by European storm-petrel and Manx shearwater, for example using call playback.
3. To protect the UK’s most important seabird island SPAs by improving biosecurity. At present, biosecurity is severely lacking on many key islands, which together support a significant proportion of the UK’s internationally important seabird populations. The project will establish a minimum standard for biosecurity, produce a guideline document for island managers, and deliver training exercises across the country.
4. To build expertise within the UK (and hence within the EU) in island restoration, reducing reliance on expensive external contractors.
Table 1. Time line from project development to formal LIFE+ project delivery (2012 - 2018)
2012 Feasibility study undertaken by Wildlife Management International Ltd (WMIL) which concluded that black rat eradication from the Shiants was feasible.
May 2014 LIFE+ funding secured and match RSPB and SNH funding in place.
October 2014 LIFE+ Project commences.
December 2014 Project Manager Charlie Main appointed and WMIL appointed as contractors to undertake black rat eradication operation at the Shiants in winter 15/16.
Spring/Summer 2015 Ecological baseline monitoring data collected and full seabird colony count undertaken by RSPB and SNH staff.
Autumn 2015 Final preparations put in place, permissions secured, and infrastructure installed for winter rat eradication operation
2nd November 2015 Ground based rodenticide baiting operation commences
28th November 2015 Intensive monitoring for rat sign commences alongside bating operation
22nd March 2016 Rodenticide baiting operation and intensive monitoring ends and biosecurity monitoring of permanent monitoring stations commences and biosecurity plan in place.
April 2016 Post rat removal, three-year programme of ecological monitoring commences.
May 2016 Storm petrel and Manx shearwater sound lure attraction work commences.
October 2016 Two-week intensive monitoring check for rat sign.
December 2016 Incursion response team trained to support a future incursion response at the Shiants if required.
Summer 2017 First storm petrel response heard from possible nesting burrow.
February 2018 Four-week intensive Final Check for rat sign
2nd March 2018 Shiant Isles declared rat free
Summer 2018 Storm petrel responses recorded from at least three possible nesting burrows.
August 2018 Three years of post-rat removal ecological monitoring completed
21st Sept 2018 Storm petrel breeding confirmed when a chick is recorded responding to playback from nesting burrow.
26th – 27th September 2018
End of Project Conference held in Stornoway with excursion trips to the Shiants.
31st December 2018 LIFE+ project ends
Project Partners, Contractors and Funding The Shiant Isles Recovery Project has been a partnership between RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), and the Nicolson Family, the custodians of the islands. The RSPB were the lead delivery partner organisation. The project was funded by EU LIFE+ Nature (LIFE13 NAT/UK/000209 – LIFE Shiants), SNH and by private donations. The rat eradication was led by Wildlife Management International Ltd with support from Sea Lewis Ltd and Sea Harris Ltd boat operators and fifteen volunteers.
Purpose of this document This document sets out how the benefits and legacy of the LIFE+ Shiant Isles Recovery Project will be secured into the long term following the completion of the LIFE+ project. The plan currently covers the next five years to 2024 but much of this plan deals with the long-term biosecurity measures required to maintain rat free status at the Shiants. Although the level of biosecurity risk may change over time, there will be an ongoing need for biosecurity at an appropriate level to the risk in perpetuity. This plan will therefore be reviewed by partners in 2024, and an annual review of the biosecurity plan for the Shiants is recommended to ensure it remains up to date. This plan details What activities are necessary, How the activities will be delivered and financed, When activities will be undertaken and Who will be responsible.
Delivery Partners of the After-LIFE Conservation Plan
The existing partnership comprising of the Nicolson family, RSPB and SNH will continue with the addition of the Shiants Auk Ringing Group (SARG). SARG are a group of seabird ringers who have been visiting the Shiant Isles since the 1970s and annually since 2008 to undertake ringing studies and seabird monitoring. SARG supported the LIFE+ project, providing volunteers for the rat removal operation and final check, and through hosting RSPB sabbatical placements during their annual summer visit to the Shiants. SARG will carry out annual seabird monitoring, continue to host an annual RSPB sabbatical placement, and undertake one biosecurity monitoring check annually. The RSPB will provide secretariat to the partnership, coordinating the project legacy work and arranging an annual meeting (by Skype/VC or in person) between partners to review this plan, report on the work undertaken over the previous year and plan for the coming year. The Nicolson family as custodians of the islands have a pivotal role especially in communicating rat free status and promoting biosecurity measures to island visitors. The Nicolson’s will chair the annual meeting of partners. Between annual meetings most communication will be by e-mail. SNH will lead in future seabird population counts of the Shiants SPA and support biosecurity surveillance and incursion response as capacity allows. The contact details for the lead representatives of the partner organisations are given in Table 2 and the responsibilities in delivering the After-Life Conservation Plan actions are summarised in Table 4. Table 2. Partner contact details
Partner Lead Contact Person(s) Contact details
The Nicolson family (island owners)
Tom Nicolson Adam Nicolson
[email protected] [email protected]
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
Robin Reid, RSPB Senior Conservation Officer Laura Bambini, RSPB Senior Project Manager - Seabird Island Restoration
[email protected] [email protected]
Shiants Auk Ringing Group (SARG)
Jim Lennon, SARG leader [email protected]
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)
Andy Douse, Policy and Advice Manager, SNH Species Group
Roddy MacMinn, Operations Officer, Outer Hebrides
Objectives of the After-Life Conservation Plan
The after-LIFE conservation plan has three core objectives:
• To ensure that the Shiant Isles remain free of non native mammalian predators indefinitely in order to protect the Shiant Isles seabird population from predation by invasive non-native species. This will be achieved through comprehensive biosecurity measures, including prevention, surveillance (early detection) and rapid incursion response capacity.
• To monitor key seabird species in order to gather data and evidence on the long-term effects of rat removal.
• To continue to communicate the results of the project using the Shiants as a case study to promote best practice for rodent eradications and biosecurity.
The next sections of the plan will detail how these objectives will be met under the following five headings: Biosecurity – prevention measures (objective 1) Biosecurity – surveillance (objective 1) Biosecurity – incursion response (objective 1) Monitoring of key seabird species (objective 2) Disseminating project results (objective 3)
Biosecurity - prevention measures Securing potential pathways, i.e. preventing rodents from reaching the islands, is a key component of robust biosecurity measures. To date this has been achieved through engaging with island users, visitors, boat operators and agencies responsible for rodent control at departure points to ensure appropriate measures are taken to minimise the risk of accidentally re-introducing rats and other rodent species to the islands. Although black rats were removed from the Shiants, brown rats are abundant on the adjacent Lewis and Harris mainland and now pose the greatest risk for incursion at the Shiants. Mice (house and field mouse) are another potential risk species that could pose a threat to nesting European storm-petrels. The project partners will continue to engage with island user groups. Regular activities identified as posing the greatest risk are grazier stock movements, tour boat operators and overnight visitors (including the project partners themselves). The Shiant Isles Biosecurity Plan (Appendix 3) has been reviewed so that it is fit for purpose following the completion of the LIFE+ project and provides detail on biosecurity measures in place. Biosecurity Leaflet Following the production of a project leaflet in the first year of the LIFE project, a subsequent leaflet with emphasis on biosecurity was produced on completion of the rat final check in 2018, with declaration of rat-free status for the islands. Initially a print run of 1400 copies was made. This leaflet was very popular and a further 4900 copies have been printed for dissemination after the completion of the project. This leaflet is aimed at island visitors with a section on the seabird colony at the Shiants. It makes five asks of visitors to help keep the islands rodent free:
1. Pack any food in rodent-proof lunch boxes on the day of travel. 2. Carefully check any bags or gear that may have been stored in a garage or shed, making sure that
a rodent has not stowed away anywhere. 3. Not to push any rats or other rodents detected on boats overboard as they could swim to the
Shiants or another island. 4. Not to land on the Shiants if it is suspected that there is a rodent on board the boat. 5. Take any waste away from the Shiants.
The RSPB will continue to distribute these to Tourism Information Centres in Stornoway and Tarbert (the main departure points for the Shiants), to Port Authorities (for distribution to yachts and other pleasure craft) and to boat operators running trips to the Shiants. The leaflet will also be made available to download from the project web page hosted by RSPB and the Shiant Isles website hosted by the Nicolson’s. Bothy booking are made through the Shiant Isles website so providing information on this website is the best way to communicate about biosecurity to visitors planning to stay overnight at the Shiants. Grazier The grazing lease at the Shiants was terminated in 2016, and several attempts have been made by the grazier to remove the livestock, but this is not complete. Stock are moved using a landing craft and this poses a significant biosecurity risk as this is the only time that large boats land directly at the Shiants without the need to transfer personnel and cargo to a smaller tender vessel. For previous stock movements, the RSPB has liaised with the grazier and boat haulier company to ensure rat traps are present on landing craft at least one night before embarking for the Shiants and that the boat is inspected prior to landing. The RSPB will continue to maintain contact with the grazier until all stock are removed. Biosecurity awareness raising One of the objectives of the new Biosecurity for LIFE (LIFE17 GIE/UK/000572) project is: To raise awareness of the need for better biosecurity in both members of the public and key policy and decision-makers. This will be achieved through an education programme, an awareness raising campaign, and
engagement with key stakeholders including local authorities and port authorities. This work will reinforce the biosecurity messages that the Shiants Isles Recovery Project has been promoting to prevent future rat invasions.
Biosecurity – surveillance
Biosecurity surveillance will continue to ensure that if any rodents do reach the Shiants, they are detected as soon as possible so that an effective incursion response can be mounted before they become established on the Islands. Passive biosecurity surveillance grid The permanent biosecurity surveillance stations which were installed at key location at the end of the eradication phase of the LIFE project in March 2016, will be maintained. This is a passive surveillance grid comprising of 64 monitoring stations on the three main islands and eight further stations on the Galtachan. Initially there were 54 plastic Protecta boxes and 10 rodent motels built with marine ply. These were replaced with a mixture of concrete and ply stations at the end of the LIFE project as the Nicolson family felt that the plastic boxes were too obtrusive in the island environment and that the concrete stations were more discrete. This passive monitoring grid is concentrated around the areas with most human activity where rats or other rodents are most likely to appear. The grid is baited with flavoured non-toxic wax (usually chocolate or peanut) which attracts rodents and then captures and retains their chew marks. The project partners have agreed that this grid will be checked a minimum of four times per year. The RSPB, with support from SNH will make two surveillance check trips, one in the early spring (March/April) and one in the Autumn (October/November). SARG will make one check and during June/July and the Nicolson family will make one check in July/August. These checks cover the summer half of the year during the period when most visits to the Shiants are made and the biosecurity risk is greatest. A surveillance check involves locating each monitoring station using a hand-held GPS, inspecting the wax blocks and the wooden stations for rodent teeth marks, checking for any rodent droppings inside and around the station, recording the results and replacing blocks with fresh wax before moving to the next station. If rat rodent sign is detected, the passive monitoring grid can be converted to an aggressive grid by replacing the wax with rodenticide and/or traps, and supplementing the grid with additional bait stations to increase the density of the devices. In addition to the 64 monitoring stations on the three main islands, eight further stations have been installed on the two largest Galtachean stacks, Galta Mor and Galta Beag. These stacks can only be reached in very calm sea conditions so the aim will be to check these stations at least once per year. Detailed instructions for checking the permanent biosecurity surveillance grid are provided in Appendix 1. Other monitoring devices On multiple overnight stays, tracking tunnels and camera traps will be deployed in addition to checking the permanent monitoring grid. This will be done on at least two of the four planned surveillance checks each year. Additionally, chew-cards should be placed in several permanent stations and checked and collected at the end of the overnight trips. Surveillance equipment Surveillance equipment purchased through the LIFE project is stored in the Shiants bothy and in storage on the Lewis/Harris mainland. The RSPB will maintain and replace the monitoring equipment and make flavoured wax monitoring blocks as required.
Training and recording Everyone undertaking rodent surveillance will receive training from RSPB staff initially to follow the protocol in Appendix 1. Records from surveillance visits will be entered into a database by the RSPB. Rodent sightings The RSPB website www.rspb.org.uk/shiantslife, Shiant Isles website www.shiantisles.net/project and LIFE project Biosecurity leaflet give contact details to enable visitors to the islands to report any rodent sightings. Any reported sightings will be followed up by the RSPB so that the credibility of the sighting can be determined and further surveillance or an incursion response can be triggered. Figure 1. Map of permanent biosecurity surveillance grid.
Biosecurity – Maintaining Incursion Response Capacity
The incursion response triggers, responsibilities and methods are detailed in the Shiant Isles Biosecurity
Plan (Appendix 3). The RSPB will continue to be responsible for leading an Incursion response with
support from other partners and stakeholders.
Summary of Incursion Response Process
The level of response required to a rodent sighting or sign would depend on the circumstances and
reliability of the sighting or sign. The action required would be advised by the RSPB’s Seabird Island
Restoration Project team in consultation with the local RSPB team and project partners. Below is a
summary of the triggers, and what is involved in an initial assessment and incursion response.
Triggers – an Incursion Response is triggered in the event of a shipwreck at the Shiants, rodent sign
detected on a routine biosecurity surveillance check or a rodent sighting or sign reported by a visitor (a
questionnaire is used to determine the reliability of a reported sighting). All partners are consulted
before an incursion response starts.
Initial Assessment and Response– A sighting or sign reported by a visitor should be followed up with a
standard interview immediately. If the report is reliable and an incursion deemed possible, a visual
inspection should be carried out and surveillance should commence as soon as possible and preferably
within 48 hours of receiving the report. This involves installing a 50X50 metre grid (if rat incursion is
suspected) with bait stations containing kill traps, and monitoring devices for 250m in all directions of
the sighting/sign. This grid is checked several times a week for up to four weeks. The equipment
required for an initial response is stored at the Shiants bothy so that it can be immediately deployed by
2-3 personnel. If no rodents are detected in the 4-week initial response period, no further action is
taken and the standard biosecurity surveillance routine resumes. If rodent presence is confirmed move
to Incursion Response. If reliable rodent sign is detected on a biosecurity surveillance trip it is likely that
an incursion response would start immediately, bypassing the initial response. A shipwreck on the
islands would trigger an incursion response directly.
Incursion Response following a confirmed rodent detection – a 50X50m grid is deployed 500m in all
directions and beyond this an island wide 100X100m grid is deployed following a confirmed rat record.
For mice, a smaller grid (e.g. 10X10m and 25X25m) will be necessary. The incursion response grid is
checked and maintained at regular intervals for a minimum of six weeks. This would require the
mobilisation of the Incursion Response Team and kit to be transported to the islands from the Lewis
mainland incursion response hub. The incursion response ends when there has been no rodent sign for
at least one month or if it is established that rodents are widespread and a full eradication operation is
required. Establishing and running an incursion response at the Shiants would require 4-6 personnel.
Incursion Response store and team
One of the key actions (B3) of Biosecurity for LIFE, a four year, RSPB led partnership LIFE-funded project
which started in August 2018 is the establishment of eight incursion response hubs and teams around
the UK that are equipped and trained to respond to non-native mammal incursions on seabird islands.
One of these will be situated in the Outer Hebrides and will service the incursion response needs for
the surrounding seabird SPAs (Flannan Isles, Mingulay & Berneray, Monach Isles, North Rona & Sula
Sgeir, Shiant Isles and St Kilda). When the Outer Hebrides hub is established in 2020/2021, the
incursion response equipment purchased for the Shiants Isles Recovery Project will be handed over to
Biosecurity for LIFE to form the basis of the Outer Hebrides Incursion Response Hub in Stornoway
which will be equipped to continue to service the Incursion Response requirements for the Shiants as
well as the other Seabird SPAs in the archipelago. Surplus biosecurity equipment will go to other
biosecurity hubs in the UK.
The incursion response team comprising of eleven RSPB and SNH staff trained through the Shiant Isles
Recovery Project will continue to operate until it is superseded by a local Outer Hebrides Incursion
Response Team trained and maintained through Biosecurity for LIFE and in perpetuity by the legacy of
that project.
Resourcing an Incursion Response Operation
The partners cannot hold budget specifically to resource an incursion response operation at the Shiants
which for a six-week operation would cost an estimated £30,000. However, SNH do have an annual
emergency budget of £10,000 for invasive non-native species control and the RSPB have mechanisms
to release budget at short notice for emergency high priority actions. The Nicolson family also have an
aspiration in the long term to build up a fund that could be used for incursion response at the Shiants.
Monitoring of key species
In each of the four years of the LIFE project a dedicated team of three researchers undertook an
intensive monitoring programme to examine the response of seabirds, land birds, invertebrate
communities and vegetation communities to the removal rats. The results of this work were reported
as a deliverable of the LIFE project and appended to the Final Technical Report. The main aim of the
LIFE project was to remove the invasive non-native population of black rats to benefit the seabird
colony and therefore future monitoring will focus on seabirds with the aim of gathering further data on
the response of seabirds to rat removal. Annual monitoring will largely be undertaken by SARG and the
annual RSPB sabbatical placement on their two-week trip to the islands from late June to early July.
Monitoring work undertaken will be compiled into an annual report.
Storm petrel and Manx shearwater monitoring The day and night-time storm petrel baseline playback monitoring established in 2015 and repeated in each year of the project will be continued by the sabbatical placement on the SARG trip. A detailed methodology and the locations monitored in 2015 are provide in the Storm Petrel Playback survey of the Shiants and Fladaigh Chuain 2015 Report (Appendix 2). In addition to the locations monitored in 2015, playback survey will also continue at the sound lure attraction sites established in 2016 in figure 2. As a minimum, Manx shearwater playback survey will also be repeated at sound lure attraction sites annually (Figure 2). Storm petrel and Manx shearwater sound lure attraction
The RSPB will maintain the horn speaker and colony mimic sound lure attraction systems deployed
2016 – 2018 (Figure 2) as far as practicable. These will be installed on the annual Spring RSPB
biosecurity monitoring trips, removed on the Autumn trips and operated by SARG and other interested
island users. However, where petrels or shearwaters colonise and start breeding, the purpose of the
attraction systems has been fulfilled and they will not be re-deployed. Artificial petrel nest sites
installed as part of the LIFE project will be checked annually for occupation by the RSPB sabbatical
placement.
Figure 2. Storm petrel and Manx shearwater sound lure attraction sites
Puffin colony extent The outer edge of puffin colonies can be defined by a line between the outermost active burrows. This
is easily measured and repeated between years using a hand-held GPS and provides a useful measure
of whether colonies are contracting or expanding over time. It is expected that in the absence of rats,
colonies will expand. Baseline data on colony extent was gathered in 2015 and the extent of sample of
colonies (the main colony on Eilean Mhuire and the north grass slope on Garbh Eilean) will be
measured on an annual basis by SARG or the RSPB sabbatical placement.
Puffin & razorbill adult survival rates
Puffin and razorbill survival rates can be calculated by annual ‘constant effort’ netting and ringing in
their colonies, and analysed using the BTO’s Retrapping Adults for Survival (RAS) methodology. SARG
will continue their RAS’s on the north slope (puffin) of Garbh Eilean and on Carnach Mor (puffin &
razorbill).
Puffin Burrow Density
Repeatable puffin burrow density survey plots were set up in the 1980s in the north grass slope colony
on Garbh Eilean. These plots will be re-surveys at least once within the five-year period of this plan by
SARG and the RSPB sabbatical placement. Coupled with measurements of puffin colony extent, burrow
density surveys will give a good indication of whether this puffin colony grows.
Counts of cliff nesting auks and kittiwakes
SARG will continue to monitor apparently occupied guillemot, razorbill and kittiwake nest sites on
sample cliff faces on an annual basis. These surveys were started in the 1970s and have been
undertaken annually since 2008 using standard methodology. The survey areas are defined on
photographs taken from survey vantage points.
Counts of land-based passerines
Prior to the eradication, SARG started a standardised annual walkover transect on Eilean an Tighe, they
will continue this on an annual basis.
Full seabird colony count
A baseline full colony count was undertaken in the first year of the LIFE project in 2015, as part of the
SNHs site condition monitoring schedule (Taylor et al. 2018). Prior to this, full colony counts were
undertaken in 1970 and 1999/2000, with partial counts (not all species) undertaken in 1986, 1995 and
2008. The next full population census at the Shiants is scheduled for 2021 as part of the SNH’s cycle of
site condition monitoring but this programme is currently under review. SNH hope to continue to
undertake intermittent full colony counts on Seabird SPAs and opportunities for repeat full colony
counts will be explored at annual project partner meetings.
Invertebrate, vegetation and land bird monitoring
A programme of wider ecological monitoring was undertaken as part of the LIFE+ project. The partners
do not intend to continue this work, but the results and methodologies used will be made available to
universities or other institutions who express and interest in continuing or repeating any aspects of this
work in the future. Annual partner meeting will provide an opportunity to explore the possibilities for
repeating this monitoring work to measure longer term effects of rat removal on the wider ecosystem.
Disseminating project results
Project Website The project web pages www.rspb.org.uk/shiantslife will be maintained by the RSPB and kept up to date with links to project reports and a project contact for a minimum of five years following the completion of the LIFE project to 2024. The Shiant Isles website www.shiantisles.net which is managed by Tom Nicolson and is the first point of contact for visitors will also continue to host a page about the Shiant Isles Recovery Project with contact details. Layman’s Report 1000 copies of the Layman’s report were printed for the end of project conference. This report will be made available for download on the project web page on the RSPB website and hard copies will be distributed at RSPB events on the Western Isles, through libraries and other outlets. UK Biosecurity The results from the biosecurity audit of the UKs Seabird SPAs which was carried out as part of the Shiant Isles Recovery Project has helped inform the development of the Biosecurity for LIFE project. This project will take forward the findings from the biosecurity audits (which were carried out as part of the Shiant Isles Recovery Project) in its first objective: To enable the production of comprehensive, up-to-date biosecurity plans for all 41 UK seabird SPAs. The Island Biosecurity Manual produced through the Shiant Isles Recovery project will be used extensively as a tool in the delivery of Biosecurity for LIFE to enable the production of biosecurity plans and as a basis for training events and materials planned for the project. The Shiant Isles Recovery Project will also be used as a case study for rodent eradications on seabird islands and for best practice in biosecurity planning.
Costs of actions and Partner Responsibilities Table 3. Estimated annual costs for the activities required to deliver the After-LIFE Plan
Activity/item Cost Who meets cost
Annual meeting of partners Total of £600 for travel for everyone in table 1 to reach central location if meeting is held in person
Partners meet their own travel costs. RSPB provides venue. Likely that most meetings will be held remotely by VC
Four return Boat trips for biosecurity monitoring visits
Eight boat trips with total cost of £4800 per annum
The partner carrying out the biosecurity monitoring check pays for the boat
Personnel time for biosecurity monitoring trips
Contributed in-kind Each partner contributes their time in-kind
Annual replacement/repair of biosecurity monitoring equipment (e.g. wax for monitoring blocks, batteries, replacement GPS unit)
£200 RSPB
Storage of biosecurity equipment on Lewis/Harris mainland to service an incursion response
Currently provided at no cost
RSPB until incursion kit is handed over to Biosecurity for LIFE and the Western Isles Incursion Response Hub is established
10 buckets of rodenticide held in storage for initial Incursion Response
£600 biennially (bait viable for 2 years). This cost will be greater if old bait needs to be disposed of
RSPB until the Western Isles Incursion Response Hub is established through Biosecurity for LIFE
Sabbatical placement on SARG ringing expedition
£375 for one week or £525 for two weeks plus travel and subsistence
£400 contribution from RSPB, remaining costs met by the RSPB staff member on sabbatical placement
Replacement batteries and maintenance of audio attraction systems for storm petrel and Manx shearwater speakers
£100 per annum RSPB
6-week Incursion Response at the Shiants if rats detected
Ca. £30,000 in staff time, travel, boats, subsistence and bait costs if required
Not budgeted for in annual budgets but funding would need to be sought from RSPB and SNH as an emergency measure if rats are detected
Total annual cash cost £6,825
Table 4. Partner Roles and Responsibilities
Partner Roles and Responsibilities in the After-LIFE Conservation Plan
Nicolson Family • Communicate rat free status and promote biosecurity to visitors booking the bothy, and through the www.shiantisles.net website
• Contribute to biosecurity surveillance through one check of biosecurity monitoring stations annually
• Chair annual partnership meetings
RSPB • Coordinate implementation of the After-LIFE Conservation Plan
• Carry out two biosecurity surveillance checks annually
• Store and maintain of biosecurity monitoring, petrel attraction and incursion response equipment
• Communicate project results and biosecurity measures through dissemination of ‘Keep the Shiants Special’ leaflet, layman’s report and the www.rspb.org.uk/shiantslife web page
SNH • Lead on future seabird colony counts of the Shiants SPA
• Support biosecurity monitoring surveillance checks where staff capacity allows
SARG • Carry out one biosecurity monitoring check annually
• Host an RSPB sabbatical placement annually
• Undertake annual monitoring counts of sample seabird colonies and puffin colony extent
• Continue puffin and razorbill Retrapping Adult for Survival studies (3) on Garbh Eilean.
• Continue annual passerine walkover transect survey on Eilean an Tighe.
All • Communicate any reported rat sightings/sign to the partnership
• Support incursion response in the event of confirmed rat sighting/sign/shipwreck
• Follow and communicate agreed biosecurity measures
References Taylor, P.R., Macminn, R., Marsh, S., Brooke, M.L., MacDonald, M., Hughes, P., Donald,F., Docherty, H., Over, A., Beaton, J., Scridel, D., Robertson, L. & Currie, N. 2018. Seabird Population Trends on the Shiant Isles, 2000 – 2015, Scottish Birds. 38:1, 3-14
Appendices Appendix 1. Protocol for Monitoring of Permanent Biosecurity Stations at the Shiant Isles Appendix 2. Storm Petrel Playback Survey of the Shiants and Fladagh Chuain, 2015 Appendix 1. Shiant Isles Biosecurity Plan, March 2019 revision