American mink: the art of the possible and national aspirations for biodiversity.

Abstract

The American mink is well established in mainland Britain, and there is compelling evidence that its ecological impacts threaten elements of native biodiversity. Efforts to manage mink or prey species so as to mitigate these impacts are limited by resources, by lack of any clear planning, and by the management tools available. In this paper, I describe the current disposition of responsibilities, resources, knowledge and enthusiasm for control of mink numbers. Although strategy for management of endangered species is co-ordinated, there is no such planning for invasive species. Thus mink control actions are typically local and not co-ordinated nationally with respect to either mink or vulnerable prey species. I review the methods of mink control, and our understanding of what impact on mink population dynamics is technically achievable. At present it is clear that ecologically effective control can be achieved at scales from very local to whole river catchment, but the cost is high (about £350/km²/year). At these scales, the chief barrier to success is not feasibility but affordability, though a degree of human failure must also be built into any planning. In principle, there seems no reason why effective control could not be implemented on a larger scale. What we don't yet know is whether mink control can be successfully co-ordinated and delivered on a larger scale, and whether this would reduce costs and lead to longer term impacts or even eradication. There is a general agreement among interest groups that a national plan for management of mink would be beneficial, and that exploratory work to answer the current uncertainties is essential.