The tender for the “Great Saltee Rat Eradication Project” closes on the 15th of June.
The Great Saltee covers 89 hectares, it has been earmarked for the eradication of the brown rat, as the rodent is a threat to the vast array of birds on the island. The islands are home to 220 species of birds, the best known of which are Gannets, Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Manx Shearwater, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Guillemot, etc.
On seabird islands in the UK where rats have been eradicated, numbers of Puffin and Manx Shearwater have increased.