Numbers of invasive American mink in Kent are targeted for a 90% reduction within two years through a new conservation project. The Waterlife Recovery Trust (WRT) has secured a £20,000 grant from the BASC Wildlife Fund to enhance trapping and monitoring across the county.
Conservationists emphasize the significant impact of American mink on native British wildlife. The water vole, which is the United Kingdom's fastest-declining mammal, is a primary target for mink predation. Additionally, mink prey on ground-nesting birds, including snipe and lapwing, as well as waterfowl, kingfishers, and sand martins.
The project in Kent builds upon a successful initiative in East Anglia, where a similar effort resulted in a 70% year-on-year decrease in mink populations. This led to the complete eradication of American mink from Norfolk, Suffolk, and East Cambridgeshire.
"The appetite from landowners and volunteers across Kent shows just how much support there is for this work on the ground," said Michelle Nudds, BASC's South East regional director. "We're looking forward to seeing the results."
Ali Horn, WRT's Kent project officer, highlighted the impact of the grant. "The grant allowed us to purchase 56 smart traps, rafts and other essential equipment," Horn stated. "It's been great to have extra equipment funded by the BASC Wildlife Fund to cover areas of the county where sightings of mink had been reported but where we didn't yet have traps."