LIFE removes invasive ferrets from Rathlin Island to protect seabirds

Ferrets never belonged on Rathlin Island, a craggy smudge of land off the north coast of Northern Ireland. The carnivorous creatures were supposedly introduced there 4 decades ago to control wild rabbits but began preying on rare birds that breed on the island. Now, thanks to the LIFE RAFT project , the rugged island has been declared ferret free, removing a major threat to Rathlin's population of 250 000 sea birds.

It is the first time invasive ferrets have been successfully eradicated from an island anywhere in the world. Now the LIFE RAFT project team are turning their attention to rats, hoping to repeat their success by completely removing invasive rodents that also prey on the birds, their chicks and eggs.

Easy prey

Rathlin Island is home to large colonies of several bird species protected under EU laws that transitioned into UK domestic regulations when the country left the EU and is designated as a Special Protection Area. It is an important breeding site for Atlantic puffins, black-legged kittiwakes, razorbills, common guillemots, corncrakes and peregrine falcons.

But many of them nest on cliffs, on the ground or in burrows, making them easy prey for fleet-footed ferrets and rats. These alien invasive species are also a headache for Rathlin's 160 human residents, damaging homes and killing chickens.

'Non-native, invasive ferrets and brown rats have driven severe declines in wildlife, with puffin numbers alone falling by 74% since 1999,' says Nikki Isles, project manager of the LIFE RAFT project at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Northern Ireland.

Traps, drones and a sniffer dog

It took 5 years and €5.2 million - including €3.1 million from the EU - to rid Rathlin of ferrets. Beginning in September 2023, the LIFE RAFT project team laid 400 traps across the island to capture the creatures. The project team also used a network of 110 cameras, drones equipped with thermal cameras and a sniffer dog called Woody to search out any surviving ferrets.

The rat eradication programme - the largest of its kind to use ground-based baiting on an inhabited island - began in October 2024. More than 6 500 bait stations containing rat poison have been deployed on the island - one nearly every 50m - including in residents' sheds, homes and gardens . GPS and mobile network-connected devices are used to monitor the bait stations and look out for rat hotspots.The last rat sighting was reported more than a year ago, in 2025. While the island will need another year without sightings before it can officially be declared rat-free, the absence of rats for more than 12 months is already a highly encouraging sign.

'Flying' bait stations

'In challenging coastal locations, innovative solutions were required, including wire-mounted "flying" bait stations and the use of small boats to access remote cliff areas, ensuring comprehensive island coverage despite difficult terrain,' says Isles. Seabirds are already making a comeback, with Manx Shearwaters breeding on the island for the first time in decades.

LIFE RAFT is one of 125 projects funded by the LIFE Programme since 1992 - sharing a total of €566 million - combatting the harm caused by invasive species. 'The LIFE RAFT project demonstrates how targeted invasive species eradication can deliver long-term biodiversity gains for Special Protection Areas and the restoration of island ecosystems,' adds Isles.

The project has received extensive media coverage, including in The Guardian and the BBC .

The LIFE RAFT project contributes to the EU Habitats Directive, the Birds Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species.